Cambridge Business Association
Procrastination
Article

Procrastination

A Scientific Guide on How to Stop Procrastinating

James Clear
James Clear, 2016
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Recommendation

Procrastination is a common problem, and for sufferers, it can be easy to delay finding a solution. Author James Clear offers a scientific guide to understanding why procrastination occurs. He provides four practical approaches to help you put an immediate end to procrastination and two larger strategies to help ensure that your procrastination habit doesn’t re-emerge. getAbstract recommends that you digest this brief, but helpful article today to help you stop putting off other important tasks until tomorrow.

Summary

Procrastination runs contrary to your long-term interests and is usually “more painful” than the work you’re avoiding. Despite these negatives, however, many people still procrastinate. Why? Behavioral science locates the root of procrastination in “time inconsistency”: When you think as your “future self,” you prioritize actions which serve long-term goals, but your “present self” prefers to prioritize immediate desires. Your future self may, for example, value saving for retirement but because that’s decades away, your present self decides to buy those new designer shoes. The battle between your present...

About the Author

James Clear writes about behavioral psychology, habit formation and performance improvement.

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    A. A. 8 years ago
    It may be a cliché to say that humans are a social animal, yet that is the truth - we live and function in social groups.

    Hence, I think the focus always should be on our role in solving others' problems. It is not sufficient to tell them that they are 'procrastinators' and how they must change. The only and best way is to find the problem causing the delays and help solve it for/with them. For example, it may be just as easy to connect the person with a less challenging co-worker...
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    C. P. 8 years ago
    I really like the picture of me being in the present and future at once. Short, but good. Thanks for this. #30DaysOfsummaries