Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, associate professor of psychology and director of the Procrastination Research Group (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), provides a series of short talks, interviews and question/answer podcasts that explain why we procrastinate and what we can do about it. An award winning educator, Dr. Pychyl challenges his listeners to explore their daily choices to act or postpone acting on their intentions. Do we head to the gym as intended, or slouch back on the couch thinking "I'll feel more like a workout tomorrow"? Do we tackle the task now, or do we avoid it arguing to ourselves that "I work better under pressure"? From losing 10 pounds to changing personal habits, Pychyl, a personality psychologist, focuses on the breakdown of intentional action - a problem commonly called procrastination. This series expands on three main themes: 1) irrational delay that sabotages personal productivity, 2) personality attributes that contribute to self-defeating behaviours, and 3) situational factors that undermine our ability to take or sustain action...
http://iprocrastinate.libsyn.com
Computers and Procrastination: The Peril and the Promise
"There seems to be something about computer technology and Internet connectivity that distracts us, that tempts us towards procrastination." This is the opening line of a paper co-authored by my guest today, Nick Breems. Nick is an assistant professor of Computer Science at Dordt College (Iowa) and a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Salford (Manchester, England). In this podcast, Nick brings his focus to the intersection of philosophy and computer science in a discussion of computers and procrastination. It's a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion. I enjoyed the chat immensely, and I think you'll find it thought provoking. Nick provides a few concrete examples of things we can do to minimize procrastination while online or working on our computers.
If you want to learn more about procrastination, visit procrastination.ca or The Procrastinator's Digest: A Concise Guide to Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.
I close the podcast with a song entitled "Procrastination" by Matt Weidinger.