Synthesis Matrix for Secondary Research Report

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Forbes.com

FastCompany.com “How to Beat…”

https://www.thoughtco.com/can-people-really-multitask-1206398

(I added this source because it was linked from the Evernote source)

example: Cause of procrastination: negative emotions

One example of negative emotions is lack of confidence. This author says that when we lack confidence, “we build up scenarios about what could happen if we were to inevitably fail…”

When people evaluate the “costs” of a task, they consider factors such as fear, anxiety, missing out on other activities, and the effort of the work. If the costs are too high, they choose to procrastinate.

Moeller says that the five-minute rule works because as you do an activity, you realize that it’s not as difficult as you’d imagined.

“After five minutes of intense work, a massive project may still be massive—but having overcome the initial obstacle of getting started, it will no longer seem impossible.”

A study by Joseph Ferrari showed that negative emotions “hijack your mood” so that “you can’t bring yourself to work.”

People can counter-act these negative emotions by reflecting on them.

You also can replace negative self-talk with positive thinking: “The trick is to shift your attention to something completely different (and positive). Instead of telling yourself not to procrastinate, think about what you will do and how great it’s going to feel to have it done. This way, your mind fixates on the action you want to take instead of the behavior you’re trying to avoid.”

Focus on results

It’s only natural to avoid “things that make us feel physically or psychologically uncomfortable.”

Cause of procrastination: not enough time

Cause of procrastination: laziness

Fear

Another issue is that people are afraid of a negative outcome. We can be reluctant to start working on a project, or to finish it, because of “the fear that the results won’t live up to our expectations.”

People also fear that their work won’t pay off and the results won’t be what they hoped for. One remedy is simply to begin. After you make a start, then you can get useful feedback. You’ll be able to proceed with greater clarity about what you’re doing well and what you can improve.

“Most procrastination is caused by either fear or conflict,” says Christine Li, a clinical psychologist specializing in procrastination.

Perfectionism

Closely tied to fear of failure and fear of criticism. We have an ideal image in mind but fear we cannot achieve it, so we “just keep planning or thinking or researching or putting it off.”

“We tend to freeze up when it’s time to get started because we know that our ideas aren’t perfect and what we produce might not be any good.”

Difficulty getting started

Remedy: 5-minute rule (make yourself do it for 5 minutes, and chances are you’ll keep doing it until your done). For example, Kevin Systrom, CEO and co-founder of Instagram, uses this rule to fight procrastination.

This approach works because it creates a sense of control over the situation, says Julia Moeller, a postdoctoral research associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She says this approach helps a person to feel that there’s a choice, rather than being “forced to do something the person really absolutely does not want to do.”

“That first step is difficult, but once you get going—typing that first paragraph or taking off on that first wave—your mood improves dramatically.”

Break a task into small chunks so that you feel a sense of progress.

“Small victories build new androgen receptors in the areas of the brain responsible for reward and motivation. The increase in androgen receptors increases the influence of testosterone, which further increases confidence and eagerness to tackle challenges. This keeps you fired up and moving forward.”

It can be helpful to analyze your tasks and make a plan.

Lack of motivation

She cites a study at Carnegie Mellon University. When the class or an assignment was not personally relevant to students, they were not motivated.

She goes on to say that when people are not personally interested in a subject, they tend to look for things that will keep them interested while working. However, that tendency leads to distractions such as listening to music while studying or shifting from work to web surfing. Such distractions are counter-productive.

The 5-minute rule can create motivation—you are motivated to achieve this simple goal, and you are rewarded with a feeling of satisfaction when you reach it.

Setting a due date, “even if it’s a fake one,” can provide motivation.

Another method, especially for creative people, is to visualize your internal challenges as a villain that you, the hero of your story, need to vanquish.

Distractions

Shut off phone, email, and apps, go to a quiet place, get away from other people who might interrupt you.

“focus solely on the thing you need to do or should be doing”

Ironically, people reach for distractions to soothe negative emotions about the work, yet this choice means that you fail to make progress. As a result, “you feel worse than you did when you first put off the task.”

Don’t let anything distract you: “t’s much harder to regain focus than it is to maintain it.”

“So when you think you are multitasking you are actually switching your goals and turning the respective rules on and off in rapid succession. The switches are fast (tenths of a second) so you may not notice them, but those delays and the loss of focus can add up.”