The Complete Idiot's Guide to Overcoming Procrastination

by Michelle Tullier

You’re no idiot, of course.  You know your life would be easier to handle and a lot more pleasant if you just stopped putting off ’til next month what you should have done last week. But when it comes to actually facing procrastination head-on and doing something about it… well, there’s always tomorrow. Don’t crash on the couch and flip on the TV again! The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Overcoming Procrastination is a fun, easy-to-follow guide to reorganizing your life to get things done before they become a problem! In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Productivity, Psychology

362 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1999

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

UpdateI've just discovered something really shameful. Been here, done that, still haven't bought the book.... I found I wrote, "There are two other 'people' in my family besides Procrastination. There's also Ennui and Inertia. It's surprising I ever get anything done at all" about Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination and The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. I didn't buy either that. Put the whole procrastination thing to the back of my mind and here we are again, 2 years later and I still can't get my act together to order a book on overcoming procrastination. LOL You have to laugh,don't you? Don't you?4
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Not sure whether to read this or not. If I had in stock it would be one thing but I have to send away for it, wondering if it would help me overcome procrastination if I did or if it would be a waste of time because it isn't any good? In two minds about this one. I've just found another one, The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now. This one might be even better. Gosh I do need some decision-making skills in order to decide. Now which comes first, a book on overcoming procrastination or a book on decision-making skills?

Pathetic.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone in the world procrastinates in one way or another, and this book is pretty good in laying out the roots of procrastination and several tactics to counter these problems. The strategies are useful, jargon-free and well-organized. No fancy 'zen' language, and the information is laid out in handy bullet-point lists with key-takeaways shown.

However, the book is deeply flawed in two regards. Firstly, the information is understandably outdated. Printed in 1999, this book has not kept pace with the multitude of electronic distractions that now pervade our lives: Facebook, Blackberries, Youtube, etc. Furthermore, it does not incorporate the stunning advances made possible by neuroimaging, e.g. analyzing the productivity drop during multi-tasking. In this regard, you might be better off reading newer books like GTD or following productivity blogs like Lifehacker.

Secondly, some of the research is dubious. Carefully look at the author's survey results which she uses to substantiate the latter chapters on Household Chores and the like. You will realize that the survey is neither representative nor rigorous. This was a big and avoidable disappointment.

All in all, the book makes sense: simple, helpful and a breeze to read. if you are a serial procrastinator, you might as well start with this book. However, don't mistake this as a panacea!

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

still working on this

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny enough, I procrastinated on writing this review!

There were some excellent tips in this book: "Stop, Look, Listen", "Freeze Frame", "Prioritize". The first half of the book is definitely something I'd recommend to anyone who even has a mild procrastination problem (which, let's be honest, is most everyone).

There were a few things in the first half that I didn't like, such as the author asserting that a "breakdown of traditional gender roles" has left people confused about who puts food on the table, which then leads to resentment when people who don't want to do it have to do it. This statement is so obviously flawed and ignorant that I almost put the book down. Tullier may know her information about procrastination but she needs to not assert things that she's clearly a little misinformed on (such as the underlying assumption she's made that women - traditionally those who put meals together - were resentment-free or that BASIC COMMUNICATION in a household can't overcome any "confusion" that the current "gender balance" has caused.") But, as I said, the first half, overall, has some good info and I'm glad I stuck it out.

The second half, however, was essentially useless to me. Some people might not be able to apply her ideas to their needs on their own, but I felt that Tullier going topic by topic and repeating herself was just filler to reach a required word count. I especially felt she had no business touching on topics like relationships and child rearing, both of which she approaches with incredibly flawed ideas and assumptions such as the ones I touched on before. I ended up skimming the last portion because of this.

Has the book helped me? A little, yes. I am better about prioritizing what I need to do and making sure that anything I put off is a deliberate act and not just the habit of procrastination.

Are there better books out there? Probably, yes.

[Meysam Naseri · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is heaps of good tips and tricks that I would say that would actually help overcome procrastination. The good thing about the book is how it is structured. The book first talks about what is procrastination and why it happens and signs reasons behind it. Then it starts how to overcome it and then how to keep overcoming procrastination. I would say this book helped me to stop sometimes overcoming procrastination.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asks the reader to honestly assess their priorities, and the actionable steps needed to be taken to accomplish tasks toward goals that are clear and well defined.

This book helped motivate me to go back to college again to continue working towards completing my undergrad degree. And applying its lessons helped me to complete 3 classes (earning an A and 2 B's) while also working full-time.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book with hands on tips that can be applied right away.

[Bambi Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good tips for a procrastinator like me.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and well-written, this book was still published in 1999. This does put it at odds with a lot of more current advice, but it still rings pretty true.

The book is split into five main parts:
Part One: The Whats, Whys and Woes of Procrastination
Part Two: Becoming an ex-Procrastinator
Part Three: Tips and Tricks for Getting Things Done
Part Four:Getting Things Done At Work and School
Part Five: Living the Life of an ex-Procrastinator

Now I thought that I was somewhat bad with putting things off, since that was the main reason I did badly in College. I put off my homework and the whole thing snowballed into doing badly on exams and quizzes and things. The people in this book are on a whole different level. They put off essential repairs of their homes, they never pay bills on time, they put off doing essential work tasks and so on.

Part one contains a detailed account of what procrastination is, how it manifests itself, where it manifests itself, and a basic overview on time management.

Part two tells you that since Procrastination is a habit, it is difficult to have a magic bullet or panacea for it. Thus, part two also tells you that you might need professional help. No, not necessarily from a "Shrink" to give the pejorative term, but possibly from a Career Coach, a Professional Organizer, or yes, even a Psychiatrist or other type of Mental Health Professional. Part two also tells you how to get rid of clutter and other acts of organizing, and how to make decisions more effectively.

Part three contains advice on household tasks and chores and ways to set up systems to tackle them. So you have dishes right? This book gives advice on how to bring yourself to do the dishes. Don't think that this section is only limited to dishes and taking out the trash though. It also talks about deciding whether or not to get married, childproofing, getting a social life, New Year's Resolutions, taxes and budgeting, and writing correspondence to people in a timely manner.

Part four focuses on career changes and school. If I had been reading this around ten years ago, this area is where I would have needed the most assistance.

Part five talks about what to do after you have presumably conquered procrastination from your life. (Hint, don't proselytize.)

So all in all, it is pretty interesting and contains good advice, but it wasn't super amazing and life changing for me. Moreover, it mentions the idea of multitasking as a good idea. Sure it is mentioned in a "Quicksand" portion, basically one that tries to prevent you from doing something. Let me paraphrase it as best I can: multitasking might seem like a good way to spend your time, but your focus is split and the job you do isn't as good as if you only did one thing at a time.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Complete Idiot's Guide series has a pretty good track record with me, and this book is no exception. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Overcoming Procrastination is about how to improve self-control and actually do all the things you know you should be doing. In that sense it's really about how to do anything you don't want to do, but focuses largely on the most common objects of procrastination. In addition to general tips on overcoming procrastination, it also has specific sections containing methods for organization, writing, career planning, academics, changing your social life, and so on. Chances are that whatever you feel you have been putting off, this book addresses it somewhere.

What I like most about the book is that it's not all about tips and tricks. To make ourselves do what we don't want to do, we first have to understand why we aren't doing it in the first place. The reasons can range from guilt, fear, perfectionism, being overwhelmed, negativity towards the task, etc. Michelle Tullier is very piercing in describing these reasons, and if you are a procrastinator like I am, simply reading through reasons like these will instantly narrow you in on what the problem is.

As far as fixing the problem, Tullier acknowledges that there is no magic solution for all forms of procrastination, but offers excellent advice for the areas covered. In addition, there is the tried and true advice of pausing yourself when about to procrastinate, and deciding whether your reason is valid or not. Once you can recognize procrastination, you can use your anger at how it messes with your life to make yourself do the task in question. Following through with this thought process will allow you to change your behavior towards the tasks you have enough drive to address.

Overall, this is an excellent book. I would even recommend it over any other "organization system" books like Getting Things Done, because the advice here allows you to custom tailor the methods to your life. Worth reading for anyone fed up with their procrastination and looking to make a change.

[Nupur Vanderlick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book at my local library since it was in the recent additions section. It is a thin book, but the author provides us with a great background of procrastination itself. To tackle a problem, it must be examined in all its capacities, such a study helps understand the nature of the beast so to say. Dr. Tullier demonstrates that the procrastination habit is a result of several factors external and internal. She provides us with tips, tricks and strategies to tackle distraction, behaviors and excuses to direct our attention to actually getting the work done. While developing new habits is in no way easy, a structure and persistent effort can yield wonderful results. She has some useful information in the form of sections such as "Why You've Failed in the Past" where she deals with the often uncomfortable topic of change and "Decluttering and Organizing" which cannot be more well placed than in a book about procrastination - personally, I feel this is one of the major reasons for the birth of the procrastination habit. Perhaps the most important chapter you will read in the book is "The Prescription for Overcoming Procrastination" where she presents 10 strategies to tackle your own brand of procrastination - my favorite is the 'Chip-Away' technique; Also, Dr. Tullier gives us some priceless advice about tackling procrastination in important areas such as job search and tech life. This book is funny, encouraging and most importantly forgiving to those of us who have been trying hard to battle our procrastination demons. I recommend this to everyone!

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you haven't read many books on time management or procrastination, then this book might be helpful. However, as someone who had to learn to kick procrastination to the curb via dissertation, I would recommend "Getting Things Done" and other books that are more time-based.

It's got all the variety of topics and punchy writing style of the idiot's gudes, though. There's nothing wrong with it, but it feels like you could glean any of the topics covered from a blog post or two online, such as Zen Habits or lifehacker or the like.

[John Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a straight-forward presentation on the topic, with entertaining, useful and straight-forward suggestions and action plans. If you like the style and format of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to" books and are interested in creating a plan for addressing procrastination, I highly recommend this book.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining read, suggestions might be helpful, but I haven't tried them yet.

[Ravi]

Read it halfway through. Need to resume soon. How ironic!