The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Stuff Done

Using a mix of psychology, science, self-help, and a decade of groundbreaking research, Dr. Piers Steel, internationally recognized as the foremost authority on procrastination, explains why procrastination is dangerously on the rise and tells us how to overcome the destructive patterns that affect our health and happiness to create more positive lives.

If you think you are not one of the 95 percent of those of us who procrastinate, take Dr. Steel's test in The Procrastination Equation. Or if you think you procrastinate because you're a perfectionist—you're wrong. So, why do we surf the Web instead of finishing overdue projects? Why do we say we'll start that diet—tomorrow? Why do we stay up late watching television instead of going to bed? And how do we overcome these bad habits that we know work against our best intentions? Based on more than a decade of research, and written with humor, humanity, and solid science, The Procrastination Equation explains why we do what we do—or, in this case, don't—offering answers to such questions as:

• Are we biologically hardwired to procrastinate? If so, why?
• How does procrastination cost us?
• What tricks do we play on ourselves when we procrastinate at work, school, and home?
• If visualizing our dreams isn't enough to make them real, then what steps must we take?

Along the way, Dr. Steel dispels the myths and misunderstandings of motivation and procrastination, replacing them with a clear explanation of why we put off until tomorrow what we should be doing today. He then offers specific techniques we can use to tame and prevent the bad habits that adversely affect our health, happiness, and careers, all the while celebrating the very human foibles that make us who we are. The Procrastination Equation is the definitive and accessible guide for anyone who struggles with this age-old dilemma.

"In his absorbing first book Steel looks closely at the oft-misunderstood habit of procrastination. Usually seen as laziness, procrastination stems from the mismatch between human evolution and modern society. Steel, a reformed procrastinator who calls procrastination his 'life's work,' studied the subject by conducting original research and analyzing hundreds of published cross-discipline studies. His carefully crafted volume describes what he calls the 'intention-action gap' and explains why so many people are driven to delay. Early chapters, from 'Portrait of a Procrastinator' to 'The Economic Cost of Procrastination' take the reader on a vivid tour of the consequences of procrastination and analyze why humans are wired to wait. Though Steel is perhaps too abstruse in describing the results of some findings, most of his writing is clear, never more so than when associated with the biology underlying procrastination. 'Action points' offer practical advice for readers who have identified their procrastination tendencies. Though some of the author's tools are self-help book staples, Steel adapts them to his subject. His engaging guide will appeal to a wide audience of past, present, and future procrastinators and researchers trying to get a handle on the science of putting things off. (Jan.)" Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Piers Steel, PhD, is the world's leading researcher and speaker on the science of motivation and procrastination. He studied and taught at the business and psychology schools of the University of Minnesota before moving to the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business, where he is a professor of human resources and organizational dynamics. He has been studying procrastination and its effects for more than ten years—after spending decades practicing it. Dr. Steel's award-winning research has appeared in magazines ranging from Psychology Today and New Scientist to Good Housekeeping and Profit. His work has been reported in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and USA Today. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and two sons.