Productivity
“Pajama Days”
I love the term Pajama Days for days when you simply can’t get motivated.
Read MoreNutrition vs. Deadline
from my friend Deborah Underwood, who writes wonderful kids’ books
Read MoreProcrastination is ALWAYS Caused
The big mistake people make when they try to solve their procrastination problem is assuming that they’re something wrong with them – they’re weak, lazy, undisciplined, etc. Then they beat themselves up trying to solve that problem. This article about how musician Hayley Williams was blocked for a couple of months perfectly illustrates that: “The…
Read MoreReverse Procrastination
From the very cute and clever Shoeboxblog and used with kind permission.
Read More“Peerfectionism”
Very interesting article from the Columbia Spectator on what the author calls “peerfectionism.” It covers a lot of ground, and I don’t agree with it all, but the neologism is quite clever and really gets at the ultracompetitiveness that is fundamental to perfectionism, and ubiquitous in academia. Worth checking out, especially if you’re a student.
Read MoreWhat to Do if You’re Procrastinating on Your Taxes (Or Another Crucial Deadline)
Like money, time can be used for either investments or expenses. As you probably know, investments are activities that bring a return. The major time investments include: planning and management, relationships, self-care, health and fitness, education, a spiritual or meditative practice, community work, and what I call “replenishing recreation” (e.g., socializing or a passionate hobby).…
Read MoreNew Study Shows “Tiger Mom” Wrong
Last year, I wrote about Amy “Tiger Mom” Chua, who wrote a book celebrating her abusive parenting practices, which she said were both typically Chinese American, and yielded a better outcome than supposedly permissive mainstream American ones. (“Better outcome,” of course, defined narrowly as a compliant child who excels in school and work). After widespread…
Read MoreIsolation and Invisibility as Key Tactics *and* Goals of Procrastination
From Chapter 6 of The 7 Secrets of the Prolific Procrastination makes you invisible and isolated. If you never finish your novel, you won’t be seen by agents, editors or your audience. If you never finish your thesis, you won’t be seen by your committee, colleagues and prospective hirers. Invisibility and isolation are, in fact,…
Read MoreShortsightedness as a Barrier to Weight Loss, Writing Productivity and Other Goals
Shortsightedness is a hallmark of addictive behavior: the classic image of an addict is someone who can’t see past her immediate need for a fix, and who will sacrifice anyone or anything to get it. One of the primary aims of my weight loss efforts was to learn to defuse the urgency I often felt…
Read MoreHow to Recognize and Cope with Success-Related Losses
I’ve become increasingly aware that: (a) success always involves some loss, compromise, disappointment, or sacrifice; and (b) that fear of that loss is a major barrier for many people. In the below excerpt from my forthcoming book How to Get Willpower for Weight Loss and Other Important Goals, I deal with this important topic. –…
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