Google "procrastination" and you'll get 7,350,000 results. That's more than enough to keep me from writing for years. So today, I'll stick to just one:
"A Formula for Procrastination," a
CNet.com piece by Stefanie Olsen.
In it, Olsen describes research by
Piers Steel, a professor of human resources and organizational dynamics at the University of Calgary. A self-described procrastinator, Steel has devised a mathematical formula that defines how procrastination works. Olsen reports:
Steel's formula, called the Temporal Motivation Theory, calculates procrastination like Albert Einstein's equation for energy, E=MC2. It factors the person's expectancy for succeeding at a given task (E) or self-confidence; the value of completing the task (V); its immediacy or availability (Gamma); and the person's sensitivity to delay (D) to come up with the desirability of the task (Utility).
The equation reads: Utility = E x V / (Gamma) x D.
I decided to test it.
Case Study: Blog post on procrastination. Due Wednesday, May 16, 2007.
- E (self-confidence) -- I've read and written a lot about procrastination. Yesterday, I jotted a draft in a notepad. I'm convinced it's manageable.
- V (value of completing the task) -- I'm committed to producing three posts a week. I thrive on deadlines, especially those that are broken into manageable tasks. I like writing about the writing life; it helps me continue my education and it's just fun. Feedback from readers makes it extremely rewarding; it makes me feel connected. And of course, there's the ego trip of publication.
- Gamma (immediacy and availability of the task) -- Big plus here. The post is due today and must be squeezed in between meetings. There's a hole to fill and an editor, Pat Walters, who's expecting it.
- D (my sensitivity to delay) -- Procrastination makes me paranoid. I know I shouldn't delay the writing. And doing so makes me feel guilty. But I can't help myself. What I'm supposed to be writing seems beyond my talents and time. In this case, I've done a lot of work on the post and feel there's not much more to be done. So there's no need to feel bad.
- Utility (the desirability of the task) -- I want to write about Steel's work. I've got the material to get it done quickly. I get to focus on a topic that bedevils me and so many fellow writers.
By applying Steel's formula to a writing task, I've discovered why, sometimes, I get stuck.
Writing this blog post, helped me understand the conditions that enable me to zip past the psychological speed bumps that can derail me.
- I doubt I can do something. (I haven't researched enough to write with authority. It's too hard to synthesize in my own way.)
- I doubt the value of doing something. (What's the point? It's not going to gain me anything.)
- It's taking too long. (I'm already way behind. I'll never catch up.)
- It's not really worth doing. (It requires too much time. There are lots of other things I'd rather do.)
Next, I'll apply Steel's formula to a writing project I've been putting off for way too long. (Just ask my book editor.) I'll let you know how that works out in a future post.
How do you fight and (I hope) win the battle against procrastination?
An interesting hypothesis: a formula to predict a person's susceptibility...
