Product Description

Revised with essential updates and new material, the classic guide to understanding and controlling one of the most common behavioral problems. Based on their workshops and counselling experience, psychologists Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen offer a probing, sensitive, and at times humorous look at a problem that affects everyone to some degree."Procrastination" identifies the reasons we put off tasks - fears of failure, success, control, separation, and attachment - and their roots in our childhood and adult experiences. The authors offer a practical, tested programme to overcome procrastination by achieving set goals, managing time, enlisting support, and handling stress. Burka and Yuen even provide tips on living and working with the procrastinators you may know. Wise, effective, and easy to use, this new edition shows why for 25 years "Procrastination" has been an immediate must-have for anyone who puts things off until tomorrow.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77603 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

About the Author
Jane B. Burka Ph.D and Lenora M. Yuen, Ph.D are psychologists who practice in Berkeley and Palo Alto, California, respectively. They have conducted workshops and seminars for corporate and public groups across America.

Customer Reviews

You're not alone
Having spent years getting frustrated with myself, with plenty of talents and ideas but difficulty in getting things started and even more getting them finished, I decided it was time to sort this out. This book will give you a great understanding of why you procrastinate. Divided into two sections, I was able to understand why I am as I am. Up until now I had thought that I was just frustratingly and embarrassingly lazy. Now I can see the causes which make me behave as I do. And althought this in itself doesn't sound like a solution, for me this was the most important benefit from the book, as it made me feel better about myself and give me the optimism and confidence to keep at things. And it made me realise that there are a lot of people out there like me - which was great to know.

The second section of the book doesn't have any miracle cure. It helps you to organise yourself better and use time more resourcefully. Okay so I had been doing all that anyway, but I don't believe there will be a magic solution in any book. But it did help to reinforce the things I have been doing and to improve them.

Overall, the book is extremely well written, organised and easy to read. For anyone seeking help with the problem of procrastination, this is an absolute must, at least as a starting point in their journey.

A dynamic psychological report on procrastination, and what you can do about it
Approaching unwelcome tasks with an "I'll do it tomorrow" mindset is not unusual behavior. The problem is, tomorrow quickly becomes today, so the procrastinator sets a new tomorrow goal. This tomorrow goal eventually becomes a next week goal, then a next month goal, then a next year goal - that is, a never goal. Time runs out for everyone, but it does so far more quickly for procrastinators. If you procrastinate, do you know why? Psychologists Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen outline the reasons and roots of procrastination. More importantly, they show you how to fix your vexing, life-sapping procrastination problem. getAbstract suggests that anyone who procrastinates should buy this book. Now would be fine.

Excellent - best anything on beatng procrastination I've ever come across
Split into 2 major parts.

Part 1 is explanation and insight into the various causes of procrastination - very insightful & you may have several "Aha!" moments (I know I did). Importantly, for a procrastinator - easy reading, and you'll get through it quickly and easily. It won't feel like a chore or something you procrastinate over getting round to reading.

Part 2 is concrete steps, a strategy, and action steps to take to beat your procrastination. Also very good so far - I haven't finished reading it. Unfortunatley, here's where your natural procrastination tendencies start to kick in, and it becomes slower going with getting through it. Perhaps because you know you've now got to start taking action, or perhaps it's just slightly drier material - most likely a bit of both. I really hope I get through it soon, and manage to apply these principles - I think procrastination is an underappreciated and misunderstood (including by those who suffer from it) bane of many people's lives, ranging from the mild in only certain areas of your life, to the severe and debilitating. It does, in some cases literally destroy careers, relationships, and therefore ultimately can ruin people's lives. I consider myself fortunate to be in the medium (though not mild) category, and not in the severe category.

Also importantly, the insights and techniques are based on sound research, but also the personal experiences of the authors - a pair of Psychiatrists & procrastinators themselves. The tone is supportive, but to the point, and very credible without being bogged down by too much reference to intricate or dry details of the research. Excellent - only took off one star as I'm yet to get through part 2. May come back & revise this review (up to 5 stars hopefully) once finished.