125: Three Powerful Techniques To Beat Procrastination

Questions about the Video File:

1. How can you make your goal seem easier and more doable?
2. What’s the benefit of allocating short time period to your tasks?
3. What are the three magic questions?
4. How can you beat the conflict between your ultimate goal and immediate desire?

General Questions:

1. How often do you procrastinate? When was the last time you did it? How did you feel about it?
2. What excuses do you usually give yourself or the others to justify putting off your tasks? Right at that moment are you aware that these are only excuses?
3. Have you ever tried to stop yourself from procrastinating? Have you ever developed any personal techniques? If yes, what are they? To what extent have they been useful?
4. What are the merits of procrastinating a task?
5. How do you usually feel after fulfilling a task? Do you think picturing yourself in that situation will help?
6. If you were given time to complete one task only today, what would that be? Why haven’t you done that yet?
7. Are you the kind of person who plans most things in advance? Have you got a daily/weekly to do list? Do you tick the task you do on your list? How does it make you feel? How about the unticked tasks? Do you try just to ignore them or do you analyze the causes?
8. Do you agree that treating yourself to something you like, even as simple as a small piece of your favorite chocolate, can motivate you to stop putting off your tasks?

Related Quotes:

“A man who procrastinates in his choices, will inevitably has his choice made for him by circumstances.” Hunter s. Thomson

“Procrastination is like a credit card. It’s a lot of fun, until you get the bill.” Christopher Parker

“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” Victor Kiam

Related Idioms and Expressions:

1. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today: it is not wise not to do things you can immediately and put them off for a later time

• Grandma always said never put off until tomorrow what you can today and she did so. She always started doing things as soon as she had a chance.

Related Words and Phrases:

Procrastinate (v) do something at a later time, often without a good excuse

• I know it’s not fun to do your project but what’s the merit of procrastinating it? You have to do it sooner or later?

Procrastination (n) the action of putting off something you have to do to a later time

• Procrastination is a common problem that can get you in a vicious circle. You put off doing something, then you feel bad about it and you put it off even for a longer period.

Beat (v) to defeat or gain victory over something

• To beat your current problems you need to be aware of them.

Bottom line (n): the most important fact about a situation.

• The bottom line is that you need to pass this exam to get to university.

Doable (adj) if something is doable you can perform it and it is not impossible.

• Getting fit without diet and exercise is not doable.

Gorgeous (adj): very beautiful

• Look at that gorgeous girl over there. Everybody is admiring her beauty.

Tiresome (adj) unpleasant and irritating

• I can’t believe we have to listen to his tiresome speech for another hour. I can’t find anything nice about it.

Appealing (adj) pleasant and attractive

• Her house has such an appealing atmosphere everyone feels comfortable and cheerful there.

Distract (v) to take someone’s attention off a topic or activity by making them so something else

• Music can easily distract me when I am studying, I need to focus on my books in silence.

Ultimate (adj) final and most important

• What’s your ultimate goal? I mean what is the thing that achieving it can make you happy?

Fulfill (v) to gain your goal, desire or hope and feel happy about it

• When you fulfill a task you feel proud of yourself.

Urge (n) a strong feeling that you need to do something

• I had this urge to call my mum.

Carving (n) a sudden strong desire for something

• I had this craving for a cheeseburger.

Temptation (n) a strong desire to do something especially when you know it is not good for you

• I couldn’t resist my temptation to buy new shoes, even though I knew didn’t need them.

Related Collocations

Stand a good chance: if something stands a good chance it’s very likely that it succeeds    

• You stand a very good chance of meeting him, if you go to his regular visiting places more often.

There is no way around it: you have no other alternative; it is the only possible way

• To pass the exam you have to study hard and there is no way around it.

At this instant:  at this moment

• I need to know the answer to my question at this instant. Tomorrow is not good enough for me.