Procrastination - Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now

Procrastination - Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now
Authors: Jane B. Burka & Lenora M. Yuen. — Rev. ed.

In this book, we want to accompany you through the challenges of
procrastination into a world of psychological growth, acceptance, and
action. We have given voice to many of the people with whom we’ve
worked. To protect their confidentiality, we’ve changed all names and
identifying information; the procrastinators we describe are composites
of several people we’ve known. In sharing their stories, we hope
you will better understand your own. It is in knowing your story, the
narrative of your own life, that you will find the context for your procrastination.
We believe this is crucial, for when we accept ourselves as
we really are, rather than as we wish to be, we are most able to act in
our best interest and not live at the mercy of procrastination.
The biological roots of procrastination include your body, your
brain, and your genetic inheritance. All play a role in your procrastination.
The field of neuroscience has exploded with exciting discoveries
that may help you understand your procrastination in a new way.
What happens in your brain influences what you avoid and what you
avoid (or don’t avoid) affects the structure and function of your brain.
Because of this “neuroplasticity,” the brain is always changing, and
therefore your biological tendencies do not have to be a fixed impediment
to your progress.