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¶ … Annoying Procrastinator
There are many modern definitions of a human behavioral trait known as procrastination. One of the most common ways of understanding procrastination is as a "behavior sequence of postponement." (A Brief History of Procrastination)
This type of behavior results in a "substandard behavioral product" involving some aspect that is seen to be important. (ibid) This in turn leads to states of emotional "upset" and distress.
In simpler terms, a procrastinator is someone who avoids or puts off doing some important work or completing a significant task. The individual is not necessarily lazy but often delays participation as a way of protecting himself against potential failure or rejection. Procrastinators are often prone to perfectionism and by avoiding performance protect their self-esteem. Often it's a simple case of not being adequately interested in the task at hand. Researchers have found that task aversiveness and not task capability determines whether a person will procrastinate.
Another example of a procrastinator is someone in an office who continually finds reasons for not dealing with an approaching deadline or task that must be completed. Usually a procrastinator will find logical reasons to support his or her delaying strategies. For example, they might argue that they are "not ready" or "feeling tired." Often procrastinators extend their leisure time, such as taking a long lunch break....
Inevitably the results of procrastination are tension and panic. The procrastinator finds that he or she cannot meet the deadlines to complete the work, resulting in stress. Working with a procrastinator can be extremely irritating as it can retard and sometimes seriously impede the action and work routines of others. Procrastination is associated with numerous health problems including depression, a vulnerable self-esteem and apprehension. Yet, many individuals find delaying an important task gives them a rush when they're eventually forced to work under pressure.
There are many reasons for procrastination. Besides the obvious aspect of laziness, the procrastinator may be seeking to avoid and to escape responsibility. This could be a sign of underlying psychological problems and may be an indication of a deeper unhappiness or dissatisfaction with his or her life and working environment.
A portrait of a typical procrastinator is someone who refuses to assist or to abide by deadlines that affect others in the working environment. The procrastinator may irritate others by clowning around when others feel the stress of work. Instead of helping, the procrastinator may stop others from working due to a sense of guilt about his own tardiness. This can result in an increase of tension and emotional stress within the working environment. The procrastinator often tries to make others feel that they are being foolish by slavishly following deadlines. This…
Bibliography
A Brief History of Procrastination. March 20, 2005. http://ernest.carleton.ca/~tpychyl/history.html.
Procrastination appears to be a common problem in western worlds, specifically with college students in relation to academic-specific tasks in comparison to normal adults with everyday tasks. Varied perspectives have been applied to the research of procrastination and some have come to their conclusions as to the nature of procrastination and the reasons behind it. Indirect evidence points to a correlation existing between self-esteem and procrastination. The evidence briefly displays
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Evaluating the information received from these sources, especially popular magazines, websites, and even many of the self-help books -- which are written to make the author a profit, it must be acknowledged -- is at least as important as gathering it in the first place. One of the most important considerations in evaluating the information I gather will be determining the purpose and intent of the author/provider of the information.
Procrastination "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow," is the procrastinators motto. Although many of us have a joke or two at the expense of our procrastinating friends, it really is a problem that can be so severe for people that it affects their life and work. Students are often prone to procrastination in completing school work and studying for tests. To understand why people procrastinate it's necessary
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