EFFECTIVE PROCRASTINATION

A Handbook for Getting More Out of Life by Cultivating Your Skills of Not Doing

Chad Balch

General Nonfiction

Overview

Effective Procrastination is an inspirational, practical, and concise book which offers guidance on how one can deal with the crush of demands on one’s personal time. The flavor of the book is “Time Management for Dummies meets Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”. Among books on personal time management, Effective Procrastination stands apart for two reasons:

(1) Rather than treating procrastination as a bad habit to be eradicated, the book encourages an embracing of procrastination and shows how procrastination can be the cornerstone of effective personal time management. This contrarian perspective and forgiving theme will appeal to people who are tired of flogging themselves about their tendencies towards procrastination and are ready for a positive, accepting approach.

(2) The book combines a presentation of pragmatic methods for getting things done with a zen-like “less-is-more” theme which underscores the value of the present moment. The ranks of modern work environments are swelling with successful individuals who, though they pour more and more time into their work, are nonetheless left with a hollow feeling at the end of the week and muse about what they really want to be doing and how they might create the time to do it. For many, the World Trade Center catastrophe and its aftermath have added urgency to the re-examination and adjustment of personal priorities. This book will appeal to those people.

The reader of Effective Procrastination will become better equipped to focus on what is important and to drop or postpone activities of lesser importance. Toward this objective, Effective Procrastination covers several key areas of daily life and demonstrates how to leverage procrastination advantageously. The book:

· provides useful questions which will help the reader to better define values and to prioritize activities and tasks.

· presents a way of looking at things “to do” which is optimal for establishing priorities, coping with multiple, seemingly backlogged activities, and alleviating stress.

· promotes the possibility of a balanced life that includes time for discovery.

· delves into the mundanities of mail and telephone calls and looks at efficient methods for handling them.

· examines the arena of personal finance and discusses an approach for simplifying the daily and monthly management of expenses and transactions.

Some of the current offerings on personal time management are geared toward goal-oriented executive personalities, and as such could feel heavy or intimidating to people who are just trying to make ends meet. Effective Procrastination aims at a broader audience and banks on the fact that many people just want more peace and more time for what they enjoy most in life.

Other competitive books have the weaknesses of being critical, preachy, or dense and difficult to read. Unlike these books which often take a serious, directly motivational, “get-off-your-duff” stance, Effective Procrastination does an end-run and begins with acceptance of procrastination as a natural, positive tendency that can be skillfully channeled. The book captivates the reader by blending a sensitive, psychological perspective with practical ideas in a light-hearted, entertaining style, and also guides the reader through a series of productive, easy-to-do exercises.

For more information: info@effectiveprocrastination.com