Painful Consequences of Procrastination

Today’s Tasks:

• Add Painful Consequences of Procrastination  
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Add Painful Consequences of Procrastination Click on the button below to get to the “Painful Consequences” exercise in this app. You’ll see a form to add your procrastination consequences 

Painful Consequences of Procrastination

Type in a negative consequence you’ve identified and then reflect on how it keeps you procrastinating. Repeat this step for all the negative consequences you can come up with.

For example, by procrastinating, you may feel one of the following:

• Despite initial discomfort relief, in the long run, you get into a vicious cycle and discomfort pain keeps increasing
• The stronger your unhelpful rules and assumptions become, the more you keep procrastinating and the more painful it becomes
• Self-criticism backfires and you feel worse. and worse about yourself
• Things pile up… increasing pressure and the feeling of continuous failing 
• As a result of procrastination, you may face loss or punishment or miss out on opportunities

Painful Consequence Title

Type here...

How does this keep me procrastinating?

Type here…

Add Painful Consequence (button)

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Welcome back, Ivo! Painful consequences cause strong negative emotions, influencing your energy and, therefore, making it even more difficult for you to take action and overcome the temptation to procrastinate.

More Discomfort

Despite initial discomfort relief, in the long run. you get into a vicious cycle-the longer you delay, the more overwhelming or even unreachable your tasks become, and the more guilt, shame, and anxiety you feel 

Rules & Assumptions Kick In

Only by engaging in tasks that could help you challenge your unhelpful rules and assumptions can you notice how inaccurate and unhelpful your rules are. However, the more you procrastinate, the stronger your unhelpful rules and assumptions become, and the more you keep procrastinating.

Self-Criticism Backfires

Procrastination often leads to beating oneself up. This backfires, as the more you criticize yourself, the more horrendous the task or goal feels. Would you verbally beat up a child or a friend? Probably not. Why would you treat yourself differently?

Things Pile Up

Putting things off leads to more things piling up. The more time pressure you face, the more overwhelming and aversive the tasks become. and the more you want to avoid discomfort by procrastinating.

Punishment Or Loss

As a result of procrastination, you may face loss or punishment or miss out on opportunities (e.g. harm your health, get a bad grade, lose your job or a relationship). Such consequences may make it even harder for you to persist and follow through