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Authors: William D. Knaus
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step?
Think about your thinking. Are you setting yourself up to procrastinate by prejudging a situation as too tough, complicated, unpleasant, or undoable? If so, introduce a change into this thinking process. First, ask and answer what makes the task too tough for
you
? Separate belief and assumptionfrom fact. Consider the Chinese philosopher Laotzuâs (604â531 BC ) oft-quoted perspective that the journey of a thousand miles begins beneath your feet.
â¢
Is self-handicapping inconsistent with your expressed long-term goals?
If so, what needs to change? What can you do to prepare differently in the next situation where self-handicapping beliefs surface and fog reality? For example, by recognizing self-handicapping procrastination thinking as a consistent but correctable error, youâve put a special form of procrastination thinking into the spotlight.
â¢
Will awareness alone thwart a self-handicapping process?
Awareness is a start. You can normally advance this awareness by contrasting handicapping self-statements with do-it-now thinking and behavior. Weâll get into how to create and support a productive do-it-now idea later in this chapter.
Counterfactual Thinking
Counterfactual thinking is about what didnât happen but could have happened had you acted differently. One form is an
upward counterfactual
because it points to what you could have done to promote a better outcome. This thinking can extend into self-recrimination if you tend to blame yourself, or it can be useful information for future planning.
If there is an upward counterfactual, you can bet that you can find a
downward counterfactual
. This is about what could have been worse had you not acted as you did.
Unless you are careful about upward counterfactuals, you may get down on yourself. If you allow for no past, present, or future errors, counterfactual thinking can be a terror. If hindsight turns into an examination of what you should have had the foresight to see, this view can be dysfunctional
Downward counterfactuals are upward in the sense that you both have distanced yourself from the event and can feel better because things could have been worse.
You may feel better about your performance with a downward counterfactual than with an upward counterfactual. For example, Olympic silver medalists are inclined to occupy themselves with what they could have done to get the gold, and bronze medalists tend to think about their good fortune in avoiding fourth place.
Upward counterfactual thinking is associated with higher levels of procrastination under anxious circumstances. When counterfactuals combine with self-handicapping, the trend is to excuse procrastination and improve self-esteem. When delays lead to weak performance, safeguarding oneâs image can come into play in two ways: âIf only I hadnât procrastinated on preparing for my presentation, I would have gotten the promotion.â This combination makes performance improvements less likely.
Depending on the situation,
could have
thinking can have different effects. This thinking can be depressing if you believe that you are powerless to take corrective actions in the next situation. You might consider how to do better in the future, and plan for taking the types of actions that offer you the best chance. Downward counterfactuals can help you save face. You have better alternatives.
⢠The first century AD Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said: âYour past is gone, your future is uncertain.â If you take this message to heart, you know that you cannot change what has been done, but that the corrective actions you take today apply to shaping a positive future.
⢠âCould haveâ counterfactuals are associated with higher levels of procrastination. It doesnât have to be that way. With reflection and planning, you could have fewer âcould havesâ and more âhave doneâ experiences.
⢠You can turn
Think about your thinking. Are you setting yourself up to procrastinate by prejudging a situation as too tough, complicated, unpleasant, or undoable? If so, introduce a change into this thinking process. First, ask and answer what makes the task too tough for
you
? Separate belief and assumptionfrom fact. Consider the Chinese philosopher Laotzuâs (604â531 BC ) oft-quoted perspective that the journey of a thousand miles begins beneath your feet.
â¢
Is self-handicapping inconsistent with your expressed long-term goals?
If so, what needs to change? What can you do to prepare differently in the next situation where self-handicapping beliefs surface and fog reality? For example, by recognizing self-handicapping procrastination thinking as a consistent but correctable error, youâve put a special form of procrastination thinking into the spotlight.
â¢
Will awareness alone thwart a self-handicapping process?
Awareness is a start. You can normally advance this awareness by contrasting handicapping self-statements with do-it-now thinking and behavior. Weâll get into how to create and support a productive do-it-now idea later in this chapter.
Counterfactual Thinking
Counterfactual thinking is about what didnât happen but could have happened had you acted differently. One form is an
upward counterfactual
because it points to what you could have done to promote a better outcome. This thinking can extend into self-recrimination if you tend to blame yourself, or it can be useful information for future planning.
If there is an upward counterfactual, you can bet that you can find a
downward counterfactual
. This is about what could have been worse had you not acted as you did.
Unless you are careful about upward counterfactuals, you may get down on yourself. If you allow for no past, present, or future errors, counterfactual thinking can be a terror. If hindsight turns into an examination of what you should have had the foresight to see, this view can be dysfunctional
Downward counterfactuals are upward in the sense that you both have distanced yourself from the event and can feel better because things could have been worse.
You may feel better about your performance with a downward counterfactual than with an upward counterfactual. For example, Olympic silver medalists are inclined to occupy themselves with what they could have done to get the gold, and bronze medalists tend to think about their good fortune in avoiding fourth place.
Upward counterfactual thinking is associated with higher levels of procrastination under anxious circumstances. When counterfactuals combine with self-handicapping, the trend is to excuse procrastination and improve self-esteem. When delays lead to weak performance, safeguarding oneâs image can come into play in two ways: âIf only I hadnât procrastinated on preparing for my presentation, I would have gotten the promotion.â This combination makes performance improvements less likely.
Depending on the situation,
could have
thinking can have different effects. This thinking can be depressing if you believe that you are powerless to take corrective actions in the next situation. You might consider how to do better in the future, and plan for taking the types of actions that offer you the best chance. Downward counterfactuals can help you save face. You have better alternatives.
⢠The first century AD Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius said: âYour past is gone, your future is uncertain.â If you take this message to heart, you know that you cannot change what has been done, but that the corrective actions you take today apply to shaping a positive future.
⢠âCould haveâ counterfactuals are associated with higher levels of procrastination. It doesnât have to be that way. With reflection and planning, you could have fewer âcould havesâ and more âhave doneâ experiences.
⢠You can turn
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