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The Science of Overcoming Procrastination: How to Be Disciplined, Break Inertia, Manage Your Time, and Be Productive
Outsmart your lazy and undisciplined tendencies. Become a productivity machine and achieve your goals in record time.Procrastination is the monster that we are always running from, but not always successfully. It lurks around every corner, and can completely sabotage your life. But you can learn to defeat it every time. Stop wasting time. SAVE time and learn how to build momentum.The Science of Overcoming Procrastination is a deep dive into our tendency to push things until the last minute possible. It uncovers the biological and evolutionary science behind procrastination, and how we can beat these instinctual drives to triumph in our career and personal life. A plethora of studies are analyzed and put into illuminating contexts.Best of all, it’s a book of scientific solutions boiled down to everyday usefulness. You’ll be able to apply insight from this book immediately to slay your procrastination monster and get ahead of the pack.Eliminate stress, anxiety, and overwhelm over falling behind or failing.Patrick King is an internationally bestselling author and entrepreneur. His writing draws of a variety of sources, from scientific research, academic experience, coaching, and real life experience. He has battled the procrastination monster his entire life and brings proven techniques to you. Discover discipline, willpower, and motivation that works for you.•A scientific and biological overview of your procrastination habit.•Warning signs to monitor your work ethic.•Psychological tactics to trigger your brain to productivity.Overhaul your approach to productivity and output.•How to structure and schedule your life to safeguard against procrastination.•Simple yet effective tactics to get off your butt and into action.•How to beat analysis paralysis and other causes of mental freezing.Get more done in less time so you can enjoy your life.Become the most reliable person you know. Break your habit of missing goals and letting people down. The ability to defeat procrastination is the ability to accomplish exactly what you want and gain access to wherever you want to go. Live your life instead of avoiding it!GET OFF YOUR BUTT and just get started by clicking the BUY NOW BUTTON at the top right of this page!
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2018
1384 people are currently reading
1248 people want to read
About the author
Patrick King
207 books339 followersPatrick King is a Social Interaction Specialist, in other words, a dating, online dating, image, and communication and social skills coach based in San Francisco, California, and has been featured on numerous national publications such as Inc.com. He’s also a #1 Amazon best-selling dating and relationships author with the most popular online dating book on the market, and writes frequently on dating, love, sex, and relationships.
He focuses on using his emotional intelligence and understanding of human interaction to break down emotional barriers, instill confidence, and equip people with the tools they need for success. No pickup artistry and no gimmicks, simply a thorough mastery of human psychology delivered with a dose of real talk, perfected and honed through three years of law school.
He focuses on using his emotional intelligence and understanding of human interaction to break down emotional barriers, instill confidence, and equip people with the tools they need for success. No pickup artistry and no gimmicks, simply a thorough mastery of human psychology delivered with a dose of real talk, perfected and honed through three years of law school.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 18, 2021
I’ve read a lot of books on productivity, so I didn’t think I really needed this book. I doubt I would have gotten it if it wasn’t free. But damn if it didn’t really help me!
First of all, I read a chapter each day as part of my morning procrastination routine. Even though I’ve heard or read almost every insight or recommendation in here before, somehow I still found myself feeling inspired, motivated, hopeful, and ready to go. Since I started reading this book, I’ve been more productive than any time in the past six months.
For me, the biggest takeaways are:
- Start with the tiniest step possible, and do it as soon as possible. Then remember the laws of physics. Starting is the hardest part! Ride your momentum to get more done.
- Charles Schwab paid a bonus equivalent to $100k or $200k in today’s dollars for this routine: 1. At the end of the day, make a list of your top 6 priorities for tomorrow. 2. At the start of the day, start on #1. Don’t do anything else until you finish it. Not even anything else on the list! 3. When you finish #1, go on to #2. Continue through the list in the same way. 4. Move any incomplete items to the next day’s list and make your top 6 for the next day.
I’ve read about this system before, and my big objection was always that 6 things is way too many. But I decided to try it anyway this time. As long as you realize you won’t finish them all, it really doesn’t seem to be a problem. I added a new twist this time: for each task, I also estimated how long I expected it to take—and I estimated like I would for a project plan. Huzzah! Everything I’ve done in the past two days has taken less time than I estimated! Hello, dopamine and a raging sense of accomplishment!
First of all, I read a chapter each day as part of my morning procrastination routine. Even though I’ve heard or read almost every insight or recommendation in here before, somehow I still found myself feeling inspired, motivated, hopeful, and ready to go. Since I started reading this book, I’ve been more productive than any time in the past six months.
For me, the biggest takeaways are:
- Start with the tiniest step possible, and do it as soon as possible. Then remember the laws of physics. Starting is the hardest part! Ride your momentum to get more done.
- Charles Schwab paid a bonus equivalent to $100k or $200k in today’s dollars for this routine: 1. At the end of the day, make a list of your top 6 priorities for tomorrow. 2. At the start of the day, start on #1. Don’t do anything else until you finish it. Not even anything else on the list! 3. When you finish #1, go on to #2. Continue through the list in the same way. 4. Move any incomplete items to the next day’s list and make your top 6 for the next day.
I’ve read about this system before, and my big objection was always that 6 things is way too many. But I decided to try it anyway this time. As long as you realize you won’t finish them all, it really doesn’t seem to be a problem. I added a new twist this time: for each task, I also estimated how long I expected it to take—and I estimated like I would for a project plan. Huzzah! Everything I’ve done in the past two days has taken less time than I estimated! Hello, dopamine and a raging sense of accomplishment!
January 22, 2024
Wait, I didn’t write this review yet? Procrastination nation stand up! We will not be ignored!! (Eh, maybe tomorrow)
My toxic trait at the moment is comparing every self help book I read to Atomic Habits(Swoon), and that’s just not fair. It was similar in regards to the bullet point summary at the end of each chapter wrapping up what was discussed, that’s something. But it wasn’t really attention grabbing or holding, it started to feel like assigned reading.
Some great pointers in this book, I’m just not motivated to apply them. That’s a me thing.
My toxic trait at the moment is comparing every self help book I read to Atomic Habits(Swoon), and that’s just not fair. It was similar in regards to the bullet point summary at the end of each chapter wrapping up what was discussed, that’s something. But it wasn’t really attention grabbing or holding, it started to feel like assigned reading.
Some great pointers in this book, I’m just not motivated to apply them. That’s a me thing.
January 10, 2023
I waited too long to read this book.
December 14, 2024
เล่มนี้อธิบายเรื่องการผลัดวันประกันพรุ่งในเชิงวิทยาศาสตร์ ได้เข้าใจง่าย ไม่เยิ่นเย้อ
และบอกวิธีการว่าทำอย่างไรจึงจะแก้ไขเรื่องนี้ได้
และบอกวิธีการว่าทำอย่างไรจึงจะแก้ไขเรื่องนี้ได้
July 18, 2021
I read a lot about procrastination so I think I have actually read all the titles that are cited in this one but it never hurts to repeat things, right? It's not procrastinating, is it? laughs nervously...
The Colin Powell 40:70 thing was new to me.
Gotta love a non fiction title that gives you a one page summary of each chapter in the final pages of the book.
4 stars
The Colin Powell 40:70 thing was new to me.
Utilize the 40-70 Rule as popularized by Colin Powell. This rule states the following: You only need between 40% and 70% of the information, confidence, time, or preparation that you think you do. Anything else is just spinning your wheels and procrastinating, and 100% of what you want is impossible from the starting line. So take action at 70%, at worst, because things won’t improve by simply waiting longer.
Gotta love a non fiction title that gives you a one page summary of each chapter in the final pages of the book.
4 stars
January 18, 2020
Amazing
I delayed on reading this book for years...but so thankful I finally finished. It is not a lengthy ready and provides so many strategies to help you through whatever type of procrastination you struggle with.
I delayed on reading this book for years...but so thankful I finally finished. It is not a lengthy ready and provides so many strategies to help you through whatever type of procrastination you struggle with.
September 29, 2020
In some parts it seems to repeat itself but over all, it was a insightful book.
March 2, 2021
2.5*
Short, fast-reading, interesting and useful facts but also so repetitive and tiring/boring because of this. The same could be say in a simple talk.
Short, fast-reading, interesting and useful facts but also so repetitive and tiring/boring because of this. The same could be say in a simple talk.
February 5, 2025
Initially, I was not impressed with this book. Mr. King's writing style didn't click with me and the content was rather obvious.
I consider myself a master procrastinator. I can delay any task, and forego any expectation. I know just how much to complete to keep others satisfied with my progress. So I know how to play the game and I wanted some serious ideas for breaking my habits.
Well, they weren't there ... in the beginning.
But, eventually, this short manual dropped a few good thoughts. Some of this stuff finally resonated and I became more engaged and even a little anxious to put a few of these suggestions to the test.
Overall, I learned something. There were things I hadn't thought of before that I will try. And that's the good news. But it took a bit and the overall formula he followed throughout the book was not to my liking. With this short of an effort, you don't need to summarize every chapter let alone the entire book. And though he was good about citing sources throughout, there were no actual footnotes or endnotes for that material. They would have been helpful when discussing a topic such as this.
This was a quick read which maybe helped. If you want to stop procrastinating, this is at least a starting point, that first of a thousand tiny steps.
I consider myself a master procrastinator. I can delay any task, and forego any expectation. I know just how much to complete to keep others satisfied with my progress. So I know how to play the game and I wanted some serious ideas for breaking my habits.
Well, they weren't there ... in the beginning.
But, eventually, this short manual dropped a few good thoughts. Some of this stuff finally resonated and I became more engaged and even a little anxious to put a few of these suggestions to the test.
Overall, I learned something. There were things I hadn't thought of before that I will try. And that's the good news. But it took a bit and the overall formula he followed throughout the book was not to my liking. With this short of an effort, you don't need to summarize every chapter let alone the entire book. And though he was good about citing sources throughout, there were no actual footnotes or endnotes for that material. They would have been helpful when discussing a topic such as this.
This was a quick read which maybe helped. If you want to stop procrastinating, this is at least a starting point, that first of a thousand tiny steps.
December 26, 2021
Useful read to move to take action
This book encourages action at the soonest possible moment. There are a variety of tips and strategies to make that happen and they all feel effective (I’ll only know if they are effective in a few days). The mnemonics and tips in the book are already in my mind multiple times a day.
That said, there is a lack of deeper coverage. Some of the tips and tricks were only superficially mentioned with an unclear example (e.g., there was something to the effect of making distractions fight each other and I still don’t get it after completing the book). There were other such topics which felt a bit incomplete.
All in all, it’s a good quick read. Don’t think too much, just read one of these types of books if you need it.
This book encourages action at the soonest possible moment. There are a variety of tips and strategies to make that happen and they all feel effective (I’ll only know if they are effective in a few days). The mnemonics and tips in the book are already in my mind multiple times a day.
That said, there is a lack of deeper coverage. Some of the tips and tricks were only superficially mentioned with an unclear example (e.g., there was something to the effect of making distractions fight each other and I still don’t get it after completing the book). There were other such topics which felt a bit incomplete.
All in all, it’s a good quick read. Don’t think too much, just read one of these types of books if you need it.
January 23, 2022
Unlike other books on personal development that can be full of fluff, I found King's book on procrastination to be full of actionable advice and theory behind why we procrastinate. Though I have read a lot on the subject, being a master procrastinator and often using research on the subject to avoid what I should be working on, I learned many new tactics and was inspired to try some older ones that I had not used in a while.
Overall a rich volume without repeating itself, and worth a read. I purchased it for my Kindle and am glad I did (as opposed to the library) because I can see this as one to revisit a couple years down the road.
Overall a rich volume without repeating itself, and worth a read. I purchased it for my Kindle and am glad I did (as opposed to the library) because I can see this as one to revisit a couple years down the road.
January 26, 2024
Concise and Effective Read!
This book was concise, well-structured, and inclusive of several actionable frameworks that were also validated by anecdotes to help the reader visualize how to implement.
I appreciated the scientific approach and positive reinforcement strategies Patrick talked about, while encouraging the reader to also take responsibility while staying away from perfectionism. I had to pause reading every couple pages to immediately implement some strategies - which showed how motivated I felt, instead of procrastinating the work to overcome procrastination! Excited to bring these strategies to my everyday life - starting now!
This book was concise, well-structured, and inclusive of several actionable frameworks that were also validated by anecdotes to help the reader visualize how to implement.
I appreciated the scientific approach and positive reinforcement strategies Patrick talked about, while encouraging the reader to also take responsibility while staying away from perfectionism. I had to pause reading every couple pages to immediately implement some strategies - which showed how motivated I felt, instead of procrastinating the work to overcome procrastination! Excited to bring these strategies to my everyday life - starting now!
January 26, 2024
So many useful ideas
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author sets the intent at the beginning of each chapter, expands on the ideas, and then summarizes at the end of each chapter. Learning by repetition - seeing the ideas more than once. I learned a lot about procrastination, and about how to deal with it. I especially like the 10-10-10 rule and the structuring against procrastination ideas. Lots of insight gained, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand and overcome their procrastination.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author sets the intent at the beginning of each chapter, expands on the ideas, and then summarizes at the end of each chapter. Learning by repetition - seeing the ideas more than once. I learned a lot about procrastination, and about how to deal with it. I especially like the 10-10-10 rule and the structuring against procrastination ideas. Lots of insight gained, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand and overcome their procrastination.
January 26, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author sets the intent at the beginning of each chapter, expands on the ideas, and then summarizes at the end of each chapter. Learning by repetition - seeing the ideas more than once. I learned a lot about procrastination, and about how to deal with it. I especially like the 10-10-10 rule and the structuring against procrastination ideas. Lots of insight gained, and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand and overcome their procrastination.
September 23, 2021
This book gets right to the point of explaining the causes for procrastination, the types of procrastination, and useful tactics to help reduce the time spent procrastinating. The book was an easy listen/read with good examples to address each point. I particularly liked the takeaways at the end of each chapter as these saved having to read the whole chapter again in order to review the main points of interest.
December 19, 2022
Concise and efficient
The book contains many interesting facts about procrastination and provides us different strategies and methods to overcome it. I also liked the fact that the author took the time to explain the different types of procrastinators and how each personality type is driven by different factors. Overall, a good, short read for anyone who is looking to understand more about procrastination and looking for tools to get out of a rut.
The book contains many interesting facts about procrastination and provides us different strategies and methods to overcome it. I also liked the fact that the author took the time to explain the different types of procrastinators and how each personality type is driven by different factors. Overall, a good, short read for anyone who is looking to understand more about procrastination and looking for tools to get out of a rut.
March 7, 2024
Took me a while to finish this book because, well, procrastination. But once I got going, it became super interesting and helpful! He gives a wide range of reasons for and strategies against procrastination. If one strategy doesn’t resonate with you, another one will. I have a feeling I’ll be returning back to the notes section of the book for a refresher here and there because I have some habits I have to kick!
December 26, 2021
An interesting read! Diving INTO the science, the neuroscience and psychology of procrastination, identifying different forms and stages of procrastination, as well as how to overcome them.
A year later, I am still applying techniques I learned and am still sharing information with friends from this short book!
A year later, I am still applying techniques I learned and am still sharing information with friends from this short book!
January 19, 2021
Brilliant and succinct
The Science of Overcoming Procrastination is an eye-opening read. It captures the essence of procrastination brilliantly, and leads to constant introspection as you journey through the relatable chapters. Clear, practical tools for success.
The Science of Overcoming Procrastination is an eye-opening read. It captures the essence of procrastination brilliantly, and leads to constant introspection as you journey through the relatable chapters. Clear, practical tools for success.
August 15, 2021
Master the procrastination monster!
Procrastination has been my worst enemy for as long as I can remember. Thanks to this book I have discovered my problem and triggers to master the monster. I highly recommend this book to anyone that procrastinate even a little.
Procrastination has been my worst enemy for as long as I can remember. Thanks to this book I have discovered my problem and triggers to master the monster. I highly recommend this book to anyone that procrastinate even a little.
September 12, 2021
It's surprising to find practical tips on how to overcome it in The Science of Overcoming Procrastination by Patrick King. The explanations of why we procrastinate and the ways to overcome it are straightforward. It's a good read.
September 25, 2021
Too wordy, taking a very long time to say very little, with more examples than necessary.
I feel like half of this was an attempt to squeeze out more pages in a book that could have been half as long. Doesn't respect the reader's time.
I feel like half of this was an attempt to squeeze out more pages in a book that could have been half as long. Doesn't respect the reader's time.
April 24, 2023
A credible read and some great quotes. Much of the information I have read in other books. This is not the authors fault, there is a trove of books written on this topic. Nothing earth shattering here, but an interesting read.
July 31, 2024
Not a lot of new information if you have read things like Getting Things Done, but some helpful reminders. Lost at least one star from my review because someone desperately needed to proofread this! I kept running into grammatical errors that distracted me from the content.
January 3, 2025
Many of the author advice are Repetitive, but his advice on creating a schedule , understanding the moment by using the HALT system , which is hunger , angry , loneliness and tiredness are nonetheless amazing.
February 29, 2020
Very Happy that I read it
I’got this book almost by chance, but after I’read it I must say that I am very happy for it. Direct, to the point, and easy to read
I’got this book almost by chance, but after I’read it I must say that I am very happy for it. Direct, to the point, and easy to read
December 25, 2020
All I can say is what a great book! Easy read with review points at the end of each chapter. I can start putting these things into place immediately to get more done!
January 24, 2021
Except for the bits about Newton's 3 laws which didn't make any sense, rest of the book was pretty good.
I liked the evo-psyc explanation of lizard brain vs neo cortex behind procrastination.
I liked the evo-psyc explanation of lizard brain vs neo cortex behind procrastination.
February 12, 2021
A bit repetitive for me, but perhaps needed for hard-core procrastinators!
April 27, 2021
Good advice.
Four stars for a well written book!
Good old fashioned common sense. Few people think about.
A few too many corporate, office examples. We don't all work in offices☺
Four stars for a well written book!
Good old fashioned common sense. Few people think about.
A few too many corporate, office examples. We don't all work in offices☺
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews