The End of Procrastination How to Stop Postponing and Live a Fulfilled Life

Description

Simple, science-based tools to stop procrastination Even with overflowing inboxes, thousands of unread notifications, and unmet deadlines, most people still can’t manage to take control of their time and stop procrastinating. The End of Procrastination tackles this ubiquitous issue head on, helping you stop putting off work and reclaim your time. Author Petr Ludwig shows that ending procrastination is more than a wise time management strategy—it’s essential to developing a sense of purpose and leading a happier more fulfilled life. The keys to overcoming procrastination are simple. With eight clear, approachable tools—from quick daily worksheets to shift your perspective to to-do lists that actually help you get things done—The End of Procrastination provides everything you need to change the way you manage your time and live your life. Based on the latest research, The End of Procrastination synthesizes over one hundred scientific studies to create a program that is based on the way our brains actually work. By understanding exactly why procrastination happens and how our brains respond to motivation and self-discipline, the book provides readers with the knowledge to conquer procrastination on an everyday basis. Cover......Page 1 Title page......Page 4 Table of Contents......Page 7 The Table of Contents Illustrated......Page 11 Author's Preface......Page 13 INTRODUCTION: What is procrastination and why fight it?......Page 16 A History of Putting Things Off......Page 20 Today's Age of Decision Paralysis......Page 22 What Is the Most Effective Way to Get Information?......Page 26 A System of Personal Development......Page 32 Motivation......Page 35 Discipline......Page 37 Outcomes......Page 39 Objectivity......Page 41 Chapter Recap: Introduction......Page 43 MOTIVATION: How to get motivated and stay that way......Page 46 Extrinsic Motivation: The Carrot and the Stick......Page 48 Intrinsic Goal-based Motivation: Joy That Doesn't Last......Page 51 Intrinsic Journey-based Motivation: Happiness Now......Page 59 Why Meaning Is So Important......Page 65 The Power of a Group Vision......Page 72 So What Kind of Motivation Is the Most Beneficial?......Page 73 TOOL: A Personal Vision......Page 76 Personal SWOT Analysis......Page 78 A List of Personal Achievements......Page 83 An Analysis of Motivational Activities......Page 85 The Beta Version of Your Personal Vision......Page 86 The Final Version of Your Vision......Page 89 Chapter Recap: Motivation......Page 93 DISCIPLINE: How to give yourself orders and follow them......Page 96 When Reason Says Yes, but Your Emotions Say No......Page 99 The Emotional Elephant and the Rational Rider......Page 103 Cognitive Resources: The Key to Self-regulation......Page 104 Replenishing Your Cognitive Resources......Page 106 Increasing Your Cognitive Resources......Page 107 Building Habits: How to Train Your Elephant......Page 108 How to Not Disrupt Habits and How to Maintain Them......Page 112 How to Break Bad Habits and Leave Them for Good......Page 114 TOOL: Habit-list......Page 116 How Does the Habit-list Work?......Page 117 Ideas for Expanding This Method......Page 119 Why Does the Habit-list Work?......Page 123 Potential Risks......Page 124 Decision Paralysis......Page 127 TOOL: To-Do Today......Page 134 How Does To-Do Today Work?......Page 137 Potential Risks......Page 146 Ideas for Expanding This Method......Page 147 To-Do, Ideas, and Calendar......Page 149 How Can You Deal With New Tasks?......Page 151 The Comfort Zone of the Masses: The Birthplace of Evil......Page 155 TOOL: Herosim......Page 159 How Can you Train Yourself to Become More Heroic?......Page 161 Chapter Recap: Discipline......Page 167 OUTCOMES: How to find happiness and also keep it......Page 170 Where Do Negative Emotions Come From?......Page 173 Cycle of Learned Helplessness......Page 178 How Can You Fight Your Hamster? Like a Veteran......Page 183 TOOL: Inner-switch......Page 189 Managing Your Failures......Page 191 Overcoming the Blows of Fate......Page 194 Switching From the Negative Past to the Positive One......Page 196 TOOL: Flow-list......Page 200 TOOL: Hamster-restart......Page 203 Personal Growth and Personal Decline......Page 206 Chapter Recap: Outcomes......Page 209 OBJECTIVITY: Learning how to see our flaws......Page 212 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the Blindness of the Incompetent......Page 217 Sweet Ignorance: The Guardian of Our Brain......Page 220 Why Fight Non-objectivity?......Page 221 How Exactly Can You Increase Objectivity?......Page 223 Chapter Recap: Objectivity......Page 229 CONCLUSION: The key to longevity......Page 232 How Do 'Meetings With Myself' Work?......Page 234 Potential Risks?......Page 235 The End of Procrastination and Your New Beginning......Page 237 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 242 Acknowledgement......Page 267 Copyright......Page 273