An interview with Mr. Bhavin Prajapati who discusses "getting stuck" with his M.A. thesis and the journey he took to both understand why he was procrastinating and what to do about it. You might be interested in reading a post that Bhavin wrote that summarizes at least part of this journey. To learn more about procrastination and our research, see procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Scott Taylor who completed his undergraduate honours thesis at Carleton University. Scott studied the relations between ADHD, Executive Function and procrastination. His research is the most recent and the most rigorous study in the area. Scott explains his research and the findings, but perhaps more importantly he reflects on personal experiences that may help listeners think through the challenges of ADHD and the potential for change. In this episode, I referenced the work of Russell Barkley and his book, "Executive Functions: What they are, how they work and why they evolved" To learn more about procrastination and our research, see procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Dr. Fuschia Sirois (University of Sheffield) about her recently published meta-analysis relating perfectionism to procrastination. Fuschia sets the record straight by summarizing the research literature which shows how perfectionism relates to procrastination. Reference Sirois, F.M., Molnar, D.S., & Hirsch, J.K. (2017). A meta-analytic and conceptual update on the associations between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. European Journal of Personality DOI: 10.1002/per.2098 If you're interested in this topic, you may want to listen to two previous podcasts with Dr. Gordon Flett (York University) on perfectionism and procrastination (Part 1 & Part 2). To learn more about procrastination and our research, see procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Shane Littrell of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga about his procrastination research. Shane helps us understand the complex interplay of person and situation that influence our procrastination. To learn more, see procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Adrian Meier (Department of Communications, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany) about the predictors of using Facebook for procrastination and its effects on students' well-being. Here's a blog post on this topic, and below that is the reference to the published study. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/201608/facebocrastination-new-research-the-perils-facebook Research reference: Meier, A., Reinecke, L., & C.E. Meltzer (2016). “Facebocrastination”? Predictors of using Facebook for procrastination and its effects on students’ well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 64, 65-76. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

A chat with Shamarukh Chowdhury about her research on active procrastination. Together, we clarify the concept of procrastination and do a little "myth busting" around the concept of active procrastination; a concept that we call an oxymoron that may be better understood as two types of delay - it's not "procrastination" at all. Here's an earlier blog post on this topic, and below that are references to the original studies. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200907/active-procrastination-thoughts-oxymorons Relevant research references: Chu, A. H. C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: positive effects of “active” procrastination behaviour on attitudes and performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245-264. Choi, J. N., & Moran, S. V. (2009). Why not procrastinate? Development and validation of a new active procrastination scale. Journal of Social Psychology, 149 (2), 195-211. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with the psychologist Dr. Frédérick Dionne about Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. Frédérick references the following website for more information: Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Some reflections on what to do when you don't feel like doing what you know you should be doing. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Mohsen Haghbin about his doctoral research that defined six types of delay, only two of which are procrastination. This is an important new series of studies that help us conceptualize delay in our lives. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Sarah Kohler (University of Muenster, Germany) on media use, escapism and procrastination. Sarah presents the results of one of her studies and explains how media provides escape in our lives. She argues that some of this escape, but not all, may be considered procrastination. Given the ubiquity of media in our lives, this is an important topic to consider. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Eve-Marie Blouin-Hudon (Carleton University) about her research on how imagining future self through guided meditation can decrease procrastination. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Dr. Clarry Lay (Emeritus, York University) author of Procrastinators (and Others) Can Still Get to Heaven: A Guide to Directed Everyday Living. We discuss the importance of goals, identifying prescribed behaviors to meet these goals and the centrality of our obligation to the scheduling of these behaviors in order to fulfill our potential. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Do you ever clean the house, a desk, your garage, whatever instead of doing a more important task? You're not alone. One of our latest research projects helps us understand why we make this choice. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Progress Not Perfection (PNP) is the name of a podcast hosted by Alen Standish. PNP is an audio podcast where Alen talks with others about perfectionism, procrastination, shame, anxiety and self-judgement as they try to overcome challenges such as eating disorders, reaching ideal health, meeting lifelong goals, creating works of art or becoming entrepreneurs. In this episode of iProcrastinate, I'm sharing an interview that I did with Alen. If you're new to either podcast, it's a great place to start. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Procrastinating today means more work later. Ah, but that's future self's problem, right? Oops, future self is still me, and that's one reason why we consider procrastination a self-defeating strategy. In this episode, I interview Eve-Marie Blouin-Hudon about her research relating present self to future self, the notion of self-continuity and how imaging future self might help us procrastinate less. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Commit to Win is the title of Dr. Heidi Reeder's new book, where she explains how to harness the four elements of commitment to reach our goals. In this podcast, Heidi summarizes key points from her research. Heidi is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Boise State University where she specializes in the study of gendered behavior and identity, theories of commitment, as well as friendships between men and women. You will find that Heidi connects all of these topics together from a social-psychological perspective to better understand commitment as an aspect of psychological attachment. Heidi has a lot to offer here as we think through commitment in relation to our goal pusuits. She even summarizes all of this research in a "commitment formula" that you can use to explore your own commitment. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Dr. Joel Anderson, philosopher, researcher and lecturer Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands. Joel explains the research that has come out of the Utrecht research group - Promoting Effective Intentions: Volitional Scaffolding, Implementation Intentions, and Bedtime Procrastination -  on bedtime procrastination. He introduces us to notions of volitional systems, extended will, and how we can nudge ourselves towards our goals. You will find lots in this interview while learning how we can take advantage of our better selves to work past our more difficult moments of procrastination.  You'll learn about the role of self knowledge in self regulation, and most importantly what might work for you. A reference I promised in the podcast today related to event segmentation theory: Judah, G., Gardner, B., & and Aunger, R. (2013). Forming a flossing habit: An exploratory study of the psychological determinants of habit formation. British Journal of Health Psychology, 18, 338–353. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Meditation and procrastination? Ah, maybe tomorrow you say. When you do get a minute, check out this conversation with Tony Stubblebine from lift.do.  Tony and his team have added new free resources on how to meditate at lift.do/meditation. We talk about why they have done this, and then we launch into a wide-ranging conversation about the relation between meditation and procrastination. Along the way, you'll learn lots of things to help you start or stay with a meditation practice. It makes a difference. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Can you imagine experimenting for a year on how to be most productive? Well, Christopher Bailey is doing just that with his ayearofproductivity.com project. Chris contacted me to talk about procrastination. He agreed to make the interview into a podcast, so I got to turn the table on him and interview him about his project as well. So, this podcast is a mixture of my thoughts on procrastination in answer to Chris as well as my questions to Chris about productivity. It's a long interview and a good one, I think. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

A short interview with the New York Times journalist and author, Charles Duhigg, about habits and procrastination. As in his book, Charles distills a wealth of information about habits based on the latest research in this brief discussion. Charles also has some important things to say about how to find alternatives to the procrastination habit. If you want to know more about habits, read The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life and Business. Want to learn more about procrastination? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

An interview with Michael Bromley from school4schools.com  He designed and runs the A+ club where tutors encourage students to reflect on their responsibilities, needs and goals, and then the tutors help them stay on track and get it done.  The focus of our discussion was how to help students with the procrastination that is still possible when they set goals. Our conversation was wide ranging but focused on strategies for more effective academic goal pursuit. I know students and their parents will find points of engagement. Want to learn more? procrastination.ca The closing song is by singer, songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Advantages, disadvantages and "best practices" for to-do lists. I use one constantly. It's not a cure-all for procrastination or for making goal pursuit more successful, but this simple tool is worth talking about. It's worth trying if you haven't really embraced the power of a plan. Want to learn more? Check out procrastination.ca Like the closing song? Me too. It's by Singer, Songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Learn why making implementation intentions within specific events is more effective. Incredible, but true, I've finally returned to the microphone. In this episode, I explain how I beat my own potential procrastination today and got this podcast recorded and posted. I also present an answer to a listener's question about goal commitment. Spur me on to do more soon by emailing your feedback to tpychyl@gmail.com. Want to learn more? Check out procrastination.ca Like the closing song? Me too. It's by Singer, Songwriter Matt Weidinger - check him out at mattweidinger.com

Here's an interview with Jeffrey Robinson from Student Learning Serrvices at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Jeffrey provides thoughtful reflections on how he helps students develop their own sense of agency and reduce procrastination. We discuss so much that will interest anyone who struggles with procrastination; it's certainly not limited to a campus setting or the workshops that Jeffrey offers.  Are you new to this podcast? Check out procrastination.ca The podcast ends with the song "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger.

"Build better habits. Change your life" - This is the motto on the homepage for Lift. Lift is a new tool (online and as an app) that helps you to develop new habits and to achieve your goals. In this podcast, I interview the CEO and co-founder of Lift, Tony Stubblebine. New to the podcast? Learn more about procrastination at procrastination.ca The podcast closes with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. Check out this musician (call it procrastination ;-)

Dr. Pychyl is interviewed by podcaster and blogger, Evan Brand of notjustpaleo.com. Evan reaches out to health experts, entrepeneurs and doctors about health and wellness. Today, we discuss procrastination, goal pursuit and their relation to happiness. New to the podcast? Check out procrastination.ca I close the podcast with a song entitled, "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. Check him out!

Anxiety, inertia, boredom . . . a graduate student provides insight into her challenges and her successful strategies for staying focused and getting her work done. This is an engaging interview with a graduate student who explains how she manages her own liabilities while harnessing her motivation to succeed. My comments highlight how research and theory support this very good approach to self-regulation. If you're new to the podcast, check out procrastination.ca for more information about our research group. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

An interview with Dr. Fuschia Sirois about how self-compassion plays a role in the relation between procrastination and stress. Self-compassion involves taking a kind, compassionate and accepting stance towards oneself in instances of suffering due to forces beyond one's control as well as when suffering is due to personal failings. Dr. Sirois' latest research has shown that measures of procrastination are negatively related to self-compassion. In other words, procrastinators are less self-compassionate. Most importantly, this research suggests that lower levels of self-compassion may explain some of the stress experienced by procrastinators - stress that has been shown to increase illness and decrease well-being. Her research also suggests that interventions that promote self-compassion could be very helpful. In this podcast, Dr. Sirois explains her research and interprets these findings for us. If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca  I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

Let's start the new year right with 20 tips to help us reduce procrastination. In this interview with Angela Baker (Massey University, New Zealand), we walk through a list together discussing these 20 key strategies. Angela comments on each in relation to some of her work as a counselor, and I discuss many in relation to research. It was a delightful interview that crossed the world (a Wednesday afternoon for me and Thursday morning for Angela!). I think that this will be a podcast that you might listen to more than once if you're struggling with procrastination, particularly academic procrastination. These strategies can make a difference. If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

Looking for an overview of how to stop procrastinating? Got an hour? In this podcast, Dr. Pychyl walks through the major factors related to our procrastination as well as strategies to overcome issues such as lack of commitment, defeatist attitude, weak intentions, distractions and low energy. It's a good podcast to end 2012, as we look ahead to the resolutions we'll make for the new year! If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

An interview with award-winning professor and best-selling author Dr. Kelly McGonigal. In this interview, Dr. McGonigal explains her teaching and writing about willpower, with a particular focus on her latest book, The Willpower Instinct: How self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it. What a joy it was to interview Kelly. She is thoughtful, articulate and precise in her explanations. I know this is an interview that you'll enjoy and review. She brings a different perspective to our understanding of procrastination and self-control.  If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

An interview with Mohsen Haghbin (Carleton University) about his most recent publication relating fear of failure and procrastination. I had interviewed Mohsen in 2010 when he helped Adam McCaffrey finish the study, but I wanted to do this again with the published paper, because the final analyses revealed some interesting findings about what affects the apparent relation between fear of failure and procrastination. Mohsen explains that whether or not fear of failure is related to procrastination depends on whether we feel competent and whether we feel a sense of autonomy (choice) with the task at hand. If you like research, you'll get a good understanding of Mohsen's study. If you're seeking to understand why fear sometimes results in procrastination yet at other times fuels motivation, you'll find some of the answer in this study - it depends on other factors! If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

An interview with Dr. Alfred Mele, the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University, and author of Backsliding: Understanding Weakness of Will. I've been looking forward to this interview for quite awhile, as I have read most of Al's books up to this point (he has 7 other books focused on topics such as human agency, motivation, free will and self-deception), and his work speaks directly to the weakness of will we commonly call procrastination. He's a brilliant scholar, prolific writer and an important philosopher who helps us understand why we act contrary to our better judgment. I know you'll enjoy the interview, as he draws on everyday examples from our lives to explain the concepts. If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

An interview with Max Leibman author of Higher Process: The Art & Science of Personal Productivity. Max helps us consider what we really know about the science of time management and how to be more productive. If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

ChangePower! - 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success - that's the title to Meg Selig's new book, and in this podcast I interview Meg to learn how we can develop changepower. This is a great conversation about habits and habit change. We all have lots to learn from Meg. You can read her Psychology Today Blog - Changepower - or you can learn more about her book.  If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. 

"There seems to be something about computer technology and Internet connectivity that distracts us, that tempts us towards procrastination." This is the opening line of a paper co-authored by my guest today, Nick Breems. Nick is an assistant professor of Computer Science at Dordt College (Iowa) and a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Salford (Manchester, England). In this podcast, Nick brings his focus to the intersection of philosophy and computer science in a discussion of computers and procrastination. It's a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion. I enjoyed the chat immensely, and I think you'll find it thought provoking. Nick provides a few concrete examples of things we can do to minimize procrastination while online or working on our computers. If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger.

Dr. William (Bill) McCown discusses his latest research projects - each is fascinating. Bill is a researcher, clinical psychologist and university administrator. He has been doing research on procrastination for over 25 years, and he has lots to offer in this podcast. We discuss what procrastinators think about, how procrastination affects the elderly and the analysis of textual data in procrastination research. Our conversation is wide ranging including issues related to development, cognition, personality and clinical outcomes. Bill grounds his research in everyday examples and offers some clear strategies for change.  If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Bright Side Up is the title of a new book by Amy Spencer. In this podcast, I interview Amy who explains that you don't need to reinvent your whole life to be happier - you just need to turn it "bright side up!" Our conversation focuses on the why and what of her latest writing project. We touch on many topics in positive psychology including optimism and happiness. I know you'll find it interesting and useful as Amy has lots of practical examples from her book. If you want to learn more about Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to be Happier Right Now, check out brightsideup.com or learn more about Amy at amyspencer.com   To learn more about procrastination, check out our Procrastination Research Group at procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. The closing song, Procrastination, is by Matt Weidinger. Enjoy!

Procrastinating? Me too. Today, I talk about the "art of living" and how we're like all other people, some other people and no other person. I do this by reading and responding to listeners' emails. Lots of ground covered as we think about the doings, and "not doings," of our lives. If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

What we might consider procrastination varies around the world. Take the word mañana for example - that notion that a task belongs to some indefinite time in the future. Do we all think about delay and procrastination the same way? Obviously not! In this conversation with  a colleague from Peru, Professor Karem Diaz, we get a different perspective on the nature of our delay. We discuss some differences between collectivist and individualistic cultures, the influence of economic development, social class and indivdual differences. I know you'll find it interesting. To learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or look for The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. Let me know what you think at tpychyl@procrastination.ca.

Is procrastination the same everywhere? A recent email from a listener (check out her blog at incurable-hippie) provided an example of two cultures (the Britsh and the French) where it seems to differ. I discuss this issue in relation to published research as well as the work of one of my doctoral students, Mohsen Haghbin (Carleton University), who joins me to present his perspective. It's a wide-ranging discussion of what words mean in relation to psychological constructs across cultures and time. If you want to learn more, visit procrastination.ca or check out The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Illusions abound about procrastination. This week, I consider 10 of the most common illusions, explaining why we might think these things, but what research reveals as the "truth" of the matter. This episode of the podcast is a version of a talk that I gave recently to students and faculty at Fanshawe College, London, Ontario. I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger. I think I've found a new theme song for this podcast! Let me know what you think at tpychyl@procrastination.ca. To learn more, visit procrastination.ca or pick up a copy (paper or ebook) of: The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Existential themes of autonomy, authenticity, agency, freedom, choice and the will are at the center of the discussion in this podcast. In response to listeners' requests, I explain this existential perspective on procrastination with reference to very interesting further reading. To learn more, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle

A recent study underscores the importance of executive function in self-regulation and procrastination. In this interview with Dr. Laura Rabin (Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Brooklyn), we get to hear from an outstanding young neuropsychologist who also has a clinical practice. As you'll hear, Dr. Rabin's research focus is not normally on procrastination, but she brought her neuropsychological expertise to bear on how we might better understand self-regulation failure through the neurocognitive processes known as executive function (the ability to organize, plan and and problem solve). I know you'll enjoy the interview and learn a great deal of practical things related to improving our own executive function. You can learn more about this study in my blog on Psychology Today with this post: A Neuropsychological Perspective on Procrastination To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

My title for the podcast today is taken from a recent study published in the International Journal of e-Collaboration by Dr. Anabel Quan-Haase of the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario, Canada). Her focus is on how students use instant messaging for their social networking and how, as she writes, "instant messaging is disruptive and multitasking can lead to losses in productivity." Anabel's research revealed that students use a number of different techniques to self-regulate their use of these technologies including preventive and recuperative approaches such as ignoring incoming messages, denying access and digital/physical removal. This is an interesting and far-ranging conversation about some of the promise and peril of instant messaging. To learn more about procrastination and self-regulation see procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Here's an interview with psychologist and author, Dr. Guy Winch (guywinch.com). Guy explains how we can learn new strategies to more effectively complain constructively, much like we might learn to provide constuctive criticism to foster more positive outcomes. The power of this perspective is in dealing with important issues more effectively whether these be complaints to a retailer, bureaucrat, coworker or partner. When we learn to deal with our complaints more constructively we are less likely to avoid or put-off seeking resolution which reduces the destructive processes of rumination and resentment. We complain more effectively to those who can do something about the issue, and we stop burdening our friends and family with our resentment and unproductive complaints. I think you'll enjoy the interview, as we can learn a great deal from Guy about his work as a psychotherapist and his focus on "complaining the right way." To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

This week, I'm sharing an interview I did on Philosophy Talk. As explained on philosophytalk.org, Philosophy Talk is a weekly, one-hour radio series produced by Ben Manilla. The hosts' down-to-earth and no-nonsense approach brings the richness of philosophic thought to everyday subjects. Topics are lofty (Truth, Beauty, Justice), arresting (Terrorism, Intelligent Design, Suicide), and engaging (Baseball, Love, Happiness). This is not a lecture or a college course, it's philosophy in action! Philosophy Talk is a fun opportunity to explore issues of importance to your audience in a thoughtful, friendly fashion, where thinking is encouraged. Of course, the topic this week is procrastination. I had a lot of fun discussing a variety of issues with the hosts John Perry and Ken Taylor of Stanford University. I know you'll enjoy their show, and I encourage you to check out others in this weekly broadcast. To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or read The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Agency, freedom, responsibility, choice, bad faith, death, life and love - all of this and more in today's podcast as I reply to a listener's thoughts about the existential aspects of procrastination. In this podcast, I refer to an article in the New Yorker. You can access the full article here (thanks Chris!). If you want to learn more, see procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

This week, I chat with a listener from England, Jessica Shailes. Based on an earlier podcast about the "unschedule," Jessica developed an Excel spreadsheet to help her plan more effectively. The podcast includes an introductory section reviewing the concept of the unschedule with direct reference to Neil Fiore's book, The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play. You can find Neil's books on Amazon here. You may download the sample spreadsheet that Jessica discusses in the podcast, or a blank template based on this work for your own use. Thanks Jessica! Jessica has a new blog that you may find interesting. It's called Resolutions (not just for New Years!). Some great Vegan recipes here. You can always learn more at procrastination.ca (check out the Psychology Today blog Don't Delay), or by reading The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

An interview with Dr. Elliot Cohen provides insight into how our irrational worry can undermine our well-being as well as how reason can be harnessed to help us break free from this "dutiful worry." You can learn more about this by reading Elliot's new book, The Dutiful Worrier. To learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Bill Knaus and philosopher Dr. Elliot Cohen explain how we can more effectively deal with the irrational thinking that defines procrastination. Dr. Cohen is a founder of philosophical counseling in the U.S., and Dr. Knaus is one of the original directors of post-doctoral training in rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT). Together, these counseling experts provide an important perspective on how to reduce procrastination and worry in our lives. To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

This week, I am posting an interview that I had with Laurel Graham, a journalism student in the Journalism and Media Studies program at Griffith College in Ireland. Laurel contacted me after reading an article in The New Yorker that discussed my research on procrastination.  Our conversation covered many topics that I thought would interest listeners of these podcasts, so Laurel gave her permission to post the interview as part of the iProcrastinate podcasts. I hope you enjoy it. To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or check out my new book, The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Dr. Fuschia Sirois (Bishops University) joined me to discuss one of her recent studies entitled, "Lost in the Moment: An Investigation of Procrastination, Mindfulness and Well-being." This was a fascinating discussion of how we often focus on short-term mood repair instead of our intended goal pursuit, and how mindfulness may help us cope more effectively with the discomfort we feel when faced with an aversive task. To learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca.

In this fascinating interview, Dr. Joel Anderson (Utrecht University, The Netherlands, and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences) explains the notion of distributed willpower. Successful people arrange thier lives in such a way as to economize on willpower and to scaffold their willpower strategicially with environmental support. Willpower is not simply an issue of self-control located solely within the person! Professor Anderson explains how important the social context is to understanding human autonomy, and, most importantly for listeners of this podcast, he provides a number of concrete strategies to strengthen our willpower to overcome procrastination. This is a great interview. I know you'll learn a great deal from this talented philosopher and gifted teacher. If you want to learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca.

Not everyone makes New Year's resolutions, and certainly not everyone who does make one, keeps it. What does it take to be successful with the change we hope for with a New Year's resolution? A readiness for change, realistic goals, a concrete plan, perhaps an implementation intention or two, social support, the strategic use of willpower, a little self-forgiveness and a good dose of courage to try at all. In this podcast, I discuss each of these issues as they pertain to what it means to have intentions that have the vitality, spirit and substance necessary to actually foster change in 2011.

What is weakness of will? Is procrastination a special instance of a weakness of will? These are questions that I pose to the guest this week, Dr. Sarah Stroud, Associate Professor of Philosophy (McGill University). I sought out Dr. Stroud as she wrote an excellent chapter in the recently published book, The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination (Oxford University Press). I stole the title of her chapter as the title for this podcast, "Is Procrastination Weakness of Will?" I know you'll enjoy this discussion of weakness of will, as Dr. Stroud provides some everyday examples to explain her concepts. I learned a great deal from this interview, and I'm happy to share this philosophical perspective on our understanding of procrastination. If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca or my new book, The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Problem

Strengthening our motivation towards our goals while weakening our motivation towards temptations is important to successful goal pursuit. In this podcast, I summarize strategies that help us make a precommitment to change the choice situation and change the psychological meaing of our choice options. It's not as complicated as it sounds, and the strategies are discussed in relation to practical examples from everyday life. To learn more, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Note: Poor audio quality. I finally sat down to record a short podcast. Unfortunately, the audio quality isn't very good. It's my fault. I hand held a new recorder that created noise and inconsistent sound levels. In addition, I didn't use a pop filter. You'd think I'd learn! I decided to post this in any case, because I simply don't have the time to re-record it. The topic is about the nature of our intentions and how making indeterminate or "anemic" intentions may be part of the problem with our goal pursuit and may contribute to our procrastination. I'm sorry that the audio has problems, but I hope it's still worth a listen. I will revisit these ideas when I interview Sarah Stroud (Philosophy, McGill University) about her writing about procrastinaiton as weakness of will. (When I do revist these ideas in a future podcast, I will take this flawed recording down.) If you want to learn more, see procrastination.ca.

This week, we discuss the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in understanding procrastination. Eric Heward joined me for an interview about his recently completed Master's thesis research in which he explored the relation of measures of EI and measures of procrastination. Eric does an excellent job of defining the key terms and providing a summary of his findings. Together, we discussed what this focus on emotions means to our understanding of procrastination and our own work at self-change. If you want to learn more about our research, see procrastination.ca or my recently published book, The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Dr. Joseph Ferrari's new book, Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets Guide To Getting It Done, was published this week by Wiley. Today, I interviewed Joe about his book. He describes his philosophy behind the book and provides an outline of the various chapters. You can learn more about procrastination at procrastination.ca or download The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle

This week, I discuss an interesting philosophical perspective on procrastination and the notion of "weakness of will." The content for my discussion comes from a chapter written by Sarah Stroud (McGill University) in "The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination" (2004: Oxford University Press). I took the title of my podcast from her chapter with the same title. It's an interesting topic, and my discussion takes us from the Greek notion of Akrasia up to more recent definitions and understandings of weakness of will. Yes, procrastination is a weakness of will, but there are various issues to consider, particularly this notion of intention. NEW - My book, The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, is now available through Amazon and Barnes&Noble at a reduced price! They have agreed to sell the eBook at $2.99, so there is no longer a difference between U.S. and non-U.S. orders (non-U.S. orders should use Amazon, not Xlibris). Here's more about Dr. Stroud taken from "The Thief of Time"Sarah Stroud is Associate Professor of Philosophy at McGill University in Montreal. Her research interests range across moral psychology, moral and practical reasoning, moral theory, and metaethics; she is currently working on partiality in moral psychology and moral theory. With Christine Tappolet, she coedited Weakness of Will and Practical Irrationality (2003/2007), and she recently contributed the entry on weakness of will to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy . Her work has appeared in Ethics and Philosophy and Public Affairs , among other journals. She is one of two associate editors of the International Encyclopedia of Ethics , now under preparation for Wiley-Blackwell with Hugh LaFollette as editor-in-chief, to be published in 9 to 12 volumes in 2012.

This week the tables are turned. I'm interviewed by Alan Kearns, Canada's Career Coach, of careerjoy.com. Alan asked me to discuss the role of  optimism, confidence and managing emotions in the career search process. We did this interview quite awhile ago, but Alan had problems with the sound, so he hadn't posted it. I think this is a good follow-up to last week's podcast about fear of failure and how competence/confidence is important in understanding our response. Do we procrastinate to cope with negative emotions or work hard to avoid a possible negative outcome? Learn more at procrastination.ca or check out The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

This week, we review a recent study on fear of failure and procrastination. Mohsen Haghbin, a senior doctoral student in our research group, explains research that he helped Adam McCaffrey complete as his honours thesis (and which Adam presented this past spring at the Canadian Psychological Association conference). Their study shows that our sense of competence and autonomy are important to consider, as these basic human needs affect the relation between fear of failure and procrastination. This is an interesting and important study that brings together research issues and clinical insights to help us understand when fear of failure may be related to procrastination and when it may actually foster action to avoid potential negative outcomes. To learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca.

A very short podcast this week with some reflections about how any strategy for change must be evaluated in terms of your own personal context and needs. Although one strategy may work for some of your procrastinated tasks, just the opposite strategy may be required in other areas of your goal pursuit. To learn more, visit procrastination.ca

This week, I interview Emrah Eren, a graduate student in our program at Carleton University. Emrah discusses his recent research about intentions, temptation and procrastination. His results are very interesting in terms of what can actually break the link between temptation and procrastination. To learn more, visit procrastination.ca. To order my new book The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, use this direct link to Amazon.com or visit procrastinatorsdigest.com to learn more about the book.

If you have been struggling with exercising more or eating more healthily, this podcast is for you.  In this interview with Dr. Peter Hall (University of Waterloo), we are introduced to a way of thinking about what influences our behaviour. Peter is a clinically trained psychologist who does research on health behaviours. He and his colleague Geoffrey Fong have proposed an important new theory to explain the processes that affect our behaviour choice including our intentions, habits (pre-potent responses) and self-regulatory capacity (executive function). Please, don't be put off by the theoretical focus or the terms here! Peter does an excellent job of explaining the theory, as well as how we can make sense of our own procrastination from this perspective. He includes strategies for change as well. You can read the paper "Temporal self-regulation theory: A model for individual health behavior" as a pdf at this link. If you want to learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca or check out my new book at The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle

In this podcast, I respond to a listener who wrote, ". . .when I'm deep into procrastination, I don't do things that make me feel good, sometimes I seem to fly deep into some sort of personal crisis to avoid my work. Often I don't even realize I'm doing it. . . I think some of my friends see this trait in themselves as well." Today, I discuss why we might do this with a focus on emotions and procrastination. To learn more about procrastination: procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Today, I interview Professor Mark D. White (Professor, Department of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy, College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center, CUNY). Mark discusses his chapter in the recent book The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination. His chapter is entitled "Resisting Procrastination: Kantian Autonomy and the Role of the Will." Using examples as common as the temptation to eat a donut, Mark does an excellent job of explaining how current theorizing from the perspective of behavioral economics falls short of explaining procrastination and how we need to consider the issue of "will" in this instance of self-regulation failure. In short, Mark explains how we have to "try harder" in order to resist procrastination. Check out Mark White's blog on Psychology Today: Maybe it's just me, but . . . You can learn more at procrastination.ca. Check out The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.

Today, I summarize an excellent new piece of research by Jeffrey Paulitzki (University of Waterloo). Jeffrey just defended this research for his doctoral degree. He did an outstanding job. The focus of his research, and my podcast, is how we need to understand both habits and self-regulatory ability in goal pursuit. Although intentions do predict behaviour, both our habits and our executive function (self-regulatory ability) are crucial to our success. I also introduce listeners to Temporal Self-Regulation Theory. You will hear more about this in future podcasts as well, because it is a good framework for thinking about goal pursuit and the gap between intention and action that we know as procrastination.

My new book - The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle -  is now available at procrastinatorsdigest.com.  In this podcast, I explain the history of the book as a project for my sabbatical including why I created such a short book and how it is structured. I also add some important notes for non-U.S. orders. I invite your comments at feedback@procrastinatorsdigest.com Learn more at procrastination.ca

This is the last podcast of my sabbatical year. Don't worry, I will continue my regular schedule for the summer. This week, I am summarizing a key idea from a chapter in a recent book entitled The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination. Chrisoula Andreou, a philosopher from the University of Utah, argues that we can use self-control in one area of our lives where we don't procrastinate to help us achieve goals in other areas of our lives where we seem to lack self-control. I explain how this works with the notion of local traits.To learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca​

Donna Karlin, Founder of  A Better Perspective, has pioneered the specialized practice of Shadow Coaching with global political, business and senior organizational leaders in the public and private sectors.  By entering the client's environment, she works with them in translating awareness into practice, essentially fostering the emergence of the Shadow Coach in the clients themselves. In this podcast, Donna and I talk about one of my favourite topics, giving in to feel good. Our conversation provides insight into her coaching process and things we can do ourselves to implement this approach in our own lives.Want to learn more about procrastination? See procrastination.ca.

It's easy to put off goals for which we don't feel a strong commitment. This is part of the procrastination problem. We can lack strong goal intentions. In this podcast, I discuss how we might strengthen goal intentions and why this is important. I provide some common examples of how this happens in our lives, and I stress the importance of strengthening goal intentions within the context of other strategies that we use to ensure more effective goal pursuit such as implementation intentions and the strategic use of our willpower. Sound too complicated? It isn't. In any case, it's how I got to flossing my teeth more regularly! It's worth a listen.More information about procrastination is available at procrastination.ca

JOIN ME LIVE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT "GIVING IN TO FEEL GOOD." In this very short podcast, I announce an exciting upcoming Virtual Conference and a FREE pre-conference conversation session. These events are being sponsored by The DESARA Group. The DESARA Group specializes in business process improvement, and during this time when we're all asked "to do more with less" and to "work smarter, not harder," the DESARA Group is providing an opportunity to step back and "reset" ourselves and how we approach things. The event  is called the The 2010 Productivity Reset.Taking an opportunity to pause and reflect while benefiting from the expertise of an amazing group of presenters will certainly help to shift and improve on how we are working. I believe that the event will help energize participants and provide new ways of thinking and doing that will enhance personal productivity.Next Tuesday, June 15 at 11 a.m. Eastern time, I will be participating in a 1 hour, online discussion with Leadership Coach, Donna Karlin. Donna and I will be discussing "Productivity and Decision Making: Stop Giving in to Feel Good." This is a FREE INTERACTIVE SESSION, so you can register and ask questions or comment on what we're presenting together. I hope you'll join us to explore the topic and to consider whether further work of this sort might make the full conference at the end of the month something that you and your colleagues might benefit from.The links below provide access to more information about the conference organizers and the event itself:The DESARA GroupThe 2010 Productivity Reset (NOTE: If you decide to register for this event, please use this registration link. In doing so, you will be supporting the iProcrastinate Podcasts, as I will receive a commission as an affiliate of the conference).The Pre-Conference Session with Dr. Tim Pychyl, June 15th 11 a.m. Eastern

This podcast is a little different than my typical post. Today, I use a personal example to discuss the nature of distractions, the subjectivity of procrastination and how the irrationality of procrastination can affect our perceptions of self. Be forewarned that this is me rambling a bit as I think out loud about how we manage our goal pursuit as we muddle through our day-to-day tasks. In the end, I think you'll see that I integrate a great deal of the principles that underlie self-regulation failure and procrastination.

Here's another new book! The author, Dr. Bill Knaus, has been a regular guest on iProcrastinate Podcasts. Today, he discusses his newest book Fearless Job Hunting: Powerful Psychological Strategies for Getting the Job you Want  We discuss how we can become our own worst enemy in the job hunting process from the preparation of the resume through to social networking and interviewing. If you want to read more about Bill's book and his perspective on this "fearless job hunting," you can read this blog posting on PsychologyToday.If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca

This week, I interviewed Dr. Joseph Ferrari of De Paul University (Chicago) about his upcoming book entitled, Still Procrastinating? The no regrets guide to getting it done. Joe, a colleague and friend, turned the table on me at different points to interview me about my upcoming book, my podcasts, blog and teaching. To learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca

Here's an interesting study about how the characteristics of a task affect our procrastination. I summarize this interesting new study, providing a summary of how task characteristics (e.g., task difficulty) as well as our motivation (e.g., I do it only because I have to) and self-control (e.g., I am good at resisting temptation) help explain why we might procrastinate on the task at hand.You can learn more about our research and resources at procrastination.ca

A short podcast this week about a new book,  The Procrastinator's Guide to Getting Things Done (by Dr. Monica Rameriz Basco, The Guildford Press). I explain how it may be useful as a guide to a cognitive-behavioral approach. I also review one of my points of disagreement with the focus on "types" of procrastinators.To learn more about procrastination, see our research group at procrastination.ca.

This week, I interview someone who is becoming a regular guest on the podcast, Dr. William (Bill) Knaus. Bill has just published his new book End Procrastination Now: Get It Done with a Proven Psychological Approach (McGraw Hill). We discuss what readers will find in his book as well as specific tips on how to deal with procrastination.For more information about procrastination, see our Research Group at procrastination.ca.

Here's a podcast that summarizes why we procrastinate.  Earlier this month, I was a guest instructor for the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). This study group is part of the professional development important to members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). During this one-hour teleclass, I did my best to summarize what we know about procrastination. I think this summary has relevance for anyone interested in knowing more about procrastination.If you want to know more about the topic, see procrastination.ca.

Sometimes when we procrastinate on one thing, it seems to prevent us from doing anything at all - at least anything we think we should be doing. This week, I share a listener's story about how the most detrimental effect of his tendency to procrastinate is that it makes him put everything else on hold. I discuss the potential role of anxiety in this process as well as our sense of agency and the importance of making conscious choices.You can learn more about our research at procrastination.ca

With the recent upgrade in the system software at LibSyn, it seems that my first interview with Dr. Bill Knaus was lost in the transfer. I'm posting it again.  This interview from January 9, 2010 was Dr. Knaus (Bill) introducing iProcrastinate Podcast listeners to his work on procrastination. It's an excellent interview for which I have received many positive reviews. Bill is the author of over 20 books, including one of the first on procrastination with Dr. Albert Ellis in the 1970's.

This week, I invited Dr. Bill Knaus to talk about his work with and writing about procrastination. He has provided a lengthy podcast covering a great deal of important material. He focuses specifically on how we can learn to challenge our absolutist beliefs (such as perfectionism) and he moves us towards a "do it now" perspective on our lives. Note that my introduction to the podcast seems to have a strange echo in it. I will correct this in future podcasts. The majority of the podcast is recorded clearly.

Tips and techniques are never enough. What we often need to do to enhance goal pursuit success is to ensure that our goals matter to us. If we don't value a goal, if we don't have a strong commitment to a goal, we're unlikely to pursue it. Today, I discuss an approach to strengthening goal intentions, and, in doing this, I comment on how we can falsely internalize goals that may in fact lead to procrastination.

This week, the focus is on a topic that many listeners have asked to learn more about - anxiety. Dr. Bill Knaus brings his clinical insights to this discussion. Dr. Knaus presents a case study, explains various types of anxiety, relates anxiety to perfectionism (and other types of irrational thoughts), and summarizes strategies for change. If you want to learn more about Dr. Knaus' work, check out his latest book End Procrastination Now. As well, The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anxiety: A step by step program. (Knaus, W, New Harbinger, 2008) gives readers psychological tools for following through on addressing their parasitic anxieties and fears. It has a chapter on the procrastination anxiety connection. You can learn more about our research group at procrastination.ca

When you're going to set an intention to complete a task, do you: (a) start at today and look forward to the first available opportunity to act, or (b) start at the deadline and look backward to choose a date? I asked this question of my Psychology Today blog readers. They provided some insightful answers that I discuss today in relation to our planning and procrastination. If you want to learn more about our research, check out procrastination.ca.

I'm often asked what someone should do to reduce procrastination. One of my most common answers is, "It's not enough to have a goal intention, you need to have an implementation intention too." Today, I explain what an implementation intention is and how it works to overcome four common problems in goal pursuit.Here is an Amazon link for Normal.dotm 0 0 1 45 259 Carleton University 2 1 318 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} p {margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Times; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Times; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The thief of time: Philosophical essays on procrastination If you want to more about our research, see procrastination.ca

When we don't get the results we expect or hope for, we can imagine different outcomes, both better and worse. These are known as upward and downward counterfactuals. In the podcast today, I interviewed Dr. Fuschia Sirois from the University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada) who has explored the relation between counterfactuals and procrastination. I've written about one of Fuschia's studies on my Psychology Today blog. You can find it here at Avoiding What Might Have Been.You can learn more about our research at procrastination.ca

This is an extra podcast for the week. The focus is on listener feedback, particularly replies to whether or not I should podcast less frequently. The feedback was unanimous, keep it weekly, at least while you're able to on your sabbatical. I will.Although I'm posting this to address the issue of podcast frequency, the listeners' comments and my feedback may interest you in terms of strategies for dealing with procrastination.You can learn more at procrastination.ca

Welcome to the first podcast of 2010! Today, I summarize a study completed as part of an M.A. thesis by Matt Dann. Matt explored the relation of approach and avoidance goals, as well as approach and avoidance personality with procrastination. His findings provide some insight into how we might more successfully re-frame our tasks to be approach rather than avoidance goals.You can learn more about our research and access other resources at procrastination.ca.

Are you indecisive? Would you rather that someone else choose the movie you'll watch together or the food from a menu? If so, I think you'll enjoy this interview with Dr. Joseph Ferrari (DePaul University, Chicago). Dr. Ferrari is one of the world's foremost experts on the topic of procrastination, and he summarizes some interesting studies about decisional procrastination as well as what we might do to reduce this indecision in our own lives.If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca.

The new year looms ahead, and one of the expectations for this time of year is to set a new year's resolution. Do you have one? Do you expect to successfully act on this intention? In this podcast, I share some thoughts about why these resolutions often fail and what we can do to be more successful with change in the year ahead.

Here's the second part of my interview with Dr. Gordon Flett (York University, Toronto). In this podcast, we discuss the relation between procrastination and perfectionism, with a specific focus on the perfectionistic procrastinator. If you want to learn more about procrastination, check out procrastination.ca.

This is the first of a two-part podcast on perfectionism and procrastination. In this first part, Dr. Gordon Flett (York University, Toronto) explains what perfectionism is, why it's problematic and what can be done to help those who are troubled by perfectionism. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview, and I'm sure you will too.If you want to learn more about our research or procrastination, check out procrastination.ca.

This week, I talk about some research related to impulsivity and anxiety. Interestingly, both are related to chronic preoccupation with the evaluation of self, goals and plans. Impulsivity and anxiety are also related to procrastination, so we need to think about how chronic self-appraisal and criticism may affect self-regulation. I wrote about this study on my Psychology Today blog. You can check out this entry for the reference to the study.If you want to learn more about our research and procrastination, visit procrastination.ca

Although I usually note that procrastination is not a time-management problem, it doesn't mean that more effective planning for our goal pursuit won't help. So, this week I present one of my own favourite planning strategies, the "un-schedule." I explain what it is and, using examples from my own life, I explore how it works to create more accurate and honest implementation intentions for our goals.If you want to learn more about procrastination or my research, check out procrastination.ca.

This week, after discussing some very important listener feedback, I summarize a study about evaluation threat and its effects on procrastination. The results may surprise you. Whether or not high evaluation threat makes you procrastinate more (which is what we typically might think) depends on whether you're high or low on trait procrastination. You can find my original blog posting about this topic on my Psychology Today "Don't Delay" blog (including the reference for the study if you're interested in reading it yourself).  If you want to learn more about procrastination, see procrastination.ca.

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A recent study indicates that both behavioural and decisional procrastination are related to maladaptive beliefs known as metacognitions. In this podcast, I relate two listeners' comments to this study and discuss how our thinking can create problems for us in terms of procrastination.

Hey, a second podcast for November 10th. Yes, I'm trying to make up for my absence last week :-) In this short podcast, I discuss some summary statements related to neuroscience that describe what David Rock calls "quirks of our brains." I think these quirks of our stone-age brain in the modern world help explain why we're vulnerable to self-regulation failure.If you want to read David Rock's original posting on this topic, check out his posting on Psychology Today for August 30, 2009. Here's my blog posting in reply to his writing. It may interest you, as I provide links to each of the topics I mention in the podcast (in case you want to follow up on one topic in more detail).As always, you can keep up with our research at procrastination.ca

In this, the first podcast for November, I reflect on a listener's questions about advice to new faculty members by Robert Boice, and I answer a few short questions about why we procrastinate and what we can do about it. The emphasis is on practical knowledge related to self-change. I hope it's useful to you.

This week I discuss three things: 1) a listener's comments about meaning and decisional procrastination, 2) a useful "mantra" in life - Not Helpful, and 3) some research on irrational beliefs (where I draw on the "not helpful" mantra as a strategy for change).You can learn more about Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in my Psychology Today blog posting.  If you want to know more about our research, check out procrastination.caFinally, if you want to think more about Jai Pausch's "not helpful" strategy, check out my blog about Randy's "Last Lecture."

This week, I'm sharing a letter from a reader of my Psychology Today blog, Don't Delay. It's an insightful, well-written (at times painful) first-hand account of coming to grips with procrastination. I comment on this story in relation to other listeners' notes to me, as I discuss the process of change for chronic procrastinators. Want to learn more about procrastination? Check out our Procrastination Research Group Web site.

Every procrastinator knows the stress associated with that needless delay. The question is, does this relate to increased illness as well? In fact, it's not just the stress associated with procrastination that may affect your health. Treatment delay and fewer wellness behaviors have been implicated in the procrastination-illness relation. In this podcast, I discuss the research of Dr. Fuschia Sirois (University of Windsor) who has been exploring the relation between procrastination and health. Note: Although I say otherwise in the introduction to the podcast, I end this podcast with a practical strategy to make your health-promoting behaviors a daily habit. Bear with me today please, as I recorded this during a bout of the flu, so I do "wander" a bit. If you want to know about Dr. Sirois, you can check out her Health and Well-being Web site.For more about procrastination, check out the Procrastination Research Group (including our Psychology Today blog, podcasts, cartoons and research). Here are a few of the studies I refer to today:Sirois, F.M., Voth, J., & Pychyl. T.A. (under review). "I'll look after my health later": A longitudinal study of the linkages of procrastination to health and well-being. Sirois, F. M. (2007). "I'll look after my health, later": A replication and extension of the procrastination-health model with community-dwelling adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 43 (1), 15-26.Sirois, F. M., Melia-Gordon, M.L., & Pychyl, T. A. (2003). "I'll look after my health, later": An investigation of procrastination and health. Personality and Individual Differences, 35 (5),1167-1184.

Avoidance goals create a focus on avoiding or eliminating undesired outcomes. For example, avoid failing my exam. Approach-oriented goals involve reaching or maintaining desired outcomes; get an "A" on my exam. Although approach-oriented goals are related to more happiness and goal success overall, we all have avoidance goals in our lives. In this podcast, I discuss one of my avoidance goals and some strategies I use to help me get going on the task that is ripe for procrastination.By popular request, I end this episode with my dog team howling good night after the evening feeding. If you'd like to learn more about my "other life" as a dog musher, check out this story from Mushing Magazine (Note: This is a 6 MB PDF document).To learn more, see procrastination.ca. Our latest Carpe Diem cartoon has a focus on approach and avoidance goals.

In his autobiography published (in German) in March of 1995 to coincide with his 90th birthday, Dr. Viktor Frankl reflected on the "Manner of my Work." His reflections are simple and clear, speaking directly to two habits that defeat procrastination. His advice is the focus of this week's podcast.The image of Dr. Frankl that appears in this podcast was taken from the Official Web site of the Viktor Frankl Institute Vienna. If you're interested in Frankl's well-known book, "Man's Search for Meaning" you can find it Amazon (and just about any used book store)If you want to learn more about procrastination, see my Procrastination Research Group. I welcome your comments at tpychyl@gmail.com. If you have a minute, please review the podcast on iTunes.

While we all desire to reach or release our full potential, we often face deep internal struggles with perfectionism, excessive self-doubt, lack of persistence, self-depreciation and procrastination. This week, I discuss a REBT therapy approach that you may find useful.If you want to access the references to the research I discuss, see my Psychology Today blog on the topic.Want to know more about procrastination? Check out procrastination.caFinally, if you listen to this podcast and get interested in Lance Mackey, the world's foremost long-distance dog musher, you can listen to a Traildancer Kennels' Trail Talk podcast of his recent presentation. And, you can learn more about my own "other life" as a dog musher.

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This week I discuss three things. First, I address the notion of "intention updates" and the difference between changing our intentions and procrastination. Second, I read listeners' comments and reply to their questions. Finally, the topic for this week is how self-conscious awareness works both to strengthen and undermine self-regulation. There are different types of self-awareness, and we live with the internal dialogue that these can create.

Perhaps the most frequently read essay on the Internet about procrastination, is Professor John Perry's (Stanford University) piece entitled, "Structured Procrastination." In this podcast I summarize Prof. Perry's argument and reflect on its strengths and the limitation of this approach. I know you'll like it, as Prof. Perry writes about how we can harness our task avoidance to actually get things done! In Perry's words, "what could be more noble than using one character flaw to offset the bad effects of another?"You can read Prof. Perry's essay at structuredprocrastination.com (you can even buy the t-shirt!).You can learn more about procrastination at procrastination.ca.

When I'm asked for strategies for more successful goal pursuit, I usually begin with the notion of implementation intentions. In this podcast, I explain the difference between goal intentions and implementation intentions, with a particular focus on the what, why and when of implementation intentions. This explanation is followed by a summary and discussion of two recent studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of implementation intentions. I know each of us can make use of implementation intentions in our day-to-day lives. I hope you enjoy this introduction to the concept and its function.You can learn more at procrastination.ca or at this blog entry at Psychology Today.

This is the last in the three-part series on willpower. Today, I discuss research that shows how we might bolster our willpower when we feel depleted. I end the discussion by providing 8 concrete strategies or "tips" to enhance your willpower and self-regulatory strength. You can find the references for this research at my Psychology Today blog. If you haven't yet, check out procrastination.ca for more information.

Willpower is a limited resource that we can exhaust quite quickly. In this podcast, I summarize the approach taken to this research and some key findings. The implications of this limited resource approach is important for understanding self-regulation failure with procrastination (as well as problems with smoking, drinking, junk food consumption, impulsive spending, even whether you'll likely to leave the dirty dishes in the sink). This is the second in a three-part series on willpower. I'll finish this discussion on August 17th. (Note: I posted this as a MP3 file. If you prefer the M4A format, please let me know.) For the Psychology Today blog and relevant references use this link.

In order to understand procrastination, a form of self-regulation failure, we need to consider successful self-regulation. This podcast provides a beginning to this discussion. I review two key elements in successful self-regulation: goal setting and paying attention to the goal we set. This discussion includes tips to more effective goal setting as well as some thoughts on why attention plays such an important role in self-regulation. If you get interested in attention in self-regulation, you might also want to review the previous podcast on Mindfulness Meditation and Procrastination (October 27, 2007).

I work better under pressure. . . Really? I don't believe you, and one of our latest studies casts doubt on the construct of the arousal procrastinator. This week, I discuss arousal-based personality traits, procrastination and working at the last minute because you enjoy the rush. Like the podcast? Want to learn more? You can at procrastination.ca.

This week, I'm discussing a very interesting finding in some of our research. We studied how self-forgiveness affected procrastination. The reasoning was that procrastination can be viewed as a transgression against the self. Like other transgressions in our lives, if we don't forgive, we experience negative emotions and tend to avoid. Self-forgiveness is a route to healing and moving ahead. You can always learn more at procrastination.ca (check out the blog at Psychology Today).

A second podcast for Monday, July 13th as I try to sort out a technical issue with my recording.The topic is guilt, the most common emotion associated with procrastination. I'll follow up on this next week with a podcast about some of our latest research on self-forgiveness and procrastination.

iProcrastinate Podcasts are back! I'm on sabbatical, and I'll be making a weekly post for the next year as I do my research and writing on, what else, procrastination. Nothing like a sabbatical to give me the extra time needed to get to these podcasts.This week, I'm speaking about emotional regulation. In particular, I discuss research that shows how our short-term strategy of feeling good now, undermines our goal pursuit and causes problems in many areas of our lives. For references related to this podcast see my blog at Psychology Today that is linked at my homepage: procrastination.caIt's good to be back. I hope you'll give me your feedback. Note: I recognize some strange recording issue with this podcast, and I'll do my best to sort this out for next week. If you know what I'm doing wrong, please let me know. FYI - I'm using a Zoom H2 recorder to create the podcast, importing the file into iTunes and then inserting it as an MP3 file into Garageband. The recording on the H2 and in Garageband does not have the strange electronic echo that the podcast has. I will also use the Zoom H2 as a USB microphone.

What am I? Who am I? Not surprisingly, if you can't answer these questions, you're more likely to procrastinate. In this podcast, I review a recent study that explores how identity development is related to procrastination.

I am working on this podcast as a way of not doing other things that I should be doing - reading final papers, editing manuscripts, writing a letter of reference - at least that's what John Perry would argue. This is the essence of his concept, structured procrastination. Perry, a professor of philosophy at Stanford University, will even sell you the t-shirt! Learn more about how structured procrastination may allow you to harness a liability to create an asset in your life. Get some tasks done while you're trying to avoid others.

Here is the second part of my thoughts on existentialism and procrastination with a focus on self-deception - "I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow." Sartre calls this bad faith as we try to escape our own freedom to choose. It's an inauthentic way of living. It certainly seems to describe chronic procrastination well.

At the request of many listeners, I am presenting some thoughts on existentialism and procrastination. This podcast, the first of two parts, explores how the notion of "choice" is at the heart of existentialist thought and procrastination.

This podcast is a little different from the others. I am rebroadcasting an interview that I did with Alan Kearns of CareerJoy.com. Alan interviewed me last fall about procrastination in the workplace, and he published the podcast on the CareerJoy Web site. At his suggestion, I'm offering it to iProcrastinate Podcast listeners, as Alan and I covered a wide range of topics, some of which overlap with my topics in the previous podcasts. As you'll hear in this podcast, I'm using a new digital recorder, the Zoom H2, to make my recordings. I'm hoping that this technology will provide me with more flexibility so that I can use spare moments to create more episodes (life continues to be hectically busy!). Feedback would be welcome regarding the recording quality, sound volume, etc.

Although we all believe that information technology makes us more productive - it's our belief that technology is progress - it's not a one-sided issue. Along with the benefits provided by our new information technologies, particularly Internet-based communication technologies, there are potential drawbacks. In this podcast, Dr. Pychyl discusses how email, Facebook and other Internet tools can lead us to make poor decisions about time use and cause us to procrastinate on our more important tasks. For more information on this topic, see: Lavoie, J.A.A., & Pychyl, T.A. (2001). Cyberslacking and the procrastination superhighway: A web-based survey of on-line procrastination, attitudes, and emotion, Social Science Computer Review, 19, 431-444.

In this podcast, Dr. Pychyl discusses how mindfulness meditation may help reduce procrastination. The focus is on the role of attention in self-regulation failure. Based on a recent thesis by Ariel Rotblatt conducted as part of the Procrastination Research Group (www.procrastination.ca), Dr. Pychyl explains how mindfulness may serve as a self-regulatory resource to manage our attention.

In this episode, we explore how fear of failure has been identified as a factor in our understanding of procrastination. Specifically, Dr. Pychyl discusses evaluation anxiety, perfectionism and low self-confidence as issues related to procrastination and what we might do to address these problematic irrational thoughts.

After nearly 4 months away, finally, another episode on dealing with procrastination. We pick up where we left off in May with a discussion of two other strategies to deal with procrastination: restructuring how we think about our tasks and strengthening our volition to get the task done. Please note that I have increased the volume in the recording, but I noticed some popping sounds with my microphones. I will continue to refine the recording (I've changed some of my equipment). Thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming!

This is the first in a three-part podcast where we begin to discuss strategies for overcoming procrastination. The content is based on a research paper published by Wendelein Van Eerde in the journal, Applied Psychology: An International Review (see www. procrastination.ca and the podcast link for reference details). In this podcast, we explore 3 strategies for overcoming avoidance with specific examples related to academic procrastination.

Why do so many of us procrastinate on our taxes? Isn't the saner question, who doesn't? Who likes doing taxes? In fact, that's part of the answer to why we put it off - it's aversive! But, what does aversive mean? We explore a little bit of this based on research about personal projects and task aversiveness. Although we focus on tax preparation, this research speaks to any task we find aversive and what this means to procrastination.

Although I argued in the last podcast that procrastinators are not "broken" and that buying a daytimer or creating a schedule isn't a magic solution to procrastination, a time management approach can be beneficial. In this podcast we consider research that explains how this might work. (Check out www.procrastination.ca for the Carpe Diem cartoon feature for March.)

This week, we consider how even apparently good intentions like making a schedule can contribute to procrastination. We focus this dicussion on a new cartoon strip, "Carpe Diem," that you can find at www.procrastination.ca

In this podcast, we extend the "colour wheel" metaphor with the Five Factor Model of personality ("the big five") and briefly summarize some key relations of the major personality traits with procrastination.

In this podcast, we focus on what many personality psychologists consider to be the fundamental traits. Using the metaphor of the primary colours, we consider the "primary colours" of personality and briefly define the "Big Five Model" of personality. We will expand on this to relate these traits to procrastination in the next podcast.

This was my first podcast back in January of 2006. The original recording was poorly done, but thanks to a generous listener, it has been greatly improved. Thanks Lucas! In this podcast, I introduce the purpose of the podcasts and spend time discussing the definition of procrastination. This discussion is not just theoretical, and you'll find insights into why we procrastinate.