The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Program for Breaking Free from the Patterns That Hold You Back [Paperback]

Bill Knaus Ed.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2002

Procrastination is a near-universal trait, at its most troublesome when it holds someone back from doing well in school, adds a frustrating dimension to personal relationships, or closes off the road to professional fulfillment with an endless series of detours and roadblocks.

Based on over thirty years of clinical experience and research, this new workbook distills the essence of the best insights and the most effective techniques to help you identify the root causes of your procrastination problem and find workable solutions for overcoming it. Best-selling author William Knaus begins by providing self-assessment exercises that help you discover why you procrastinate and identify your procrastination style. The book explains how to change the underlying mechanisms that reinforce your procrastination and helps you tailor an individualized plan for counteracting it at work, at home, at school, in your relationships, or anywhere else it occurs. Throughout, engaging exercises and an array of tips and techniques keep you motivated to get to the root of your problem and overcome it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Best book ever written on the topic. A must read not only for those struggling with procrastination but also for anyone interested in improving their efficiency and effectiveness.”
—Sam Klarreich, Ph.D., President, The Berkeley Center for Effectiveness, Toronto

“Bill Knaus has produced a real winner with The Procrastination Workbook. As he notes, most procrastinators live with a mañana illusion: ‘No Problem, I can do it later.’ Unfortunately, the truth is quite different. Needless delays lead to many problems including underachievement, interpersonal concflict, and personal guilt and distress. Fortunately, this workbook presents a very clear and helpful plan for its readers. Knowledge about procrastination is coupled with exercised to help the procrastinator move forward in small steps, which add up to big changes.”
—Howard Kassinove, Ph.D., ABPP, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Psychology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

“This book vigorously shows how to enjoy your life with less stress, strain, and greater gain—provided you unprocrastinatingly read it!”
—Arnold A Lazarus, Ph.D., ABPP, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Rutgers University, and coauthor, The Sixty-Minute Shrink

“It is refreshing to have a scholar and practitioner well familiar with the causes and consequences of procrastination to provide us with a useful workbook. This book will truly assist any person who wants to change.”
—Joseph R. Ferrari, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, and author, Procrastination and Task Avoidance

From the Publisher

This is the first workbook to help chronic procrastinators overcome this universal and frustrating problem. William Knaus has compiled the best insights and most effective treatment techniques into one clear program, helping readers take the key step of identifying the root causes of their problem and their personal procrastination style, and then learn how to change the underlying mechanisms that reinforce their procrastinations. Step-by-step exercises show readers how to tailor an individualized plan for staying motivated and countering procrastination at work, at home, in school, in relationships, and everywhere else it occurs. Based on over thirty years of clinical experience and research into the cause and treatment of procrastination.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: New Harbinger Publications; 1 edition (November 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572242957
• ISBN-13: 978-1572242951
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #245,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 179 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joking about procrastination is funny only because it hurts, March 3, 2003

By 

D. Wade (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Program for Breaking Free from the Patterns That Hold You Back (Paperback)

In page after page I find myself gasping as William Knaus explains the different ways I have developed to procrastinate my life away. Knaus describes procrastination as a complex mixture of discomfort, self-doubts, perfectionism, fear of failure, anxiety, rebellion and depression developed over a lifetime. He explains how heaping blame on yourself only drives you to procrastinate more and he has created thought questions to help you develop the skills you need to pause, resist, reflect and respond.

A life changing weapon against the graveyard of missed opportunities, I highly recommend it!

130 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, July 17, 2004

By 

sasha_ (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Program for Breaking Free from the Patterns That Hold You Back (Paperback)

Since there are only two reviews (well just one, really) I thought I should give my perspective to fill the picture out a bit. Remember, this is just my personal view.

I take it that the author is strongly influenced by Albert Ellis's REBT system. I don't know very much about it, but I would also guess that if you like Ellis' work, you'll probably enjoy Knaus' as well.

I on the other hand was turned off by the way the author presents his ideas. He seems to use complicated lingo--not always clinical, but usually obscure--to say things that could be expressed more clearly. For instance, towards the beginning we find that we'll diminish procrastination through "self regulation training". "Self efficacy is the belief that you have the power to organize, regulate, and direct your actions to achieve mastery. With high self efficacy, you'll predictably procrastinate less. With low self efficacy, you are likely to procrastinate more. Among the self regulation methods, the PURRRR acronym describes a six step--pause, utilize, reflect, reason, respond, and revise--process to keep your 'do it now' engine purring." And it goes on like that. While I don't disagree with what he says, I find that his writing style gets very little across. But I quoted him so that you can form your own opinion.

No matter how challenging this affliction can be for someone who is a confirmed procrastinator, dealing with it is not rocket science, and there's no need to obscure the matter.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Self Awareness!!, July 2, 2009

By 

Louise (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Procrastination Workbook: Your Personalized Program for Breaking Free from the Patterns That Hold You Back (Paperback)

I participated in a study group of this book. I met the other study group members through Clutterers Anonymous.

This book is very thought provoking. There are descriptions of research about procrastination as well as examples. I liked the clear writing with definitions and examples of concepts. This is not a simple flip-through the book and skim-read; the material does require serious concentration. The font is large which makes easy to read. The layout is nicely divided with subject headings and clear connections from chapter to chapter.

Responding to the questions at the end of each chapter helped me to be clear on understanding each chapter before progressing to the next chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone who is brave enough to self-assess for why procrastination is such a part of their life's journey pattern.