Overcoming procrastination: or how to think and act rationally in spite of life's inevitable hassles

196 Pages·1977·25.73 MB·English

by  Albert Ellis, William J. Knaus

IF YOU KEEP PUTTING OFF UNTIL
TOMORROW ... OVERCOMING
PROCRASTINATION CAN HELP YOU
TODAY!
It will open your eyes to just what makes you
late in everything from writing a paper to filing
a tax return to making a sexual advance.
It will teach you not only to understand your
particular problem, but how to definitely do
something about it with simple and specific
actions.
It will give you Dr. Albert Ellis’ total strategy
for conquering not only procrastination but
life’s other difficulties.
And above all, it will show you exactly how to
take your time and your life out of the power of
irrational forces and feelings, and put them where
they belong—under your control.
OVERCOMING
PROCRASTINATION
g) SIGNET_@ MENTOR
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□ OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION by Albert Ellis, Ph.D. and William J.
Knaus, Ed.D. The scientifically proven techniques of Rational-Motive Ther¬
apy are applied to procrastination (delaying tactics, frustration, and self¬
disgust). Examines the causes of procrastination, and the links between
procrastination and obesity, drugs, depression, and sexual dysfunction,
and other personality and health problems. (15208S—$3.95)
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Overcoming
Procrastination
or
How to Think and Act Rationally
in Spite of Life's Inevitable Hassles
Albert Ellis, Fh.D.
ami
William J. Knaus, ld D»
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A SIGNET BOOK
new AfveertiCAW library
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Copyright (g) 1977 by the Institute for Rational Living
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any means, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review, without permission in writing from the
publisher. For information address the Institute for Rational Living,
45 East 65th Street, New York, New York 10021.
Published by arrangement with the Institute for Rational Living
j
SIGNET TRADEMARK REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES
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HECHO EN CHICAGO, U.S.A.
Signet, Signet Classic, Mentor, Onyx, Plume, Meridian and NAL
Books are published by NAL PENGUIN INC.,
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First Signet Printing, July, 1979
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Dedicated to
the hundreds of our clients
who used to procrastinate
hut seldom do any more,
with great gratitude
for what we learned from them*

Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
1. What Procrastination Means 7
2. Main Causes of Procrastination 15
3. A Rational Approach to Overcoming
Procrastination 25
4. Overcoming Procrastination Resulting from
Self-Downing 38
5. Overcoming Procrastination Resulting from
Low Frustration Tolerance 50
6. Overcoming Procrastination Resulting from
Hostility 64
7. Overcoming Other Emotional Problems
Resulting in Procrastination 75
8. Behavioral Methods of Overcoming
Procrastination 90
9. Emotive Methods of Overcoming
Procrastination 112
10. Impediments to Overcoming Procrastination 125
11. Overcoming “Legitimate” Reasons for
Procrastination 142
12. Verbatim Psychotherapy Session with a
Procrastinator 152
171
REFERENCES
177
INDEX
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2017 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/isbn_0451159314