The Tomorrow Trap

by Peterson, Karen E.

• ISBN13: 9781558744172
• ISBN10: 1558744177
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-10-01
• Publisher: Hci

Summary

The Tomorrow Trap explains why we:*know the basic principles of time management but can't bring ourselves to use them*often procrastinate on tasks that require solitude*avoid making decisions that are extremely important*often engage in compulsive eating, smoking, excessive consumption of caffeine, or other meaningless activities*feel like workaholics but never seem to finish anything*don't fee that we are fulfilling our destinies*avoid the use of the right side of the brain, which holds the key to ending procrastinationBorrowing equally from her own story of recovery from procrastination, composite clinical case examples, psychological research, and interviews with highly productive individuals such as Dr. Bernie Siegel, Dr. Peterson offers a way out of the tomorrow trap so that we can finally take charge of our lives, savour success and embrace our essential destinies.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xiii
Acknowledgments	xv
PART I: EXPLORING THE TOMORROW TRAP
Introduction	3	(4)
Earth or Bust: Understanding the Procrastination-Protection Syndrome	7	(32)
The Two Types of Procrastination
The Procrastination-Protection Syndrome
The Human Condition As a Template for Procrastination
Procrastination As Protection: Pendulum, Prison or Prophet?
Who Are You? Essential Traits of the Productive Person	39	(34)
Gaining Access to the Winner Within
Autonomy
Creativity
Confidence
Effort
Spontaneity
Solitude
You're Free to Go Now: The Development of Autonomy During Childhood to Prevent Procrastination in Later Life	73	(34)
Autonomy vs. Shame
The World According to Baby
Attachment and Bonding
Healthy Attachment As a Basis for Safe Exploration of the Environment
Healthy Self-Esteem: The Antidote to Procrastination Poison
Now Is the Time
PART II: ESCAPING THE TOMORROW TRAP
Did I Ask for Any of This? Tracing Your Experience of the Human Condition	107	(36)
Perceived or Real Physical Imperfections
Disruptions in Normal Parenting
Flaws in Normal Parenting
Childhood Neglect
Childhood Abuse
Let Me Count the Ways: Discovering Your Protective Procrastination Masks	143	(52)
Anger
Anxiety
Assertiveness Problems
Co-dependency
Depression
Evaluation Anxiety
Fear of Failure
Fear of Intimacy
Fear of Rejection
Fear of Success
Perfectionism
Powerlessness
Shame
Writer's Block: A Special Case of Unconscious Procrastination
Doing the Right Thing: The Whole-Brain Approach to Ending Procrastination	195	(66)
Self-Interview
Dialoguing
Photohistory
Indirect Interview
Psychoautobiographical Writing
Self-Help Books
Reading Fiction As Therapy
12-Step Groups
Psychotherapy
Hypnotherapy/Self-Hypnosis/Guided Imagery
Art Therapy
Alternative Medicine
Psychopharmacology
Coffee and Doughnuts for Everyone: Compulsive Behaviors As Procrastination	261	(34)
Compulsive Behaviors As Procrastination
Compulsive Eating
Use of Caffeine
Use of Nicotine
Use of Alcohol
Use of Other Drugs
Compulsive Shopping/Spending/Gambling
Television/Computer Addiction
Compulsive Sex
Compulsive Exercise
Workaholism
Exchanging Compulsion for Competence And Completion
And If That Doesn't Stop You: The Role of Physiological Factors in Procrastination	295	(22)
Physiological Factors That Create Spasms in Levels of Productivity
Serious Medical Problems
Premenstrual Syndrome
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Menopause/Andropause
Stress-Related Illness
Karma, Dharma and All That Jazz: How to Bargain in Good Faith with Destiny	317	(14)
A Final Report on Procrastination: Who
What
When
Where
Why
References for Further Reading	331	(12)
Bibliography	343

Excerpts

Earth or Bust: Understanding the Procrastination-Projection Syndrome Beyond talent lie all the usual words, discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance. — James BaldwinEver watch Star Trek? Well, even if youÆre not a science fiction fan, youÆll probably see yourself aboard the Starship Enterprise by the end of this story. During one recent episode, I was instantly reminded of the vicious cycle of what I call the ôpsycho-evolutionaryö pattern of humanity. As I watched Captain Picard and his fearless crew trapped in a space/time distortion, unwittingly repeating the same events for 17 days in a row, I felt increasingly upset each time their ôdayö ended in complete destruction of the ship and its crew. I wanted to reach through the TV screen and say, ôBut wait, you donÆt have to keep repeating the same events that will result in your total destruction!ö As Captain Picard and his crew became increasingly alert for signs of dj vu moments, trusting that their instincts were correct, they were finally able to give themselves a clue to avoid the inevitable collision in this repeated ôday,ö and out of the loop they went —free at last from the ôthe tomorrow trap.ö However, after the ship had broken out of the space/time distortion, Captain Picard hailed the captain of the other ship and quickly realized that the other shipÆs crew was as yet completely unaware that they, too, had been repeating the same day — but for over 80 years. So whatÆs all this going around in circles have to do with procrastination? Essentially, this book is the ôclueö I needed to give myself 20 years ago, when I was stuck in the repetitive, destructive cycle of procrastination. With an intense desire to write, I knew that something was wrong with my life, but I couldnÆt begin to figure out what or why. Although I saw a variety of fine therapists over the years, none was able to help with my procrastination regarding the writing process until I was ready to deal with underlying issues. As an English composition teacher, I was also aware that some of my students had problems with writerÆs block and procrastination, and it seemed to have more to do with the student than with the writing project per se. During those years, I searched for information to help sort this all out. I found some interesting books and excellent research material, but none of them started me writing again. My earliest clues regarding what I now feel is the true source of procrastination came while researching my doctoral dissertation in psychology — a project in which I studied the relationship between ôself-monitoring styleö (how much of oneÆs ôtrue selfö is shown to others) and oneÆs level of writing anxiety, writerÆs block or procrastination. This book is a composite of all that IÆve learned about procrastination — both as a survivor of this negative pattern and as a psychologist who has worked with procrastinators for the past 10 years. In my workshops across the country, I h

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Excerpted from The Tomorrow Trap: Unlocking the Secrets of the Procrastination-Protection Syndrome by Karen E. Peterson, Karen Peterson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.