Here are some resources to help you learn about a technique for dealing with procrastination called Structured Procrastination. This method uses your ability/desire to fool yourself as a stepping stone to  do what needs done. It’s definitely one of the more useful methods I’ve come across.

NPR has an interesting piece of audio available for listening.

Why do today what you can do the day after tomorrow? Procrastination expert Timothy Pychyl and self-professed “structured procrastinator” John Perry discuss the latest research on this type of behavior and how to prioritize what’s really important.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91432804

Check out this page and listen to the 36 minutes of audio discussion. There are some useful links that will take you to reading that will give you a more thorough introduction to structured procrastination. I particularly like this method because it allows me to work with my procrastination habits instead of trying to change or cure me. Sure, there are some tips that can make procrastinating less of a problem, but overall it’s a very good method.

Structured Procrastination - http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/index.php

Procrastination and Perfectionism - http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/light/perfectionism.php

Discusses how the “fantasy of perfection” feeds procrastination and talks about a way to limit those fantasies’ impact. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the essay.

“How does the fantasy of perfection feed procrastination? Well, it’s not so easy to do things perfectly. At least I assume that it is not. Perhaps some day I’ll do something perfectly, and then I’ll know for sure.”

“Procrastinating was a way of giving myself permission to do a less than perfect job on a task that didn’t require a perfect job.”

Structured Procrastination: When all else fails - http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200804/structured-procrastination-when-all-else-fails

Mostly this one is just a succinct summary of the original Structured Procrastination essay (see above link), but if you prefer bullet points to essay, give it a read.

Tags: procrastination, articles, essays, reading, audio, listening