Are You Obsessed With Not Wasting Time?

Have you ever had someone try to convince you to stop procrastinating by pointing out that you’re wasting time? And then you spent fifteen minutes explaining that the reason you haven’t started is that you are trying not to waste time?

Remember the look on their face?

I wouldn’t have that look on my face. I totally get it.

I have always been obsessed with efficiency. I loved the book Cheaper by the Dozen because the idea of taking a sixteen step process and whittling it down to three efficient steps made my heart sing.

I hate wasting time. But sometimes my obsession with not wasting time causes me to procrastinate.

And procrastination is pretty much a synonym for wasting time.

Because I’m obsessed with efficiency, because I despise wasting time, it feels normal and right to not do something if I’m not absolutely sure how to do it. It feels better to think hard about the thing, make a huge and elaborate plan for maximizing my time, and analyze my calendar for the very best time to execute this elaborate plan.

I don’t know all the possible pitfalls! I have no idea how I’d navigate those possible pitfalls! Surely, starting before I’ve figured everything out would be wasting time!

.

Except that the longer I wait, the more overwhelmed I feel. Now, I not only have to do the thing, I have to make up for all time I lost while I procrastinated.

And once my mind gets going on all the problems that could happen, the thing I need to do feels harder and harder. So I think I need to figure out even more.

If this kind of thinking sounds familiar, you need my new book, Procrastinators Get Stuff Done.

You will feel understood. You’ll also learn anti-procrastination strategies that actually work for your brain.

It will be out in less than a week! Tuesday, October 6th. If you want the preorder bonuses, you need to preorder now and then fill out the form linked here.

Preorder Procrastinators Get Stuff Done wherever you like to buy books. Then, go here to claim your preorder bonuses!

The two steps for getting the preorder bonuses:

1. Order the book wherever you like to buy books. (There are direct links to different retailers here.)
2. Fill out the form to claim your preorder bonuses at DanaKWhite.com/procrastinate.
3. Immediately get an email with the book excerpt and instructions for accessing the four exclusive podcasts.
4. Watch your email for instructions on joining the book club after the book releases on October 6th.

If you’re worried this book that will make you feel stressed, I encourage you to watch or listen to this conversation with my editor about what makes this book different from a “productivity” book. I especially love how she describes the difference between my process (that relieves pressure) and checklists (which make her feel pressured).

Want to know the behind-the-scenes scoop about why I’m pushing so hard for preorders? Go here for my (long and detailed) explanation.