Do you often put off things you intend to do, even though you know this may lead to frustration, guilt, or other unwanted consequences? Even after promising yourself that this time will be different?

It doesn’t have to be that way. This Open Mind conversation will explore the science behind procrastination and provide practical tools for understanding our habits and moving forward.

Join UCLA's Friends of the Semel Institute for an engaging Open Mind with Itamar Shatz, PhD, author of Solving Procrastination: The Science of Why We Put Things Off and How to (Finally!) Stop.

Procrastination is often misunderstood, and many of the things we are told about why we procrastinate—and how to stop—may lead us to use the wrong tools for the problem. Solving Procrastination debunks common misconceptions and explores why we actually procrastinate and how we can begin to break the cycle.

Drawing on insights from more than 500 studies in psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience, Dr. Shatz explores:

• The internal tug-of-war that determines our behavior

• The nine procrastinator archetypes, from the Perfectionist to the Zigzagger

• Ten strategies for overcoming procrastination

• A step-by-step system for putting these strategies into practice, with practical tips and case studies

  
  

Written by Dr. Shatz, a scientist who used these tools to overcome his own procrastination, Solving Procrastination offers practical insights to help us get things done, achieve our goals, and reduce the guilt and stress that can accompany putting things off.

Bio:

Itamar Shatz, PhD, is a social scientist, science communicator, and affiliated lecturer at the University of Cambridge, where he teaches quantitative and computational research methods. He received his PhD from Cambridge University.

Dr. Shatz is the creator of Solving Procrastination, a resource dedicated to helping people understand why they procrastinate and how to overcome it using research-based insights. He is also the author of Effectiviology, where he writes about psychology and philosophy and their practical applications.

His practical, research-based writing has been read by millions of people and has been cited or featured by outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, TED-Ed, and The Tim Ferriss Show.

This Open Mind conversation will explore the science behind procrastination and provide practical tools for understanding our habits and moving forward.