how to fight procrastination?

[chopincat]

Could anyone who is particularly good at getting things done offer any tips for those of us who aren't?

[theholygideons]

You procrastinate because you are an uncultured plebian who has not seen the true potential of music, literature and other areas of art, otherwise you would definitely not be a potato.

[chopincat]

I never procrastinate when it comes to music/art/literature though! Only the other things they make me study.

But also I know I'm not the only procrastinator here. Are you suggesting that all of us procrastinators are just uncultured plebeians? That's a little harsh.

[Bob]

I think procrastination is normal, but kind of like a wrinkle in things.

There will always be more you can do.  Always.  No matter how well you plan your time, they'll be something that can't get done.  Don't worry -- It wouldn't get done anyway.

I think part is just the mind game -- The perceived task becomes more than you think you can do.  And that could be true if the goal/requirements is more than you can do.  Result?  Stress.  Breakdown.  Do nothing instead of attempting something that's 100% failure.   Potentially, if you get bummed out and rest, you might come back stronger later on and be able to do it.

Personally, I think it's just setting the bar too high or making the requirements more perfect (too perfect) than they were before.


Best solutions I've come up with so far.
Adjust your expectations.  Whatever the goal is, it's not happening, so adjust it down.  It won't matter if don't adjust it -- It's not happening, so don't worry about it.
Break it down into pieces.  Just get one little piece done.
To break the habit that can set in, force yourself to do one extremely easy piece.  That can literally be something like just sitting down at the piano.  I have a routine I do.  If I'm thinking about doing the whole routine, that can be overwhelming.  But I noticed there's a huge mental challenge at that point even to sit down in front of a piano.  It doesn't quite make sense, but that's what it feels like.
Possibly do something different, drop the whole thing for a while, or focus on another angle on the task.  Maybe it's just getting boring.
Possibly take a break.  Rest up, recharge, reenergize with something else.
Or... Just force the heck out of it to get the goal accomplished.  That, esp. with music, captures that forced feel with it though.

[faulty_damper]

I have expertise in procrastination.  I can solve your procrastination quickly and immediately.  But since I'm not there with you, that will be problematic.

Get someone who's more knowledgeable and skillful to help you get things done. 

[j_menz]

I have expertise in procrastination.  I can solve your procrastination quickly and immediately.  But since I'm not there with you, that will be problematic.

Get someone who's more knowledgeable and skillful to help you get things done. 

So your solution is to delegate that which you would otherwise procrastinate. Works for me. 

[ahinton]

So your solution is to delegate that which you would otherwise procrastinate. Works for me.  

I presume there to have been an intended "about" between "that" and "which" but, that said, what interests me more is what might be regarded as anticrastination (i.e. the presumed antonym of procrastination). Answers on a postcard, please...

Someone once said "never put off today what you could postpone tomorrow"; I have to admit that I prefer "why waste time putting off today what you were already procrastinating about yesterday"...

Best,

Alistair

[cwjalex]

i'm the worst procrastinator i have ever known.  i wait to the last possible second to do everything.  in my ap classes in highschool i would completely slack off the entire year but 48 hours before the test i would read and learn the thousand page textbook and then proceed to ace the exam.  i do everything like this and i hate it.

my therapist seems to think there is this deep reason that i have for procrastinating so much but i don't think it's so complicated.  i procrastinate because i can.  i get sh*t done, just at the last second.  why don't i get it done now?  cause doing work is not fun and having fun right now is the most pleasurable experience.  i'm an addict so i am big on instant gratification.  to me procrastination is just that, instant, immediate gratification.

PS i realized i gave no advice on how to fight procrastination. the only thing that works i believe is willpower.  that and remind yourself that those who succeed in life are the ones that can postpone gratification.  suffer now so you can enjoy the rewards later.

[amytsuda]

Some different perspectives. I think procrastination is defined by what else you are doing at that time. For example, if you are watching a TV show that has absolutely no value to you, while you can engage in an activity that has value to you (e.g. practicing piano), that is a procrastination. But if you have tons of homework, but are practicing piano, that I think is a prioritization.

In my case, it can be customers, bosses, team members, family members. The more I do, the more they demand. Soon, day or night, weekdays or weekends, they want me to respond and want me to fly somewhere to take care of things. In addition, all the things like cleaning house, putting garbage out, grocery shopping, doing tax papers. At some point, I just have to say what is important and live with the consequence. Doing a sloppy job and living in a messy house in order to practice piano sounds horrible, but so be it. I am not gonna allow others put value judgement on what is more important than what.

As far as you know what you want to do, and you are making the conscious decisions to delay things in order to do what you want to do, that's called prioritization. So I'd say the key is knowing what you want to do and being conscious of your decisions to delay something.

[timothy42b]

I haven't tried it myself but some people have success with pomodoro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

[pianowolfi]

Sometimes I think I shouldn't fight it but just celebrate it to the extreme...until "rien ne va plus". That usually makes me wake up...

[faulty_damper]

i'm the worst procrastinator i have ever known.  i wait to the last possible second to do everything.  in my ap classes in highschool i would completely slack off the entire year but 48 hours before the test i would read and learn the thousand page textbook and then proceed to ace the exam.  i do everything like this and i hate it.

my therapist seems to think there is this deep reason that i have for procrastinating so much but i don't think it's so complicated.  i procrastinate because i can.  i get sh*t done, just at the last second.  why don't i get it done now?  cause doing work is not fun and having fun right now is the most pleasurable experience.  i'm an addict so i am big on instant gratification.  to me procrastination is just that, instant, immediate gratification.

What you describe may not be procrastination.  It's an issue of priorities.  Do not confuse the two.  Many people do.

However, the implied issue of learning (or not learning in this case) is another problem entirely.

[faulty_damper]

As far as you know what you want to do, and you are making the conscious decisions to delay things in order to do what you want to do, that's called prioritization. So I'd say the key is knowing what you want to do and being conscious of your decisions to delay something.

Yes.  This is the important distinction that needs to be understood so that the word "procrastination" is not misused.  Which it frequently is.

Procrastination is not a purposeful behavior.  You cannot control doing it.  It's an incidental behavior.  What led up to this incidental behavior can be controlled, however.  But the problem is that very few people can identify what actually led up to it.

[faulty_damper]

I haven't tried it myself but some people have success with pomodoro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

Time management does not work to ameliorate procrastination.

For a long time, it used to be believed that procrastination was the result of poor time management skills.  When it was tested in an semester-long experiment where students took a time management course, it found that it did indeed reduce procrastination tendency.  But only very slightly.  However, six months later, every one of the participates had reverted back to their old habits.  Thus, the idea that poor time management had to do with procrastination was abandoned by researchers.

[cwjalex]

What you describe may not be procrastination.  It's an issue of priorities.  Do not confuse the two.  Many people do.

it's procrastination.  i know what my priorities are.  i get important things done, just at the last minute...hence...procrastination.

[j_menz]

it's procrastination.  i know what my priorities are.  i get important things done, just at the last minute...hence...procrastination.

I'd call it JIT Scheduling rather than procrastination. Sounds so much better.

JIT = "just in time".

[faulty_damper]

it's procrastination.  i know what my priorities are.  i get important things done, just at the last minute...hence...procrastination.

What's the quality of the completed work?  If it's below what you feel you are capable of, then it's procrastination.

[ahinton]

I'd call it JIT Scheduling rather than procrastination. Sounds so much better.

JIT = "just in time".

Justin who?

Best,

Alistair

[cwjalex]

What's the quality of the completed work?  If it's below what you feel you are capable of, then it's procrastination.

yes, it's always below what i am capable of.  i didn't need that qualification to know it was procrastination though. i also don't think the quality of the completed work has anything to do with whether it is procrastination or not. 

[j_menz]

Justin who?

Best,

Alistair

In this instance, Thenikkov.

[chopincat]

I'd call it JIT Scheduling rather than procrastination. Sounds so much better.

JIT = "just in time".

If only the rest of the world would view it that way!

[faulty_damper]

yes, it's always below what i am capable of.  i didn't need that qualification to know it was procrastination though. i also don't think the quality of the completed work has anything to do with whether it is procrastination or not. 

because. procrastination.

Definition of Procrastination
Procrastination is caused by the inability to complete difficult tasks due to the lack of knowledge and skill.  In actuality, you don't know how to do the work well enough so you wait until the last minute when you are forced to do anything just to turn it in.  Even if what you turn in is, by your standards, crap.  You've learned that even crap gets passing grades (and sometimes not) so there's no incentive to change.  Further, academic procrastination is the direct result of teacher evaluation (grading) methods.  They've taught you to procrastinate by grading your work before (without) teaching you how to do it.  This is not teaching.  This is trial by fire.  Real teaching results in learning to do the very best that you can and then be evaluated.  But by which time, you won’t even care about the grade because you already know that your work is already very good.


Expectation-To-Skill Ratio
There's one important qualifier that defines procrastination: the expectation that your work should be of higher quality than you are capable of.  This is the expectation-to-skill ratio.  The greater this ratio, e.g. 2:1, the greater the tendency to procrastinate.  If you didn't have any expectations, e.g. 0:(1), you can't procrastinate.  (I won't elaborate on this unless you're interested.) It's only when there's an expectation can procrastination occur.  If the ratio is 1:1, you won't procrastinate because you are fully capable of achieving your goals.  However, 1:1 can quickly become .7:1, when the task is easier than what you're capable of.  When the expectation-to-skill ratio is low, we interpret it as "boring."  If this ratio is very low, we won't do it because it is well beneath our efforts.

Ideally, though, expectations should be slightly higher than our skill level, e.g. 1.3:1.  We find these goals challenging but well within our abilities to accomplish them.  Knowing that we can accomplish challenging goals makes us feel empowered, capable, skillful, knowledgeable.  And these thoughts and feelings make us less likely to procrastinate.

[cwjalex]

because. procrastination.

Definition of Procrastination
Procrastination is caused by the inability to complete difficult tasks due to the lack of knowledge and skill.  In actuality, you don't know how to do the work well enough so you wait until the last minute when you are forced to do anything just to turn it in.  Even if what you turn in is, by your standards, crap.  You've learned that even crap gets passing grades (and sometimes not) so there's no incentive to change.  Further, academic procrastination is the direct result of teacher evaluation (grading) methods.  They've taught you to procrastinate by grading your work before (without) teaching you how to do it.  This is not teaching.  This is trial by fire.  Real teaching results in learning to do the very best that you can and then be evaluated.  But by which time, you won’t even care about the grade because you already know that your work is already very good.

i only read the first paragraph because there was so much crap in it that if i were to respond to your entire post it would be a wall of text.  first of all, your definition of procrastination is totally wrong. actually, i don't even know if you gave a definition.  you said "definition of procrastination" and then proceeded to talk about what it's caused by. the definition of procrastination is simply "the action of delaying or postponing something."  you can procrastinate tasks that you have full knowledge and skill but you wait till the last second anyways.  you are over analyzing and making so many assumptions by making sweeping statements that only apply to certain people in certain situations.  procrastination isn't the result of teaching methods, it's a part of human nature.  you paint this fairy tale picture that people won't care about their grades as long as they know their work is good?  are you kidding me?

[j_menz]

Am I alone in regarding procrastination as an art to be mastered rather than a sin to be expiated?

[timothy42b]

Am I alone in regarding procrastination as an art to be mastered rather than a sin to be expiated?

I think you are neglecting the subjective nature of the process.

For me, there are times when I know what I have to do, I have the skills to complete it, and I can't start it. 

The feeling of being stalled and stuck is EXTREMELY miserable.  It is horribly emotionally painful.  But I'm incapable of getting on with it.  I know once I get started I'll do okay, but I'm wrapped in mental and emotional sludge, and my anxiety level is steadily ramping up and up and up. 

Is that something like your experience, cj? 

I suspect medication might have helped when I was young, now it's too late (and now later in life the symptoms have decreased considerably). 

[faulty_damper]

i only read the first paragraph because there was so much crap in it that if i were to respond to your entire post it would be a wall of text.  first of all, your definition of procrastination is totally wrong. actually, i don't even know if you gave a definition.  you said "definition of procrastination" and then proceeded to talk about what it's caused by. the definition of procrastination is simply "the action of delaying or postponing something."  you can procrastinate tasks that you have full knowledge and skill but you wait till the last second anyways.  you are over analyzing and making so many assumptions by making sweeping statements that only apply to certain people in certain situations.  procrastination isn't the result of teaching methods, it's a part of human nature.  you paint this fairy tale picture that people won't care about their grades as long as they know their work is good?  are you kidding me?

I am insulted by your ignorance.  I've spent many years studying this problem academically and applying principles and theories in my teaching and tutoring.  The fact that I've been able to stop procrastination in 100% of my students leads credence to my theories.  Further, you probably haven't read a single piece of literature on the matter.  (Heck, you didn't even bother to read and understand what I wrote.)  It's been studied for decades and many iterations of the definition have come around.  The one you spout is the first, which is severely outdated by half a century.  No researcher uses that definition anymore.

So if you believe this outdated definition, then according to you, anything that is delayed is procrastination.  So waiting 15 minutes after eating before swimming is procrastination.  Aha! There's a a delay so parents and swim coaches have been telling kids to procrastinate all along.  This is obviously ridiculous and so is anyone who believes it.

I'm compelled to provide a history lesson on the study of procrastination just to further beat your ignorance into submission and flush it down the toilet.  Instead, I urge you to read again my previous post.  All of it.  And take the time to think and understand what I'm saying.  Do not be scared.  Have an open mind.


Addendum:
After rereading the context of your post, I now see why you took such a defensive stance.  It is because you interpreted it as an attack on your intelligence.  The way you define(d) procrastination allows you to maintain a sense of empowerment.  However, what I wrote broke that down making you feel disempowered; you no longer had control.  Your defensiveness is an attempt to gain that control back.

[cwjalex]

lol i can see why nobody likes you faulty.  you try to act intelligent and i'm sure you fool some people but most people can see through all the garbage that you spout.  you over complicate things.  procrastinating is when you keep putting things off that you have to get done.  your swimming example is retarded for two reasons.  one, swimming isn't a task that any of us must complete and two, that's an old myth.  i notice in other threads you like to spread old myths that have long been known to be untrue. 

the tone of my previous post was aggressive because of the level of stupidity that you demonstrated.  i don't pretend to have all the answers but because you do, i know that you are full of crap.  you give such a narrow and specific description of procrastination that it is reasonable to assume that it cannot hold true for everyone.  for me procrastination is simple, i do it because doing work isn't fun.  it doesn't matter whether the work is easy or hard. it doesn't matter if i have a low or high expectation of the result.  i put it off until i have no more time and i have to complete the task. 

i did read your entire post.  i read it many times trying to make sense of it.  since you say it is researched and documented in such a scientific and definitive manner as you describe, perhaps you can direct me to an article written by a professional that describes what you are saying, because you absolutely suck at explaining things.

[chopincat]

because. procrastination.

Definition of Procrastination
Procrastination is caused by the inability to complete difficult tasks due to the lack of knowledge and skill.  In actuality, you don't know how to do the work well enough so you wait until the last minute when you are forced to do anything just to turn it in.  Even if what you turn in is, by your standards, crap. 

You may have studied this extensively, but that doesn't mean you know my (or cwjalex's) situation.
I don't put things off because I don't know how to do them. I know perfectly well how to do them, I just would rather not, so I put them off. But that doesn't mean that I turn in crappy work! Actually, my problem is that I can't live with myself unless I turn in my best work, even if it means pulling an all-nighter. I don't turn in crap, and I tend to get pretty good grades. I just lose a lot of sleep in the process. If I could learn not to put things off, it would just be a lot better for my health. But I don't think it would significantly change the quality of my work.

Anyway, I understand that you're an expert, and I understand that my situation doesn't match your definition of procrastination. So what is my situation then?

[faulty_damper]

You may have studied this extensively, but that doesn't mean you know my (or cwjalex's) situation.
I don't put things off because I don't know how to do them. I know perfectly well how to do them, I just would rather not, so I put them off. But that doesn't mean that I turn in crappy work! Actually, my problem is that I can't live with myself unless I turn in my best work, even if it means pulling an all-nighter. I don't turn in crap, and I tend to get pretty good grades. I just lose a lot of sleep in the process. If I could learn not to put things off, it would just be a lot better for my health. But I don't think it would significantly change the quality of my work.

Anyway, I understand that you're an expert, and I understand that my situation doesn't match your definition of procrastination. So what is my situation then?

"Ideally, though, expectations should be slightly higher than our skill level."

In your case, expectation is far higher than your current skill level.  Just because you can complete it doesn't mean you can complete it easily.  This is the skillful fallacy, where one thinks he has the skill to do a task well when in actuality, he doesn't.  Just look at all the comments that purport to have the skills and yet still procrastinate.  This is a lie we tell ourselves to maintain self empowerment and control.

Skill involves two parts: efficacy and efficiency.  Schooling only cares about one.  Efficiency typically doesn't matter.  I.e. They don't care how long it took you to get the answers right as long as it's right.  This is problematic because it doesn't actually develop genuine skill, just ability.  Ability to do something isn't the same as skill to do something.  So for those who say that they have the skills, what they really mean is they have the ability.


"The greater this ratio, e.g. 2:1, the greater the tendency to procrastinate."

Procrastination is common amongst perfectionists.  Why?  Because they have far higher expectations than their skills allow.  Their expectation:skill ratio is excessively high.

Trivia: Did you know that grad students procrastinate more than undergrads?  Why?  Don't they already have the academic chops to do well?  I mean, they were accepted into the grad programs, right?  Because in grad programs, the expectation to do well is far higher than in undergrad.

I was concise in my definition and explanation, but do you see how it applies to your case?  The answer is exactly what I stated in my first post:  Get help from someone who is more skillful and knowledgeable than you are.

[faulty_damper]

lol i can see why nobody likes you faulty.  you try to act intelligent and i'm sure you fool some people but most people can see through all the garbage that you spout.  you over complicate things.  procrastinating is when you keep putting things off that you have to get done.  your swimming example is retarded for two reasons.  one, swimming isn't a task that any of us must complete and two, that's an old myth.  i notice in other threads you like to spread old myths that have long been known to be untrue.

the tone of my previous post was aggressive because of the level of stupidity that you demonstrated.  i don't pretend to have all the answers but because you do, i know that you are full of crap.  you give such a narrow and specific description of procrastination that it is reasonable to assume that it cannot hold true for everyone.  for me procrastination is simple, i do it because doing work isn't fun.  it doesn't matter whether the work is easy or hard. it doesn't matter if i have a low or high expectation of the result.  i put it off until i have no more time and i have to complete the task. 

Insult acknowledged.  Your continued ignorance is also concurrently acknowledged.

i did read your entire post.  i read it many times trying to make sense of it.  since you say it is researched and documented in such a scientific and definitive manner as you describe, perhaps you can direct me to an article written by a professional that describes what you are saying, because you absolutely suck at explaining things.

Oh, really?  Let me provide you with a sleight insult directed at your intelligence.  You choose not to understand because you are blinded by preexisting beliefs.  You maintain that you are correct when you have neither the knowledge nor understanding to make any kind of informed decision whatsoever.  Furthermore, do you really think you have the ability to read and comprehend an academic paper?  Let yourself see:

Fritzsche, Barbara A., et al, "Individual differences in academic procrastination tendency and writing success." Personality and Individual Differences vol. 35, pp.1549-1557, 2003.

[j_menz]

is also concurrently acknowledged.

As are your continued assaults on the finer points of English construction.

Hint: Tautology.

[cwjalex]

Oh, really?  Let me provide you with a sleight insult directed at your intelligence.  You choose not to understand because you are blinded by preexisting beliefs.  You maintain that you are correct when you have neither the knowledge nor understanding to make any kind of informed decision whatsoever.  Furthermore, do you really think you have the ability to read and comprehend an academic paper?  Let yourself see:

Fritzsche, Barbara A., et al, "Individual differences in academic procrastination tendency and writing success." Personality and Individual Differences vol. 35, pp.1549-1557, 2003.

i and others have shown that your views on procrastination are completely wrong when it comes to our situations.  the only thing that i claim to know is that you have no idea what you are talking about.  people like you are so annoying.  you try very hard to appear intelligent and the only people you might convince are people who don't know any better.  what you don't realize is that most people can see through your charade and you just look like a ridiculous, pompous fake.  i never claimed to be an expert on procrastination, but i have seen you confidently make false declarations enough on other subjects to know that you aren't a very knowledgeable person.  

i bet you were expecting me to just ignore the link you sent and not look for it. i tried to look for it but couldn't download it.  why don't you send me the direct article since i couldn't find it without spending 40 dollars.  After reading the abstract i am even more convinced you have no idea what you are talking about and make these references just for show, hoping that nobody follows up and reads the article.  here is the abstract for the paper you cited:

Abstract
This study examined the relation between academic procrastination tendency and student writing success. We found that the tendency to procrastinate on writing tasks was associated with general anxiety, anxiety about writing the paper, writing the paper later than usual, less satisfaction with writing the paper, and lower grades. Additionally, receipt of feedback on writing was associated with better writing outcomes for high procrastinators. These results have implications for understanding academic procrastination and the use of academic interventions to address procrastination.

all the reviews i read about the article talks specifically about the effects of procrastination on writing and talks nothing about the horse crap you were blabbing on about before.  of course i don't have the full article but if you could send it to me i would be more than happy to read it.  the way you talk about this article as if it is some esoteric work of genius makes you look like a complete fool.  stop being such a poser.  
  

[timothy42b]

Just look at all the comments that purport to have the skills and yet still procrastinate.  This is a lie we tell ourselves to maintain self empowerment and control.

Procrastination is common amongst perfectionists.  Why?  Because they have far higher expectations than their skills allow. 

You aren't completely wrong, there are SOME people whose procrastination is due to the causes you seem to assume apply to everybody.

And there are large categories whose procrastination is not. 

The

lie we tell ourselves to maintain self empowerment and control

is really not to maintain control, it is our way of feeling guilty for actions over which we have little control.

If you claim 100% success in your tutoring, either you are able to select very unusual students or your standard for success is slight and very subjective improvement. 

In your academic research, have you run into Dr. Oliver Sacks?  He's one of my favorite nonfiction authors, very readable but very educational.  I would recommend you read Awakenings.  Yes, it's about encephalitis patients, but the overlaps between Parkinson's and procrastination are startling. 

[faulty_damper]

i and others have shown that your views on procrastination are completely wrong when it comes to our situations.  the only thing that i claim to know is that you have no idea what you are talking about.  people like you are so annoying.  you try very hard to appear intelligent and the only people you might convince are people who don't know any better.  what you don't realize is that most people can see through your charade and you just look like a ridiculous, pompous fake.  i never claimed to be an expert on procrastination, but i have seen you confidently make false declarations enough on other subjects to know that you aren't a very knowledgeable person.  

i bet you were expecting me to just ignore the link you sent and not look for it. i tried to look for it but couldn't download it.  why don't you send me the direct article since i couldn't find it without spending 40 dollars.  After reading the abstract i am even more convinced you have no idea what you are talking about and make these references just for show, hoping that nobody follows up and reads the article.  here is the abstract for the paper you cited:

....

all the reviews i read about the article talks specifically about the effects of procrastination on writing and talks nothing about the horse crap you were blabbing on about before.  of course i don't have the full article but if you could send it to me i would be more than happy to read it.  the way you talk about this article as if it is some esoteric work of genius makes you look like a complete fool.  stop being such a poser.  

I acknowledge again your persistent insults just to give you some semblance of control over your ignorance.  Why do you resort to personal attacks instead of addressing the topic?  Hmm... because you have no argument.  (Nor knowledge for that matter. Nor necessary skillz to do your homework.)

See, here's the thing: you think you're stupid and un-intelligent.  This is a strong factor in procrastinatory behavior.  And guess what: the stupid and un-intelligent have lower skills than the average person.  Hence your procrastination.  I'll educate you further: you believe that intelligence is innate, that you are born smart, stupid, or somewhere in between.  (Where do you belong on this spectrum?)  But you are not alone.  The most recent study indicates that 90% of the population believes this innate view of intelligence.  The remaining 10%, though, are the ones who become very successful in school, work, and in life (including relationships.)  Why?  Because they believe they have control over their lives that they are not stuck with what they were born with.  They believe they can become more talented, skilled, smart and intelligent by taking the time and effort to learn.  You, 90%, are more concerned with hiding your own stupidity.  10% are concerned with learning to improve the areas they are deficient.

The article I accessed when I studied procrastination at my university.  I no longer have access to the article but I did print it out for my own use.

Selected quotes from the aforementioned article:
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Introduction
  Procrastination is viewed as "the act of needlessly delaying tasks to the point of experiencing subjective discomfort." ... For college students particularly, academic procrastination has been associated with depression, guilt, low grades, anxiety, neuroticism, irrational thinking, cheating, and low self-esteem.
  More students reported that they procrastination on writing papers than on any other academic activity. ... When procrastination precludes the possibility of revision, the consequences may extend beyond the assignment grade.  US students, for example, are widely perceived to be deficient in writing skills, and many college graduates must accept low-level jobs as a result of this deficiency.

Discussion
  Receipt of feedback on writing was associated with better writing outcomes for high procrastinators.
  Although high procrastinators were less likely to seek feedback, some of them did seek it, and their receipt of feedback was associated with better outcomes. [The reason high procrastinators did not seek feedback is, as I mentioned earlier, because they do not want others to know that they are stupid and un-intelligent..]
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So here are the pertinent points of this ONE article. Expertise is partly developed by reading dozens upon dozens of articles. You won't know just how far this behavior has been studied, how many nooks and crannies these few researchers have delved and come up with nothing in pursuit of this goal.

You are obviously not a college student so you have very little experience with writing an academic paper.  But when you do write one, (remember that I stated that procrastinators have neither the skills nor knowledge to do the task), you need to read until you do have the necessary knowledge.  You may have the skills the write but if you don't have the knowledge of what you're writing about...

[faulty_damper]

You aren't completely wrong, there are SOME people whose procrastination is due to the causes you seem to assume apply to everybody.

And there are large categories whose procrastination is not. 

The  is really not to maintain control, it is our way of feeling guilty for actions over which we have little control.

If you claim 100% success in your tutoring, either you are able to select very unusual students or your standard for success is slight and very subjective improvement. 

In your academic research, have you run into Dr. Oliver Sacks?  He's one of my favorite nonfiction authors, very readable but very educational.  I would recommend you read Awakenings.  Yes, it's about encephalitis patients, but the overlaps between Parkinson's and procrastination are startling. 

No, not some.  All.  But if you are really saying that it doesn't apply to all because some people with brain damage procrastinate... that's really stretching it as a counter-argument.  (All people breath.  No, that's not true!  The dead don't breathe.  And there are far more dead than the living.)

FYI: Special education students have the highest rates of procrastination.  From my own experiences, this is partly due to being treated differently by their teachers.  It was obvious to me that this treatment led to their feelings of helplessness, like being treated as stupid actually made them act stupid.  This is a commonly known phenomenon that has its roots in developmental psychology.  Unfortunately, many teachers and parents (and bosses, etc.) still treat people based on unsubstantiated perceptions of them.  This, in turn, ultimately induces these behaviors.

What I've noticed is that certain teachers consistently turn out more intelligent students than others.  Most teachers, though, seem to stall intellectual development.  Odd.  Why?  Because of the way they treat their students.  The same applies to parents.  Some parents treat their children in a way that develops their abilities.  But others engage in behaviors that actually prevents such development.

"Autonomous tots have higher cognitive skills"
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150114072548.htm

[cwjalex]

you think you're stupid and un-intelligent.  This is a strong factor in procrastinatory behavior.  And guess what: the stupid and un-intelligent have lower skills than the average person.  Hence your procrastination. 

1) i don't think i'm stupid
2) this has nothing to do with procrastination

you then digress from the topic of procrastination to talk about intelligence.  intelligence doesn't have anything to do with procrastination.  everything you cite has nothing to do with what you are talking about.  nothing you cite has supported any of your views on procrastination.  you're statement that procrastinators have neither the skills nor knowledge to do the task is false as i and others have explained to you.  you are trying to fit everyone in the world into your narrow view of procrastination when this isn't the case.

[timothy42b]

No, not some.  All.  But if you are really saying that it doesn't apply to all because some people with brain damage procrastinate... that's really stretching it as a counter-argument. 

You have identified the single cause that applies to all cases.

You are scarey!  One size fits all teachers are the bane of the student world.

Further, you appear to utterly lack any capacity for compassion or empathy for procrastinators or anybody else who finds difficulty with tasks you cope with easily, due to an accident of birth. 

[faulty_damper]

1) i don't think i'm stupid
2) this has nothing to do with procrastination

you then digress from the topic of procrastination to talk about intelligence.  intelligence doesn't have anything to do with procrastination.  everything you cite has nothing to do with what you are talking about.  nothing you cite has supported any of your views on procrastination.  you're statement that procrastinators have neither the skills nor knowledge to do the task is false as i and others have explained to you.  you are trying to fit everyone in the world into your narrow view of procrastination when this isn't the case.

No one who thinks they are stupid will admit they are stupid.  That would violate the rule I mentioned earlier about hiding their stupidity from others.  Furthermore, implicit beliefs about intelligence do indeed have a direct affect on procrastination.  If you believe you can't change, then it's not likely you are to seek help since no amount of help will help you.  This is explicitly mentioned in the article that I quoted.  And further furthermore, I'm backing up what I say with evidence.  You dismiss it because it doesn't fit what you believe and are just spouting whatever comes to head, which is surprising because this implies that you have something that is thinking inside of it.  It doesn't feel good to be insulted, does it?  So I ask you now to stop making insults against me and instead, use your brain to focus on the topic.

[Bob]

I suppose there's the mental pain involved too.

And then add if you think you'll do a crappy, half-backed job as a finished product.


I can think of a few things, like writing a paper for a class when you really don't care about the topic of the paper that much. 


On the plus side, if you force it a bit -- Maybe break it down for time, work on each piece for x-time, painful as it may be -- you can trudge through it a bit, possibly make some progress, and then when you've actually got something done, it's done.  Less procrastination since the situation has changed -- You've got a part of it done (even if it's still crappy and half-baked, it's done.

[cwjalex]

No one who thinks they are stupid will admit they are stupid.  That would violate the rule I mentioned earlier about hiding their stupidity from others.  

I have seen stupid people admit they are stupid many times as I'm sure many others have witnessed this.  How do you respond to this?  Are we a bunch of liars?

 It doesn't feel good to be insulted, does it?  So I ask you now to stop making insults against me and instead, use your brain to focus on the topic.

To be perfectly honest being insulted by you doesn't bother me at all.  Insults only bother me if I feel there is any truth to them.  

And further furthermore, I'm backing up what I say with evidence.  You dismiss it because it doesn't fit what you believe and are just spouting whatever comes to head...  

I dismiss what you say because I know it doesn't apply to me.  My confidence in this dismissal is strengthened as numerous other people have also explained that your description doesn't apply to them either.   What you say may apply to some people, but it doesn't apply to everyone. Only people who disagree with your views have responded to you and a not single person has come forward saying they can relate to your views and that you are describing their situation and experience with procrastination. You are basically telling us that you know us better than we know ourselves and that human behavior is so simple and predictable that you can describe every human's behavior in a neatly wrapped, all encompassing theory.  

[Bob]

Forced/willpower with more breaks and more time added (some other project removed) can work.

[faulty_damper]

I have seen stupid people admit they are stupid many times as I'm sure many others have witnessed this.  How do you respond to this?  Are we a bunch of liars?

Some people are honest with themselves.  I think I'm stupid some of the time.  But usually, my stupidity is quickly resolved.  Why?  Because I can learn.  Can you?

To be perfectly honest being insulted by you doesn't bother me at all.  Insults only bother me if I feel there is any truth to them.
... 

Yes, you are indeed a liar.  Or at best, you're not honest with yourself.  Most high procrastinators aren't.  They believe they are far more capable than they really are.  If you weren't insulted, you wouldn't have responded by attacking me.  Instead, you would have provided actual evidence that counters my ideas.  But you dismissed them entirely without justification other than, "because it doesn't apply to me".  Then you go on and say that it doesn't apply to others, like somehow the more people who agree with you makes it right.  That's a logical fallacy.  Like Bernhard used to say, "a thousand lemmings can't possibly be wrong."

[faulty_damper]

Forced/willpower with more breaks and more time added (some other project removed) can work.

No, it won't.  Not really, anyway.  It's been tried in experiments.  It doesn't really work.  If it did, we'd have the cure.

It's not an issue of willpower even though it appears that it is.  It's much deeper for the reasons I already mentioned: unreasonably high expectations coupled with low self-efficacy in achieving those goals.  It's like climbing the face of El Capitan when the only thing you've every climbed before was the jungle gym when you were in elementary school.  I'll tell you this for a fact: I will procrastinate climbing El Capitan until I die.  I'm sure you will procrastinate it, too.

[cwjalex]

Yes, you are indeed a liar.  Or at best, you're not honest with yourself.  Most high procrastinators aren't.  They believe they are far more capable than they really are.  If you weren't insulted, you wouldn't have responded by attacking me.  Instead, you would have provided actual evidence that counters my ideas.  But you dismissed them entirely without justification other than, "because it doesn't apply to me".  Then you go on and say that it doesn't apply to others, like somehow the more people who agree with you makes it right.

i did give you evidence that counters yours.  the way i experience procrastination doesn't align with your description.  several others have also indicated they don't experience procrastination like you describe.  in that sense you are dead wrong in that you think the way you describe procrastination describes everyone.  the problem is that you claim your theory describes everyone and the evidence that your theory is false is that i and others have explained to you that it doesn't apply to us.  that is proof that your theory is false.  if you want the details of what parts of your theory doesn't apply to us you can scroll up since we have already explained them.

once again, i'm being completely honest when i say i'm not offended by you.  on the contrary, the more i read your posts the better i feel about myself because it just further demonstrates how out of touch you are.  for example i just read this comment in another thread by you:

No one is capable of doing this except for me but I can tell with decent accuracy how someone plays by what they say in their posts.  

i don't think i'll even address that comment and just let it speak for itself.  i also have no reason to be offended because many people on this forum also share my view and think you have no idea what you are talking about.  when i first joined the forum i had several different people private message me telling me what a tool you are.  i'm not joking or exaggerating when i say that the majority of private messages i have are different people expressing their dislike of you and telling me to ignore what you say.  

i learned from a private message that you don't have the guts to post a video of your own piano playing.  you speak with such confidence and claim such expertise that you really should post a video of your playing to prove you are not all talk and can back up what you say.  people might respect your piano advice if you were actually a good piano player.  of course i'm speculating and i could be wrong, but the fact that you are unwilling to post a video of yourself playing probably means you aren't very good. 

[j_menz]

Given how  anxious some of you are to post here, and how you do so at the first available time after you log on, I suspect procrastination is something you've really only read about.

Please note: I was going to say that last week, but, well, you know....

[faulty_damper]

i did give you evidence that counters yours.  the way i experience procrastination doesn't align with your description.  several others have also indicated they don't experience procrastination like you describe.  in that sense you are dead wrong in that you think the way you describe procrastination describes everyone.  the problem is that you claim your theory describes everyone and the evidence that your theory is false is that i and others have explained to you that it doesn't apply to us.  that is proof that your theory is false.  if you want the details of what parts of your theory doesn't apply to us you can scroll up since we have already explained them.

I didn't mention anything about the subjective experience because I'm not discussing procrastination subjectively.  I know very well that subjective experiences are... subjective.  Which is why I aimed at an objective way of describing it.  This is what you're confused with.  No one wants to think of themselves as stupid and unintelligent.  But, we have strong evidence that they do even when they say they aren't.  That's what psychologists do, figure out what the real reasons are behind behaviors.  We get beyond the subjective experiences and try to quantify it.  This has more objective meaning than saying "because I don't think so."

i don't think i'll even address that comment and just let it speak for itself.  i also have no reason to be offended because many people on this forum also share my view and think you have no idea what you are talking about.  when i first joined the forum i had several different people private message me telling me what a tool you are.  i'm not joking or exaggerating when i say that the majority of private messages i have are different people expressing their dislike of you and telling me to ignore what you say.  

i learned from a private message that you don't have the guts to post a video of your own piano playing.  you speak with such confidence and claim such expertise that you really should post a video of your playing to prove you are not all talk and can back up what you say.  people might respect your piano advice if you were actually a good piano player.  of course i'm speculating and i could be wrong, but the fact that you are unwilling to post a video of yourself playing probably means you aren't very good. 

See, the thing is that there are many envious pianists on this board.  I'm perfectly fine with that.  I've experienced it many times in my life even in other endeavors, some of which I've written about.  I know very well that very few of these pianists can even match me.  (Read: none.)  I have nothing to prove so I don't need to prove it.  When a pianist is capable of matching me, I'll share because I know they won't be impressed by my pianistic skills.  These pianists don't care for that kind of thing.  They only care about the music. That's the only thing I care about.

I've expressed this common fallacy many times before: the ability to play the piano doesn't necessitate the ability to teach the piano.  Go ahead and follow the advice of the pianists whom you are impressed by.  Go ahead and PM them and ask for personal instruction.  If, after following their advice, you solve your problems completely, keep on following their advice.  But if, after following it, you are still stuck... at least you're still impressed by their playing, right?  Right!?

Yes, you are a liar.  You say you don't take it personally but then resort to insults.  You are indeed offended.  You don't like having your ignorance highlighted so you steadfastly hold onto your preexisting beliefs instead of learning something new.  I've spent years studying this and applying it to my teaching and tutoring.  I know the theories are valid.  I'm so confident that I'm expressing them, quite clearly, mind you and have provided evidence to back up each point and rebut any of your claims.   Your only interest is discussing me and claiming how wrong I am without any evidence except, "i and others have explained to you that it doesn't apply to us.  that is proof that your theory is false."

Insult in three... two... one...
You need to take a science course.  Actually read and comprehend the book.  (Reading does not necessarily mean you comprehend what you read.)  Listen to the teacher.  Follow his instructions.  Do the homework. On time.  Get help if you need it.  Because it's clear to me that you do need it.  Hence the reason you procrastinate.  There's no shame in asking for help.  It doesn't actually mean you're stupid and un-intelligent.  In anything, the stupid and un-intelligent are the ones who don't ask for help when they clearly need it.  Other people saying it doesn't apply is not "proof".

[j_menz]

You need to take a science course.  Actually read and comprehend the book. 

There's "a" book? Surely we'd have heard of it. 

[cwjalex]

I didn't mention anything about the subjective experience because I'm not discussing procrastination subjectively.  I know very well that subjective experiences are... subjective.  Which is why I aimed at an objective way of describing it.  This is what you're confused with.  No one wants to think of themselves as stupid and unintelligent.  But, we have strong evidence that they do even when they say they aren't.  That's what psychologists do, figure out what the real reasons are behind behaviors.  We get beyond the subjective experiences and try to quantify it.  This has more objective meaning than saying "because I don't think so."


See, the thing is that there are many envious pianists on this board.  I'm perfectly fine with that.  I've experienced it many times in my life even in other endeavors, some of which I've written about.  I know very well that very few of these pianists can even match me.  (Read: none.)  I have nothing to prove so I don't need to prove it.  When a pianist is capable of matching me, I'll share because I know they won't be impressed by my pianistic skills.  These pianists don't care for that kind of thing.  They only care about the music. That's the only thing I care about.

I've expressed this common fallacy many times before: the ability to play the piano doesn't necessitate the ability to teach the piano.  Go ahead and follow the advice of the pianists whom you are impressed by.  Go ahead and PM them and ask for personal instruction.  If, after following their advice, you solve your problems completely, keep on following their advice.  But if, after following it, you are still stuck... at least you're still impressed by their playing, right?  Right!?

Yes, you are a liar.  You say you don't take it personally but then resort to insults.  You are indeed offended.  You don't like having your ignorance highlighted so you steadfastly hold onto your preexisting beliefs instead of learning something new.  I've spent years studying this and applying it to my teaching and tutoring.  I know the theories are valid.  I'm so confident that I'm expressing them, quite clearly, mind you and have provided evidence to back up each point and rebut any of your claims.   Your only interest is discussing me and claiming how wrong I am without any evidence except, "i and others have explained to you that it doesn't apply to us.  that is proof that your theory is false."

Insult in three... two... one...
You need to take a science course.  Actually read and comprehend the book.  (Reading does not necessarily mean you comprehend what you read.)  Listen to the teacher.  Follow his instructions.  Do the homework. On time.  Get help if you need it.  Because it's clear to me that you do need it.  Hence the reason you procrastinate.  There's no shame in asking for help.  It doesn't actually mean you're stupid and un-intelligent.  In anything, the stupid and un-intelligent are the ones who don't ask for help when they clearly need it.  Other people saying it doesn't apply is not "proof".

stop saying the phrase stupid and un-intelligent.  it is redundant.  if you weren't such an imbecile i wouldn't have to bring this to your attention.  you have to stop writing so much because you give me too much material to pick apart and i'm tired of responding to you.  

there are so many logical fallacies that i don't even know where to start.  you say that because i insult you that i took it personally and was offended.  you don't seem to understand that insults toward you are given regardless if someone was offended.  i can bring up several posts of people insulting you when they weren't even addressed.  your logic that a) because i insulted you that b) i took it personally and was offended is just plain wrong.  you are frequently wrong.  how can i believe your theories when you are wrong over and over again?  i'm not offended by you but you call me a liar and claim i am.  this just gives me more evidence that you don't know what you are talking about.   once again, i and others have given you specific proof by explaining the source of our procrastination but you wish to wallow in your ignorance.  you want to know my theory?  my theory is that you are just a regular average intelligent person that is not exceptional.  it's very clear that you wish people to think you are smart but the truth is that you aren't, not any more than the average person.  if you were intelligent, for starters, you would be able to express your thoughts in a clear, concise manner but you can't.  so often people are asking you to clarify what you said because you cant convey your thoughts clearly.

You expect me to be offended by you telling me to take a science course and read 'the' book? lol? the book of mormon?  cmon now, i know that you aren't that smart but you really can't think that would offend me do you?

also, i and others will continue to think you are a bad and unskilled pianist unless you prove otherwise.  you have enough confidence and pride that if you actually had anything worth demonstrating you would post yourself playing and triumphantly shut all of us up. 

[timothy42b]

Given how  anxious some of you are to post here, and how you do so at the first available time after you log on, I suspect procrastination is something you've really only read about.

Hee, hee.  Good point.

Seriously though, some people spend too much time online and don't get around to doing the tasks they should be doing.  That's one approach - replacing an activity you don't really want to do with one that is much more pleasant.  That's a type of procrastination that affects a lot of people, especially younger ones.

But it is by no means the only type.  That's too bad, because faulty's techniques do tend to work with that type.

Another type (I'm going to avoid a false dichotomy, there are more than two types) is where you really do want to do the task you need to, but you can't start. 

In that case you do another activity like posting online, not because it is more pleasant or higher in priority, but because you CAN'T do the one you need.  Not because of lack of skill, as faulty assumes, but because of neurological inertia. 

These are totally different scenarios and they need totally different approaches.

cjw, what do you think?  Is this in line with your experience?   

[cwjalex]

Hee, hee.  Good point.

Seriously though, some people spend too much time online and don't get around to doing the tasks they should be doing.  That's one approach - replacing an activity you don't really want to do with one that is much more pleasant.  That's a type of procrastination that affects a lot of people, especially younger ones.

But it is by no means the only type.  That's too bad, because faulty's techniques do tend to work with that type.

Another type (I'm going to avoid a false dichotomy, there are more than two types) is where you really do want to do the task you need to, but you can't start.  

In that case you do another activity like posting online, not because it is more pleasant or higher in priority, but because you CAN'T do the one you need.  Not because of lack of skill, as faulty assumes, but because of neurological inertia.  

These are totally different scenarios and they need totally different approaches.

cjw, what do you think?  Is this in line with your experience?  

i can relate to the difficulty in starting a task.  that is 99% of the battle for me.  if i can just get myself to start the task i'm fine.  i was having this problem with piano practicing and i fixed it by  moving my desk perpendicular to my piano so when i sit down i am always at the piano.  because i am always at my piano, i can start playing easily and therefore practice a ton now.

faulty is such an idiot.  nobody would be able to rip apart his views if he just said that "some" or "most" people behave in this manner.  he is running into problems because he is claiming every person on earth is behaving a certain way for a specific reason.