The Procrastination Cure Book Summary - The Procrastination Cure Book explained in key points

The Procrastination Cure summary

Name: The Procrastination Cure
Rating: 4.5 (580 reviews)
Author: Damon Zahariades

Damon Zahariades

21 Proven Tactics for Conquering Your Inner Procrastinator, Mastering Your Time, and Boosting Your Productivity!

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What is The Procrastination Cure about?

The Procrastination Cure (2017) is an invaluable resource for anyone who's prone to procrastination. Beginning with an accessible guide to the underlying causes that contribute to procrastination, it then offers simple, proven strategies for conquering the urge to procrastinate, boosting productivity, and working optimally to meet personal and professional goals.

About the Author

Damon Zahariades is the productivity expert behind the popular website ArtOfProductivity, and the author of countless books that address themes of productivity, motivation, procrastination, and time management.

Table of Contents

Key idea 1 of 9

What's in it for me? Put a stop to procrastination . . . right now!

Do any of the following scenarios sound familiar?

You consistently underestimate the amount of time tasks take to complete, leaving you scrambling to finish work on time. You often postpone paying bills until you're charged interest, and don't go to the doctor until a minor complaint becomes a major problem.

If you're nodding along, you might suffer from chronic procrastination. But that's nothing to be ashamed about. Humans have an inbuilt tendency to procrastinate. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. We're simply not built to be productive all the time.

But procrastination can be a problem when it becomes a habit. That's why there's no better time than right now to learn proven strategies for getting it under control.

In these blinks, you'll learn

how to stop scrolling through social media instead of working;
why your to-do list is probably too long; and
which time management tools you need in your life.

Face up to why you procrastinate to finally kick the habit.

Imagine you have to give a big presentation in a week's time and find yourself with a free afternoon. It makes sense to devote this time to your presentation. Your future self will certainly thank you for it. But your present self? That self would rather watch Netflix.

Your present self and your future self both want gratification. But they're not on the same page. Your present self wants instant gratification without considering long-term benefit or cost. Your future self wants long-term gratification from completing tasks that bring personal satisfaction and professional success, even if those tasks aren't as appealing as watching your favorite TV show right now.

Find the best way to get started.

Is there a task on your to-do list that fills you with dread? Perhaps it's sending an awkward email or filling out a complicated form. No matter what it is, tasks like these are almost always less time-consuming and less painful than we imagine them to be. The trick is just to start. But how?

Well, you could take the advice of writer Mark Twain. He once said, “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do that first thing in the morning.” For him, unappealing chores were “frogs,” and best dealt with quickly.

Streamline your to-do list, and you’ll complete more tasks.

A typical to-do list can stretch to a few pages – including big projects with tight deadlines and small chores with no due dates. Unfortunately, the more unwieldy your to-do list becomes, the more likely you are to procrastinate. But if you shorten your to-do list, you may get more done.

How short are we talking? Well, the magic number is seven or fewer. Seven tasks are conquerable over the course of a day, which solves the problem of incomplete tasks piling up. Plus, limiting your list to seven tasks forces you to cut back on busywork and concentrate on the essentials instead.

Use time management tools and techniques to make the most of your day.

A calendar can be the procrastinator's best friend or worst enemy. Used smartly, this time management tool can keep you on track and on top of your to-do list. But overfill it – or underfill it – and it can actively hamper your efforts to be productive.

An overfilled calendar, like an overfilled to-do list, sets you up for failure. When you schedule too many tasks, you simply won't finish them, and your calendar will be a discouraging reminder that you didn't meet your goals for the day.

Eliminate the distractions that lead to procrastination.

Procrastination is a battle between your present self and your future self.

Your present self is all about immediate gratification. But if you want to achieve your long-term goals, you need to keep your future self in mind. Specifically, you need to stop giving your present self the opportunity to sabotage what your future self wants to achieve.

Achieve more by doing less.

There may be many underlying psychological causes behind your procrastination habit, including fear of failure and negative self-talk. But sometimes the reason you procrastinate is far simpler than that: the task you need to complete is boring.

We're naturally inclined to put off work that's tedious or unnecessary. Fortunately, if you don't want to do something, you might not have to do it. In fact, removing dull or pointless tasks from your to-do list is almost guaranteed to increase your productivity.

Recruit others to help you fight procrastination.

It should be clear by now that there are many causes of procrastination. Unfortunately, there's still a tendency to associate procrastination with laziness and mental weakness. No wonder it's tough to admit that you have a procrastination problem!

But you shouldn't feel embarrassed to share the fact that you struggle with procrastination. You're certainly not alone. In fact, procrastination is a habit to which all humans are prone. What's more, sharing your struggles can make procrastination much easier to overcome. And that's especially true when you ask others to help you deal with it.

To beat procrastination, become your own cheerleader.

There's a vicious cycle that many habitual procrastinators can easily fall into.

You aim to complete a task. You procrastinate to the point where you're forced to abandon it, or else you finish it in a slapdash manner. You're unhappy with your work and feel like a failure.

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Who should read The Procrastination Cure

Those who have difficulty starting new tasks or completing tasks on time
People who want to stop scrolling endlessly through social media sites
Chronic procrastinators who are ready to kick the habit

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What our members say

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

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Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

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The Procrastination Cure summary

Listen to the first key idea

What is The Procrastination Cure about?

About the Author

What's in it for me? Put a stop to procrastination . . . right now!

Face up to why you procrastinate to finally kick the habit.

Find the best way to get started.

Streamline your to-do list, and you’ll complete more tasks.

Use time management tools and techniques to make the most of your day.

Eliminate the distractions that lead to procrastination.

Achieve more by doing less.

Recruit others to help you fight procrastination.

To beat procrastination, become your own cheerleader.

Key ideas in The Procrastination Cure

What's in it for me? Put a stop to procrastination . . . right now!

Face up to why you procrastinate to finally kick the habit.

Find the best way to get started.

Streamline your to-do list, and you’ll complete more tasks.

Use time management tools and techniques to make the most of your day.

Eliminate the distractions that lead to procrastination.

Achieve more by doing less.

Recruit others to help you fight procrastination.

To beat procrastination, become your own cheerleader.

Who should read The Procrastination Cure

Categories with The Procrastination Cure

Books like The Procrastination Cure

What our members say

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