Application of Behavior: Procrastination

September 22nd, 2022

Introduction

Procrastination is one of common issues that impact the lives of many today. This issue has become problematic for those individuals who are unable and have no idea how to end it. This means that many people avoid fulfilling the tasks on behalf of others. Procrastination is the act whereby a person ignores major events or actions and chooses to journey on other things that are less important. These events become disturbed when this person declares that they will handle it later. This issue has led numerous researchers to embark on a trail to clarify why people behave that way. Some of the findings indicate that the factor that leads to this aspect is called the principle of pleasure. Many people are said to do things that bring happiness to them and eliminate all that causes their stress and negativity. This is also led by the fact that human beings assert to work better if the pressure is excess and mounted (Steel, 2011).

calculator Get a price quote
Type of service
Type of your assignment
Title
Academic Level
Urgency
Number of pages
Total price: 00.00 00.00
Paper Features
  • Free bibliography page
  • Free title page
  • Free formatting (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago/Turabian)
  • Free revision (within 2 days)
  • Free from AI-written content
  • 24/7 support
Format
  • Approx. 300 words/page
  • Font: 12 point Times New Roman
  • Double and single spacing
  • 1 inch margin
  • Up-to-date sources
  • Any citation style

Proposal

My husband is one among the many who have a habit of procrastinating. He has accepted the view that working under pressure helps him to shoulder some of the most important issues. My main goal is to find a solution that will disrupt this annoying habit before it ruins everything. I have certain measures that I will use to help my husband exit this habit. Some of the measures that I want to impose on him include: (a) to weigh the total amount procrastinated; (b) to look at the effects of procrastination; (c) to make sure the right goals are set; (d) to ensure that a list that will serve as a reminder of what he is supposed to do is composed; (e) to begin a habit of working on a task using fewer time; (f) to perform the task within the time allocated; (g) and the last – one should not aim at being perfect (Malik, 1999).

Major Effect of Procrastination

Before highlighting intervention to this problem, it is necessary to specify what procrastination means. It is a very disputable question whether procrastination is a habit, a certain kind of disorder, or another meaning of laziness. Usually, procrastination is regarded to be a bad habit. Procrastination basically means intentional and habitual postponing of doing something that should be done immediately and concentrating on less urgent issues (Malik, 1999). Nowadays the word “procrastinate” has become humiliating and offensive, and it is more common to the new generation in modern society. Sometimes procrastination becomes a way of life and character building (Blanchard & Gottry, 2004).

Procrastination has negative effects. It makes people feel nervous, uncertain; it is a factor of stress that threatens happiness. A good example of stress factors may include the fact that tickets and vacation tours are sold out before procrastinators decide to buy one. Planes take off, deadlines pass, and even job positions are taken by other applicants.

Nevertheless, procrastination has been made look less important and significant; procrastinators endure when they have career problems or in case they do not obtain their potential. It harms people’s health, gladness, and the effectiveness of productive effort. Moreover, continued behavior of procrastination people can easily destroy community’s ways of doing things (Blanchard & Gottry, 2004).

There are certain characteristics of the procrastinators. People who procrastinate regularly elude accusatory information concerning their capabilities; they concentrate on the past, not acting on their aims. In addition, procrastinators tend to choose jobs that are connected with service. These kinds of traits are tightly connected with low self-respect, perfectionism, non-rivalry, self-delusion, self-possession, self-assurance, depression, and disquiet people (Andreou & White, 2010).

The major reasons and rationale of procrastination is still not well established. However, several researchers have tried to suggest some the things that might drive somebody to procrastinate doing things and prefer doing them later. For instance, some people would think that they want to ensure that they do many things at the same time while others would just want to maliciously waste time that is allocated to do some task. Therefore, it is important to establish the motive a procrastinator has before devising a remedy (Ferrari et al, 1995).

Another reason that is provided by Ferrari is dictatorial fathers. On the one hand, it can be a continuation of resistance against those pressing requirements. It is also important to note that it can result from strict parents who do not give their child space to develop the ability to initiate independently. Apart from this, it can also be argued that procrastinator thinks and acts with regard to wishes and dreams, while non-procrastinators succeed with ought and obligations. In addition, procrastinators cannot organize their thinking, which makes them forgetful and unable to plan things well (Ferrari et al, 1995).

Types of Procrastination

According to different researchers, there are several types of procrastination. Decisional and behavioral procrastination are specifically the common ones.

Being a self-damaged strategy, behavioral procrastination permits humans to transfer fault and escape action. Such people may create an image when they feel they are lack of exertion than capability; as a result, they blame their misfortune on the absence of time (Steel, 2011).

Ferrari states that procrastinators endure from low respect and lack of confidence; they are worried about other people’s judgment about their capabilities. Ferrari claims that procrastinators consider their self-worth to be grounded on their abilities. Procrastinators believe that they should be judged from their final results and, hence, according to them, if the task is unfinished, there is no possibility to judge their ability (Ferrari et al, 1995).

As a result, protracted procrastination and lack of success to perform in an appropriate way make a series of foredoomed to failure demeanor. More than that, intentional degradation and disgrace of such a type often leads to stress or even health disorder in some ways.

Another type of procrastination is decisional procrastination. It consists in postponing of dealing with choices or conflicts. Decisional procrastinators exhibit a tendency to be scared of mistakes and are perfectionists. They search for more information about other choices before making a choice, if they have to resolve it at all. Decisional procrastinators are led by optional paralysis, which means informed too much and, hence, having too many choices, they cannot choose (Andreou & White, 2010).

There are basically two major remedies to procrastination, which, if properly followed, may result to reduction if not total elimination of procrastination behavior. The first step is insight and the second one is the understanding. Moreover, if procrastination causes plenty of problems at work or in relations, it is necessary to visit a cycle of therapy that is dedicated to behavior modification. Although there does not exist perfect or total solving of the problem of procrastination, procrastinators should make certain steps, re-build a normal level of fulfillment and self-respect, and feel much better generally (Steel, 2011).

Intervention

Procrastination is one of the key ADHD behaviors and one that most adults with ADHD would love to combat. There are many gripping possibilities in everyday life. It is easy to divert and have fun, do pleasing things, and keep the tedious or puzzling ones for tomorrow. The main problem is that there are always new pleasing tasks to do, and the day after today never comes.

When a person makes a decision to transfer the thing for the next day subconsciously or consciously, he/she feels rescued, because there is no need to do the task, at least right now.

It is unfortunate that there are plenty of negative aspects to procrastination. There is disquiet of feeling overpowered with much to do and no thought of when there will be enough time to do it. Moreover, certitude is lowered when a person feels he/she cannot rely on himself/herself. Apart from this, remembering all the things on which a person keeps procrastinating, like “I am so bad!” or “I cannot do this because it is difficult!”, influences a person negatively. Such negative self-talk for a long time ultimately lowers human’s self-respect; it is almost certainly the most harmful consequence of procrastination.

In comparison, the feeling of fulfillment appearing when a person finishes a task is extremely large. This gives vitality and enthusiasm to people, and they have a desire to perform the following task on the list.

However, the task that the person postpones seldom needs much effort or skill to accomplish, or taking too much time as he/she thinks. The uneasiness that the human creates by not doing the task is bigger than working on the task (Blanchard & Gottry, 2004).

Fortunately, there is a possibility to overcome procrastination. Firstly, it is necessary to sort all the tasks and divide them into certain small groups with similar tasks; such as paper work, phone calls, odd work about the house, and other. Secondly, one should create personal “Ultimate To Do List” and put it somewhere where it is easy to see it very often. It is a certain kind of extremely good starting point that is used for comparison of the progress. Apart from this, one should cross each completed task with a red pen. Thirdly, there is a necessity to choose five tasks from the list to work on first. They can the one with highest burden or urgent five tasks, the five tasks that acquire less time, the five tasks that appear more attractive, or the five least attractive tasks. The way a person selects them is not important. The main thing is just to choose any five tasks. After that, one should write them down on a separate sheet of paper. Then, a person has to set a timer for 5 minutes for creating a certain action plan for these tasks. Sometimes, tasks seem to be difficult to deal with in anticipation; it is easier to divide overwhelming task into small steps.

In addition, one is advised to ponder about necessary materials, such as a garbage bag or telephone number, etc. It certainly helps to break the refusal of accomplishing the task. Finishing the entirely explicit action plan, person can begin to work on the tasks. Furthermore, people should talk genially to themselves; it is necessary to give cheering up upon accomplishing the task. At the end, one should solemnize a work well done. A person feels energetic after accomplishing the task. Lastly, if there is free time, a person can go back and repeat steps; in other respects, do this again tomorrow (Blanchard & Gottry, 2004).

In case you have considered our research paper sample a great piece of writing and you would like to get the similar one, you are welcome to get research paper help from EssaysMasters.com.

Results

It is a well-known fact that there are many reasons for procrastination. That is why it is necessary to look closer at them and their resolving. Some of the simple four reasons for procrastination may include lack of knowledge or skills, fears, time-consuming, or difficult tasks. Understanding that it is not so difficult, it will not take much time, and it is well known how to do it, may clearly solve problem of procrastination (Ferrari et al, 1995).

On the other hand, there are four complex reasons for procrastination. The first one is perfectionism, which are unreal high standards or expectations. Perfectionists criticize themselves much, and they are short on praise. Everything must be perfect for them. Consequently, it forms a high degree of discontent and disappointment. A perfectionist usually delays starting a project. Apart from this, the words “must, should, have to” occur very often in their conversation. As a result, their desires to be perfect everywhere and every time masks problems of self-respect and self-assurance. The person should try create confidence and make an effort to praising his/her result (Ferrari et al, 1995).

The second reason is anger and hostility. Everyone agrees that if the person is unhappy with someone, and he/she often suppresses the best efforts. For example, it can be a teacher, a professor, a dentist, or boss. Nevertheless, delaying in doing something, a person loses. Resolving this problem, it is desirable to understand that someone’s personal feelings must not stand in the way of the personal future.

The third reason is low frustration tolerance.  The person finds a situation absolutely unbearable and dreadfully unjust. He/she is easily overwhelmed by the circumstances. As a rule, disappointment is characterized by complaining and whining. There is a desire to postpone doing something to the next day, and it seems reasonable. However, the next day everything repeats.  As a result, there is a need to find someone who can give a hint about salvation of the problem.

The final reason is self-downing. It can happen when people continually reduce their abilities and skills and have doubts about the capability to succeed. Habitually putting themselves down, people tend to be unable to believe even when they are successful. Apart from this, person will trust that he is unable to achieve a success. Being a result of procrastination, self-downing leads to the desire to be less visible and less successful. Person should accept compliments about work performance (Ferrari et al,1995).

Discussion

If a person wants to overcome the procrastination, he/she should realize that delaying is unnecessary. Firstly, one should find the real causes of the delay and make a list of them. Secondly, one is advised to debate these causes and conquer them; a person should be healthy and full of energy. Finally, it is necessary to begin the task as quickly as possible. It can be easily said that procrastination can lead to stress, unhappiness, and change of goal to a less one, change of career, unfulfilled task, and also discontent in what one is doing. This can easily affect the perceptions of issues which have a great contribution towards motivating a person in his or hers daily duties (Pease, 2006).

Conclusion

Procrastination is not a goal or objective that any person should thrive for. It is the concept of avoidance and delay in following through with a commitment. This poor ethic gives the false sense of working under pressure and at a level of intensity that they are performing at their greatest level when they are indeed ignoring some of the most important issues. If some of the methods that have been mentioned here is adopted, then procrastination will evolve into a non-existent factor.

Make a paper that will meet all the necessary instructions.

Order now to get it before the deadline!