A Teen's Guide to Getting Stuff Done: Discover Your Procrastination Type, Stop Putting Things Off, and Reach Your Goals

by Jennifer Shannon, Doug Shannon (Illustrations)

Do you procrastinate? And if so, what's your procrastination type? In this fun and illustrated guide, author Jennifer Shannon blends acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral strategies to help you recognize your procrastination habits, discover the strengths of your unique procrastination type, and find the motivation you need to meet important deadlines and reach your highest goals.

In the midst of modern-day distractions like smartphones, social media, and endless hours of movie and television streaming, it's no wonder you procrastinate! But despite what you may have heard, procrastination doesn't make you a bad or lazy person. In fact, procrastination may even work for you sometimes-creating a sense of urgency that can help you focus. But if procrastination doesn't work for you, it can get in the way of meeting your full potential-in high school, college, your career, and life. So, how can you get things done and be your very best?

In A Teen's Guide to Getting Things Done, you'll discover your procrastination type-warrior, pleaser,
perfectionist, or rebel-as well as the unique strengths inherent in each type. If you're a warrior, you love a good challenge, but may not be able to complete tasks you find uninteresting. If you're a pleaser, you may be so concerned about disappointing others that you postpone doing something. If you're a perfectionist, you may put things off because you're worried about your work being judged by teachers, parents, or peers. And finally, if you're a rebel, you're driven by a strong sense of independence. By understanding your type and using the practical strategies laid out in each chapter of this book, you'll be able to break the cycle of procrastination once and for all.

This isn't a manual on how to please your parents, teachers, professors, or friends. This is a book to help you understand why you procrastinate, whether or not procrastination works for you, and if not, how to improve your work habits and really get things done. By helping you uncover your own unique strengths, this book will help you master your to-do list-and your life!

Genres: Nonfiction, Productivity, Self Help, Psychology, Teen, Mental Health, How To

143 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2017

About the author

My journey writing this book began as a 5 year-old, sitting next to my mother while she studied for her psychology classes. I wanted so much to be a psychologist and help others. But I needed plenty of help myself. I was an anxious child, prone to stomach aches, missing school, and nightmares of a man who lived under the house. When my father died I worried obsessively that my mother could die too.

It wasn’t until years later—after a seeing a succession of therapists, completing counseling grad school, and giving birth to my first child—that I discovered a clue to my persistent anxiety and worry. It was a new therapy at the time, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. CBT changed my life. I learned that my resistance to anxiety was what was maintaining it. When I practiced accepting and welcoming it, anxiety began to lose its power over me.

For the past 25 years I have made the treatment of anxiety the central focus of my practice. I treat Social Anxiety (extreme shyness), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Separation Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Phobias, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. The powerful tools I’ve used to help my clients are the same tools I’ve used to help myself, and they can help you too.

Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind is a distillation of what I’ve learned from CBT and mindfulness practices. The book will help you recognize that your anxiety is not a monster to be avoided and resisted. It is only a wild, frightened little monkey that, with acceptance and welcoming, can be tamed.

Married for 31 years and a mother of three, I am a Certified Diplomat of The Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a member of the Anxiety and Depression Disorders Association of America, the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the International OCD Foundation and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. I am the co-founder of the Santa Rosa Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and the author of The Anxiety Survival Guide for Teens and The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook for Teens.

Reviews

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chronic procrastinators don’t feel happy and proud about it. Of course as a procrastinator, you have likely been told that you’re lazy, disorganized, unmotivated, maybe even stupid.
But procrastination is not a sign of weakness or moral failing. It’s simply a human problem.
In this Book there are four types of procrastinators:
- the perfectionist, who has to get things right
- the warrior, who must feel fully engaged
- the pleaser, who must keep everyone happy
- the rebel, who resists doing what others ask or assign
You don’t need to be just one, you can even be a mixture of all four. There’s always a link to a quiz so you can be sure what type you are, or what mixture.
The author shows us a way to improve your ability to get things done.

In a younger age I was procrastinating so hard 🙈 I was the worst and my grades did fall. But then I just tried some new things and it did really help me! And this book would have probably helped me faster and earlier. ;D

[R.M. Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Althea ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

// Received an advance readers copy in exchange for a fair review //

light, fun and something every average teenager will be able to relate to :D

a better way of understanding teenagers for those who aren't teenagers ;)

[Regina Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I had this book a little earlier on. A good guide to identifying your barriers, and types of a procrastinator one is. How thinking pattern works, and how to change it. A fast and to the point read. No shaming involved. Would definitely recommend to my younger self.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book on NetGalley because I used to be a terrible procrastinator, but since starting university I've managed to overcome that character trait by myself. Still, this was a short book and I thought I'd give it a go in case it offered any pieces of advice that I hadn't previously encountered.
Discussing four procrastination types - perfectionist, pleaser, warrior and rebel - Jennifer Shannon gives a rundown of the aspects of each type, including quizzes so that you can discover which type you personally fit into. I found this interesting, because I'm definitely a warrior (needing to feel 100% engaged in a task to find the energy to complete it) and I'd never heard of that before!
However, when it comes to the advice for the rebel type, it seems a little optimistic. Back in secondary school I was definitely a rebel, refusing to do the work because I didn't see the point in it, but that just meant that I'd come up with more creative ways to get out of doing the work (and hardly ever got punished for it, either). The rebel in this book, though, still wants to succeed and do the work, something that I feel most rebels won't relate to.
That being said, the advice given for the other personality types might be cheesy but I'm sure it'll inspire a few teenagers to stop procrastinating and learn how to motivate themselves. That's if they don't procrastinate reading the book!

[Diane Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love self-help books written for teens or kids, because they get right to the point and you can read them in a day. Feeling overwhelmed by my job and personal goals, I browsed the library catalog under "time-management" and this title came up. Since I wasn't making a lot of progress on those personal goals, and I'm a procrastination addict, I checked it out. Reading the book may have been another way for me to procrastinate, but there were some gems here so I indulged.

The author talks about the four kinds of procrastinators: the Perfectionist who needs to know everything first and won't start something if there's any possibility of failure, (that's me); the Warrior who won't start something if there's any possibility of boredom (me again); the Pleaser who won't start something if it might piss someone off (not me at all); and the Rebel, who won't do anything that someone tells them to do (not a problem).

Knowing your type and the reason why you do what you do (or don't do), you then weigh the pros and cons of procrastinating. From there, it's a matter of using various techniques to get started, such as: dividing the task into doable parts, working on it for a short burst of time, eliminating distractions, and hitting the bull's eye rather than the target.

If, like me, you want to kick procrastination to the curb, this book offers a unique perspective and helpful tips.

[✧･ﾟ⁽⁽ଘ Shreya ଓ⁾⁾✧･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was originally just reading this is to get the "Health and Fitness" badge on Sora, without reading about exercising, but it actually turned out to be a fun book, partly because of the cute illustrations, and partly because it had some good tips!

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was so helpful! i learned that i’m a hybrid perfectionist/warrior. and i learned how to deal with my procrastination style so that i can get stuff done. so helpful!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in one seat! it is really easy to understand and follow along, no jargon, just useful advice for teenagers and adults alike. The book deals with procrastination through the different points of view of four fictional characters: Jordan, Emily, Athena and Tyler. Each one representing a "procrastinator type": The perfectionist, the pleaser, the warrior and the rebel. I think it is really easy to discover your type/s just by reading the book but, in case needed, there are links provided (like with many other New Harbinger books) so you can have access to quizzes and many other extras. The last chapters are dedicated to give solutions, tips and suggestions specifically for each type of procrastinator.

Getting to know the different reasons why people procrastinate while following the stories and reactions of each character is what makes this books special and well suited for teens. It is easy to feel identified with the characters. For example, Athena avoiding to tell her parents her plans for a gap year. I found this book very practical and easy to approach and can see the potential for a workbook version. I got my eArc from NetGalley

[Book Him Danno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has a teenage or will one day have a teenager should pick up this book. Not to mention the adult who is amazing at procrastination.
The author has the ability to break down procrastinators and list 4 general types and why they procrastinate.
The author is able to keep it light and fun so teenagers will not be rolling their eyes as they read and adults will be able to look at themselves and create a better environment for themselves as well.
The author brings out the positive and is able to have people see the best in them and how to better accomplish life goals at a young age and keep into adulthood and the work place.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Instant Help for the advance copy.

[Rae the Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inside, you can find the break down of the four generalized types of procrastinators, along with what can be some common root causes to this procrastination. There are also tips on what can be done to overcome the issue and how to incorporate this work into an everyday life. This book seems great for teens, young adults, and anyone else who can be described as a serial procrastinator (much like myself).

This was the perfect pick-me-up I needed for battling my procrastination. After completing this book, I've learned that I am a Warrior/Perfectionist hybrid procrastinator. I have also begun to come to terms with the root of my procrastination and what I can do to become more productive.

[Carola | adreamofpages · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really think this book is gonna be helpfull beating procrastination, but only if you really want to change your ways of doing things.
For me sometimes I was a bit unsure of what would work for me as I fit into more than one 'type', but I'm gonna try them all and see what works best for me.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought Jennifer Shannon’s book after hearing too many of my students tell me they have a procrastination problem that they don’t know how to fix. Having only a few technique suggestions in my toolbox and being a procrastinator myself, I sought out resources to help.

Although this guide is meant for teens, I found it to be cute, straightforward, and informative. In her book, Shannon describes the four overarching types of procrastinators and describes in detail how each responds to tasks, with specific advice to help. The book outlines roughly five concrete solutions/activities that counselors can suggest and/or utilize with their students in your sessions related to procrastination. Of course, it’s important to remember that this is intended for teens to read, so I wouldn’t expect there to be a lot. With that said, I do like the exercises and can see myself using all of them with my middle & high school aged students.

What I love most about this guide is that Shannon does a great job recognizing the strengths and improvement areas of these four types not relating to procrastination, but these students as whole people. If you’re looking for a resource for your students to read on their own and for some quick & easy procrastination tips, I’d suggest this fast read.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straight to the point read that is beneficial for teens and parents alike. The author discusses four unique procrastination styles categorized by core values. The book provides examples of how procrastination resonates with each style and tips to refocus inner dialogue to ride the negative emotion wave and hit the target.

Aside from tips for my own procrastination style, the book provides examples of how being a modern teen comes with new technology challenges and ultimately more demands/pressure than in my day. Additionally, the information about other procrastination styles helped to identify my child’s core values, which are different from my own. Recommended for teens and adults.

[Sierra Flores · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was apprehensive about reading this book because it’s for “teens” but the reviews said it was helpful! So
I chose to read it, thinking it would be a simplified version of tips to burst through procrastination.

I didn’t learn anything other than obvious things like using your calendar reminders and break big tasks into smaller “doables” and so on.

I didn’t fall into any of the procrastination categories she spoke of, and the inner feelings she described weren’t relatable at all.

It took a while to read and I procrastinated while reading it? Idk. It wasn’t for me I guess.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This well-intentioned book might help teens recognize what kind of procrastinator they are (perfectionist, rebel, etc) and discover some strategies to offset those procrastinating tendencies. But I honestly cannot see many teens sticking with the text-heavy format and eye-roll inducing illustrations.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful for this procrastinating adult

I started reading this hoping it would help me help others, but every word of advice was useful for me too. I've accomplished a lot this week just by taking the advice here. I suggest teens and adults read it.

[Sophie T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, insightful read. I feel like the all the tips and advice were very good. I can be a procrastinator sometimes, though not enough to benefit from this book as much as others may. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading it and hearing what the author had to say.

[Kiren Parmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the parent of a teen I found this study guide very helpful. It has definitely helped me to recognise some of the traits in my own child and then how to work on them so he'll want to focus and revise.

[Autumn]

I'm not a teen, but I found this helpful in understanding the thought process behind behaviors and knowing why I'm struggling has helped me begin to tackle my procrastination problems. I just wish I had read this as a teenager.

[Lyra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so sorry, but I spent 5 hours reading and annotating this book as a way to procrastinate. It was nicely written and had good examples and strategies that were well-articulated, but all this book did was convince me that I have ADHD and need to get tested.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is geared toward teens, the information inside is practical enough for procrastinators of all ages. It's concise enough to be read in an afternoon, and I found the exercises and solutions very useful.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tips for teens on how to deal with procrastination.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Identify your procrastination type and obtain great tips on how to beat that procrastination. Other good tips on putting the phone down and breaking projects into small tasks.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short and helpful. I especially loved the descriptions of the different types of procrastinators.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh -

[Paula Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy guide to identifying why we procrastinate and pull it out from the root.

Written for teens but also helpful for adults.

[Ky Hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t identify well with any of the types. Kind of a waste of a read but at least it’s done :)

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebel, Perfectionist, People pleaser, warrior