Do It Now!: Break the Procrastination Habit

by William J. Knaus

Dr. William J. Knaus's awareness/action approach has helped thousands of people overcome the adverse effects of procrastination. Now, this completely revised and updated edition of his classic bestseller can help you identify the root causes of your particular problem and develop a workable action plan to regain control of your life. Based on the latest research,  Do It Now! 
"Don't procrastinate on reading this book and using its methods!"  —Albert Ellis, Ph.D.,  President Albert Ellis Institute for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy "This compelling book goes beyond procrastination and addresses a general style of life that points the way to less stress, more satisfaction, and greater achievement."  —Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., ABPP,  Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University Coauthor,  The 60-Second Shrink "Better than the excellent original. Must reading for all professionals and laypersons interested in the procrastination habit."  —Richard C. Springthall, Ph.D.,  Director of Graduate Studies, American International College Coauthor, Educational Psychology "By following Dr. Knaus's simple, elegant, and tested ideas, you'll get more of the rewards of life and create a more productive, powerful you."  —Joseph Gerstein, Ph.D., FACP,  Harvard Medical School

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Management, Productivity

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 1997

About the author

William J. Knaus, EdD, is a licensed psychologist with more than forty-six years of clinical experience working with people suffering from anxiety, depression, and procrastination. He has appeared on numerous regional and national television shows, including The Today Show, and more than 100 radio shows. His ideas have appeared in national magazines such as U.S. News & World Report and Good Housekeeping, and major newspapers such as The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. He is one of the original directors of postdoctoral psychotherapy training in rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Knaus is the author or coauthor of over twenty books, including The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Depression, and The Procrastination Workbook.

Reviews

[Jacob]

Keep meaning to start this one.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Do It Now" was written by Dr. William Knaus. Knaus has been studying and treating people with procrastination problems for decades. He knows his stuff.

What I found surprising about this book is that much is known in regards to procrastination. It isn't a mysterious problem for psychology.

Be warned. Dr. Knaus states up front that there are no magic bullet solutions to procrastination. He explains that at some point everyone will be faced with doing things when they don't feel like doing them.

The first half of the book delineates the various types of procrastination explaining the origins and the predominant issues involved.

This is the part of the book that shines. It is fascinating, informative, written by someone in authority and written clearly , without coming off as "dumbed down".


The second half of the book consists of techniques for reducing procrastination. Several seemed very powerful. However, I felt that this half of the book was not as well written. I think some readers will find the tone of the writing too detached. I don't think the techniques were explained as well as they could have been nor do I think a strong enough connection was made from the the analysis section of the book.

The book did a stellar job about clearly explaining what is known about procrastination to the lay reader, but it seemed to fall short in moving the reader from this understanding to the action plan with a sense of connection between the two. I felt the solution section was presented to the writer as a box of assorted tools for the reader to figure how to use for themselves, rather than as a guided plan.

I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars for the fantastic first part of the book. Large parts of it were dry. If you have a problem with procrastination, this shouldn't be the only book you read and this book shouldn't be the only remedy you seek. However, the first half of the book that explains what is known about procrastination will be invaluable to the reader seeking to get a handle on procrastination. I highly recommend Dr. Neil Fiore's "The Now Habit" as an alternative.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this book, which is a practical guide to overcoming procrastination, along with a more theoretical book, “Procrastination and Task Avoidance”, by Ferrari, Johnson McCown. i found the theory book useful for setting a framework or context, while the more applied material in “Do It Now” can point the reader to his or her own psychological procrastination traps and triggers – Knaus (who worked with Albert Ellis, the inventor of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) plausibly postulates that many different patterns of procrastination exist.

one complex that sounded familiar to me was a feeling called “low frustration tolerance” or “discomfort dodging”. certainly i am familiar with the feeling of unpleasant tension when i’m about to start a new task, like writing an article. here is a revealing sentence: “People with low frustration tolerance act like comfort junkies, who demand that they get what they want without a hassle.” touche! (a related emotion is exaggerated anger to even minor obstacles.) Knaus counsels deliberately doing things that provoke a feeling of tension and learning to tolerate it: “Develop tolerance for necessary tension,” he writes.

here are two other statements about causes of procrastination:

“We avoid activities that could potentially tarnish [our] fragile self-image.” (from Knaus)

"Freud believed that anxiety was a warning signal to the ego of repressed unconscious material that could be disruptive . . . The Freudian notion of dynamic defenses and task avoidance postulates that tasks that are not completed are avoided primarily because they are threatening to the ego." (from Ferrari et al)

In a radical move, Knaus suggests looking at activities as experiments, which can reduce fear of failure and redefine failure out of your life. of course, such simple ideas can’t be a panacea. but they sound promising and are worth working on.

[Austin Luca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a nightmare to read. Nothing novel about procrastination was discussed; the author describes types of procrastinators (that he came up with himself) and encourages self-awareness as the way to stop procrastinating.