How would a 19th century Prussian General plan your campaign against procrastination?
Military strategist General Carl von Clausewitz wrote a classic book titled Principles of War. I pulled out, adapted, and labeled seven principles for building resilience by overcoming procrastination:
1. Principle of preparation. You won't prevail over procrastination with wishes. A reasonable understanding of procrastination, and the conditions where it appears, is important knowledge to have. To start your campaign, ensure that you know your motivations and mechanisms for procrastination. For example, you may have discomfort dodging urges and then bicker with your mate instead of mowing the lawn. But avoid over-preparation. This can lead to analysis paralysis and more procrastination. (von Clausewitz found that generals who hesitated and delayed were generals who faced certain defeat.)
Decisions are affected by the preparations you take prior to taking an action. Thought-through decisive actions pave the path to achievement. A well-articulated counter-procrastination plan normally improves your chances to make good judgments when conditions require a variation on your original solution. When you see your procrastination dragon on the road, knowing what to do to push this beast aside opens opportunities to cut through this procrastination barrier.
Test and rate your plan, but not yourself.
2. Principle of adaptability. Rules cannot be imposed absolutely in every case; adaptations for special circumstances are necessary. However, similar elements reappear. Knowing these elements beforehand simplifies the planning.
Procrastination has varied causes and different styles, but also common elements, such as reacting to a whisper of negative affect by side-tracking yourself into less productive areas. Procrastination may also have unique features. In reactance procrastination you see giving up a freedom, such as drinking to the point of inebriation, as a defensible right. Reframe this thought into a paradox: an addiction represents a loss of freedom. Identify the similar features of procrastination that occurs across situations as well as special circumstances, such as reactance situations. Adjust your actions to deal with both familiar and special procrastination features.
3. Principle of concentration. It takes a deliberate effort to stay on a direct route to achieve reasonable goals. Concentrate your efforts for maximum impact. Focus your attention in the direction of importance. Avoid dispersing your time and energy in frivolous activities.
Procrastination involves a series of distracting actions, such as reading Kant's Critique of Pure Reason rather than preparing for an upcoming job interview. This form of delay puts you into a holding pattern as you wait for courage or inspiration. Instead, challenge yourself to identify an area where you'd ordinarily delay and concentrate your resources on starting your campaign against procrastination. Resist all distractions. Intentionally assert force to achieve the most productive outcomes.
4. Principle of balance and momentum. Use only as much time and resources as you need to bring about the desired result. Unless hesitation is a tactic, don't waste your time delaying.
You may view actions to address pressing situations as onerous, laborious, and worthy of avoidance. Alternatively, think about where you can expend the least effort to produce the best outcome. Time and pace yourself to follow through decisively.
5. Principle of boldness. Go on the offensive and vigorously pursue each opportunity to advance toward achieving desired outcomes. Although there is no guarantee of success, advancing is positive. Unless they produce the best outcome, defense and retreat are negative.
Procrastination is a practice of retreat, which is negative. A policy of advancing is positive. Use proactive language to motivate your advance, such as will, can, and power.
6. Principle of efficiency. It's better to act sooner to avoid a problem, than to extricate yourself from a problem-twisted out of a pattern of needless, hand wringing, delays.
Delays from indecision can put you in a pickle. By lapses in actions you can create a later problem that you may have trouble dealing with. To avoid putting yourself in a position where you have to extricate yourself from the consequences of delays, consider that retreat is not an option. Instead, take a necessary step in the direction of victory over procrastination, and start now.
7. Principle of persistence. Envelop the procrastination "enemy." Make each battle a decisive event.
Focus on committing resources for a decisive action. Disrupt enemy communications, such as the classic later thinking that interferes with the timely execution of your plan. Expose later thinking as feeble excuse making. Go after procrastination's defensive positions, such as urges to diverge. Vigorously pursue a do-it-now process to overpower procrastination urges.
For more decisive strategies to end procrastination, see Knaus (2010) End Procrastination Now: http://www.amazon.com/End-Procrastination-Now-Psychological-Approach/dp/0071666087/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308753819&sr=1-1
