Overcoming Procrastination (Signet) (Paperback)

by Albert Ellis (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Signet (July 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451159314
• ISBN-13: 978-0451159311
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #196,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars End This Frustrating Lifestyle!! Read This Book!!!, August 8, 2000

By	old_hyperbolic_squiggly (the netherlands) - See all my reviews

I read this a few years back after realizing that procrastination had become an unacceptable and havoc-wreaking way of life for me for far too long (since childhood!) I bought this book with hesitation (honestly, i put it off!) Can reading this little book really help someone overcome such a terrible habit?? Well, the answer is a resounding YES! I began learning about all the reasons someone may procrastinate - everything from perfectionism to low frustration tolerance. In understanding the root of this self-destructive behavior, I was able to instantly transform my habit by considering my motives behing every action more completely. Honestly, it was pretty automatic. What a relief! I give it five stars simply because IT HELPED ME 100%.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book aided me in overcoming my procrastination., June 26, 1998

By A Customer

As the book repeatedly says though, the battle is not over yet; reading the book merely provides one with the tools and knowledge one needs to overcome this habit that many of us share. The book stresses that overcoming procrastination is a lifelong battle; however, in reading the book, I realised that as a battler of procrastination, I am amongst millions. All of the justification I had ever used for my procrastination was covered in the book; justification equals excuses. On a humorous note: I gave this book to a friend of mine who suffers from procrastination; she still has not found time to open it up! If you can read the book, then, like me, you have realized your problem, and are well on the way to its resolution.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely effective, September 1, 2001

By	Philip Hamilton (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is effective because it both (i) identifies the major cause of procrastination and (ii) shows you how to combat it. Since the cause of procrastination lies principally in our thinking, the "rational" techniques work especially well. I also found a number of behavioral tools that worked well for me. Among these are the profit-penalty system, reminders, bits and pieces (which NLP authors term "chunking down"), and the five-minute plan. I've used this book several times over the past few years when I've found myself procrastinating.

If you're procrastinating, I suggest that you buy this book and start using it...now. As you're working with it, you might also augment your procrastination-fighting skills by using David Burns' "The Feeling Good Handbook." (I have found it more useful than its predecessor, "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy," and you can easily use it without reading the latter.) And then, until you realize that you've made the progress you wanted, stop looking elsewhere for more books and more tools. That's just another procrastination pattern!