A SELF-HELP GUIDE FOR PROCRASTINATORS "No you never get any fun, Out of the things you haven't done, But they are the things that I do not like to be amid, Because the suitable things you didn't do give you a lot more trouble than the unsuitable things you did."

(Ogden Nash 1929)

Many of us can recall a time when we have procrastinated or used our time inefficiently. Sometimes procrastination can be advantageous as when we procrastinate in order to get more information before we act. However, sometimes procrastinating can make us miss opportunities we could have had and cause us great discomfort and concern. We tell ourselves that from now on we will improve and that we will do it better next time.

Many self-help books have been written to help those people who want to change and manage their time effectively. Many institutes as well capitalize on people's desire for self improvement. It is hard to judge however, how effective the methods recommended in these books are. Researchers and clinicians are still struggling to define and treat procrastination, so it is hard to believe that one of these paperbacks can give us all the solutions to the problem. Almost none of them use any scientific testing or basis. Many of them have taken some traits associated with procrastination and have turned them into "personality types". This probably helps to clarify the traits but one wonders at the validity of these constructs. Other books have taken methods from clinical therapy and popularized some of the techniques. But most importantly, one wonders ironically, how is the procrastinator going to implement these practices in his life when his problem is delaying and lack of self control!

This is not to say that these texts have no value. Analyzing the causes of your behavior and trying to change seems to be valuable in of itself. Many of the control groups in experiments who just were told to look at their behavior improved spontaneously in their habits. If you have some mild problems in time management, these books may be for you. Some of them have great suggestions and use really good techniques for self improvement. If however, your procrastination has become a more serious problem, you will probably need some help and support or possibly clinical interventions in order to make the changes in life you really want to happen.

Below I have listed some of the more popular self-help books on general procrastination and tried to give the reader a brief overview. I have included only books with some psychological basis although many books and guides have also have been written from a time management perspective. Alternatively, you may wish to read more specifically about procrastination interventions at work or at academic environments.

Bliss, E. (1983). Doing it now. A 12-step program for curing procrastination and achieving your goals. New York: Scribner.

This procedure is the one most highly recommended as being effective by an expert on procrastination; Prof. Ferrari (Ferrari 1995). The author's background is in business administration and he approaches procrastination from a perspective of effective time management. He deals with the attitudinal blocks, environmental conditions and physiological barriers like stress that lead us to procrastinate. His book has no scientific basis, however he gives some very practical cures for procrastination and ways to enhance well-being. His 12-step program is clear and easy to follow.

Brandon N. (1966). Taking Responsibility. New York: Simon and Shuster.

Prof. Brandon is a clinical psychologist with a background in philosophy. His book focuses on self esteem and self responsibility. His book breaks down procrastination into various domains; private, personal relationships, organizations, social and political. The book also has a well written section on steps to achieve self-reliance. There is a slight moral undertone to the book.

Burka, J.B. & Yuen, L.M. (1983). Procrastination: Why you do it and what to do about it. Reading, PA:Addison-Wesley.

This book is one of the best books which take a psychoanalytic viewpoint toward procrastination. Both authors are clinical therapists and use case studies to back up their theories although there is very little empirical evidence. They are however, extensively quoted by professionals in the field. For the authors procrastination is not a bad habit nor a moral failing but a complex psychological problem caused by fear, the family and the demands of society. In the first part of the book they postulate why people procrastinate and discuss the fears of failure , success, losing, separation and attachment. In the second part they attempt to help people overcome procrastination by analyzing their behavior, setting step by step goals and implementing a plan of action. They advise maintaining your newly developed habits through support groups, recognizing the stress response and removing as much stress as possible from your life.

Helmsletter S. (1987). The self talk solution. Toronto: Pocket books.

Dr. Shad Helmsletter is a psychologist who has published a series of books on self-talk solutions to daily problems. As well, he runs the Motivational Behavioral Institute. Self talk is a therapeutic technique used in cognitive therapy. His book tries to change the negative inner dialogues or self-talk scripts we use to sabotage our own behaviors. He defines it as "consciously reprogramming your subconscious mind with phrases of self direction." There is once again however little data to back up his techniques. His book deals with family relationships, fitness, health, career, organizational as well as other problem areas of procrastination.

Ellis, A. & Knaus, W. (1977). Overcoming Procrastination. Institute for Rational Living: New York.

Knaus, W.J. (1997 - in press). Do it now: How to stop procrastinating (Revised edition). New York: John Wiley& Sons

Knaus, W.J. (1994). Change your life now: Powerful techniques for positive change. New York: John Wiley &Sons.

Knaus, W.J., & Hendricks, C. (1986). The illusion trap. New York: World Almanac

Knaus, W.J. (1983). How to conquer your frustrations. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.:Prentice Hall.

Knaus, W.J. (1979). Do it now: How to stop procrastinating. New York: Prentice-Hall

Knaus, W.J. (1973). Overcoming procrastination. Rational Living, 8(2), 2-7.

An extensive body of writing on procrastination has been written by Knaus, who popularized the techniques of Rational Emotive Behavior therapy (R.E.B.T.) developed by Prof. Ellis. The methods seem to have clinical and anecdotal backing. These techniques are meant to be used by a therapist but seem to lend themselves also to the layperson. They believe procrastination is based on an irrational way of thinking. They involve changing our attitudes and cognition sometimes quite confrontationally, and then learning and practicing better habits.

Lakein A. (1973).How to get control of your time and your life. New York: Signet.

Lakein has an M.B.A., nevertheless his book takes a psychological perspective in dealing with fear and escapism. His book tries to overcome procrastination through logical procedures such as dividing up a task into smaller steps.

Sapader & Mcguire (1996). It's About Time. New York: Viking Penguin.

This book was co-written by a clinical psychologist and a journalist. It identifies six types or styles of procrastination. It takes a behavioral or learned approach to procrastination. The book recommends a three pronged program for change: 1) On your mark; denial of the problem to awareness, 2) Get set; awareness to commitment and 3) Go; commitment and making it happen.

Schlenger S. & Roesch R. (1990). How to be organized despite yourself. Toronto: Signet.

The authors are consultants on personal management techniques. They define procrastination in terms of personality styles with each style having it's own style of intervention. There is also a large section on organizational skills.

Scott D.(1980). How to put more time in your life. New York: McClelland & Stewart Ltd.

Prof. Scott runs a management education firm. He looks very briefly at the causes , feelings and whys of procrastination. He also breaks down procrastinators into personality types. Mostly however, he takes a management perspective on procrastination. He discusses how to organize yourself, motivate yourself, cope with everyday demands with creative strategies and avoid traps that squander your time.