Library Notes


Lynn Denison

January 15, 2012



Someday I’m going to finish this book. . .file these papers. . .paint this room. . .try this recipe. . .balance my checkbook. . . . If these or any other “some day” phrases are on your list of things to do that you never get done, then maybe “someday I’ll stop procrastinating” is also on that list.

Procrastination statistics show that procrastination is a large and seriously growing problem in the United States. Though millions of Americans add “stop procrastinating” to their annual list of New Year’s resolutions, it ends up becoming just one more thing to put off doing. Fifty percent of college students report that they procrastinate consistently and consider it to be a problem; in the general population, chronic procrastination affects twenty-five percent of adults; and over ninety-five percent of procrastinators would like to reduce their delaying ways. Nearly all of us fall into that category occasionally.

At Rowan Public Library you can find the fully revised and updated edition of the classic guide PROCRASTINATION: Why You Do It, What to Do About It NOW, by Jane B. Burka, PhD and Lenora M. Yuen, PhD. Their research is based in part on their renowned procrastination workshops that they have presented through the years. Their book delves into the many and varied reasons why we procrastinate, some of which are feelings of doubt and pressure, a complex relationship with time, and neurological and interpersonal roots. The most important result of reading this easy-to-use and sometimes humorous book is to obtain resources on how to stop procrastinating and start getting things done.

Another new book on the subject is The Procrastination Equation. The author, Piers Steel, PhD, is one of the world’s foremost researchers and speakers on the science of motivation and procrastination. He is also an admitted practicing procrastinator from an early age. In a recent article in the Canadian Press on the launching of his new book, Dr. Steel notes sardonically that the book is “just in time for last Christmas.” Dr. Steel tackles head-on the widely accepted perception that perfectionists are prone to putting things off. Instead, he writes that the personality trait that stands out among the rest in predicting procrastination is impulsiveness. The book contains a questionnaire to help readers figure out where they fall in the ranks of procrastination. Techniques for dealing with the problem are given throughout the book. One coping mechanism that Steel points out that could be useful to anyone working often with a computer is to turn off any icon that indicates that new e-mail is coming in. Instead only check e- mail at natural breaks in the work flow. He claims that an action as simple as that can add up to a 10 percent increase in productivity, equaling over an extra month per year. The book is sprinkled throughout with interesting quotes from famous people, some of them humorous. My favorite is by Mark Twain, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”

Two older but still vital books in this area that are worth exploring are It’s About Time: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them by Dr. Linda Sapadin and Jack Maquire and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey. Dr. Covey’s book has sold more than 15 million copies in 38 languages. As an interesting aside, in 2003 Dr. Covey received the National Fatherhood Award, which as the father of nine and the grandfather of 43, he says is the most meaningful award he has ever received!

Perhaps you’ll feel inspired one of these days to stop by Rowan Public Library for one of the above books or for some of the other informative, inspiring, and entertaining items we have awaiting you at one of our three branches.