Psychology

Self-Help

Overcome Procrastination

Why You Avoid the Things That Matter Most and How to Actually Start Doing ThemBy Felix KauFmann

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Length8h 23m

About this audiobook

**How to Overcome Procrastination, Stop Avoiding Important Work, and Beat Perfectionism and Self-Sabotage** Anja was the kind of person everyone assumed had endless discipline. She completed triathlons, taught herself two languages, and read dozens of books every year. Yet for seven months she could not bring herself to finish a single research paper. When cognitive behavioral therapist Felix Kaufmann asked her what it would feel like to finally submit it, she paused and replied, “I would have to find out whether I’m actually any good.” In that moment, the problem became clear. It was never about laziness, poor time management, or lack of motivation. It was about fear. This book is built on sixteen years of clinical experience working with ambitious, intelligent, capable people who continually postpone the work that matters most to them. These are not unmotivated people. They care deeply about their goals. In fact, the more meaningful the task, the stronger the urge to avoid it becomes. The novel sits unfinished. The business idea never launches. The dissertation remains half-written. The difficult conversation never happens. Unlike traditional productivity books that rely on willpower, discipline, or rigid routines, this guide approaches procrastination as an emotional regulation problem. It reveals how perfectionism, fear of judgment, shame, boredom, identity threats, and the discomfort of beginning create powerful avoidance patterns. Through practical cognitive-behavioral techniques, readers learn how to work with these feelings rather than waiting for them to disappear. Inside, you'll discover the five major procrastination styles, strategies for overcoming perfectionism, simple methods for starting difficult tasks, approaches for ADHD-type procrastination, and a structured thirty-day protocol for building lasting momentum. This is not a book about becoming a productivity machine. It is a compassionate, evidence-based guide to doing meaningful work despite fear, uncertainty, and resistance—and finally finishing what matters most.

Psychological Healing Identity

Audiobook details

GenrePsychology, Self-Help

Length8 hrs 23 mins

Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices

FormateBook with Audio

LanguageEnglish

1Introduction

2Introduction

3The Procrastination You Think You Have vs. The One You Actually Have

4The Emotion Underneath the Avoidance

5Perfectionism as Procrastination in Disguise

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6The Fear of Being Seen Doing It Badly

7The Identity Threat: When the Work Could Prove You Wrong

8Boredom, Drudgery, and Tasks With No Reward Loop

9The Activation Cost of Starting Anything

10The Two-Minute Door That Gets You Inside

11Time Boxes That Actually Hold Without Becoming Tyrants

12Environments That Make the Right Thing Easier

13The Calendar as Tool, Not Trap

14Accountability That Helps vs. Accountability That Punishes

15Working With ADHD-Type Procrastination

16Procrastination Across Long Projects: The Middle Slog

17The Energy Levels Behind the Procrastination

18Sleep, Movement, and Food as Underused Anti-Procrastination Tools

19Recovery From a Lost Week (or Month, or Year)

20The Procrastination That’s Actually Wisdom

21Procrastinating on the Right Things

22Talking to Other People About Your Avoidance

23The Long Practice: Building Sustainable Work Habits Over Years . 117 When to Stop the Project Entirely

24Conclusion

25Appendix A: A Thirty-Day Starter Protocol

26Appendix B: Twelve Common Scripts You Use to Talk Yourself Out of Starting

27Appendix E: When Procrastination Is the Surface of Something Deeper

28Appendix F: A Letter to the Reader Who Has Failed Before

29Appendix G: Procrastination Across the Stages of a Career

30Appendix H: Working With Your Body When the Work Resists You 1 75 Appendix I: A Closing Letter

31Appendix J: Eight Case Studies in Long Procrastination

32Appendix K: Practical Tools, Templates, and Daily Practices

33Appendix L: Procrastination in Specific Domains

34Appendix M: A Year With Your Avoidance, Month by Month

35Appendix N: A Short Glossary of Terms I Use Differently

36Appendix O: A Final Word on Compassion

37Appendix P: Three Final Reminders

38About the Author

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