About the Book
A marvel of evolution is that humans are not solely motivated by their desire to experience positive emotions. They are also motivated, and even driven to achieve, by their attempt to avoid or seek relief from negative ones. What Motivates Getting Things Done: Procrastination, Emotions, and Success explains how anxiety is like a highly motivating friend, why you should fear failure, and the underpinnings of shame, distress, and fear in the pursuit of excellence.
Many successful people put things off until a deadline beckons them, while countless others can’t resist the urge to do things right away. Dr. Lamia explores the emotional lives of people who are successful in their endeavors—both procrastinators and non-procrastinators alike—to illustrate how the human motivational system works, why people respond to it differently, and how everyone can use their natural style of getting things done to their advantage. The book illustrates how the different timing of procrastinators and non-procrastinators to complete tasks has to do with when their emotions are activated and what activates them.
Overall, What Motivates Getting Things Done illustrates how emotions play a significant role in our style of doing, along with our way of being, in the world. Readers will acquire a better understanding of the innate biological system that motivates them and how they can make the most of it in all areas of their lives.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
1 WHAT MOTIVATES GETTING IT DONE—AN OVERVIEW
2 DEADLINES, DELIBERATION, AND DISTRACTION
3 WHAT MOTIVATES EARLY ACTION OR DELAY
4 ANXIETY AS AN ENGINE OF TASK COMPLETION
5 WHY YOU SHOULD FEAR FAILURE
6 PURSUING EXCELLENCE
7 RELATIONSHIPS AND DIVERGENT MOTIVATIONAL STYLES
8 OPTIMIZING YOUR MOTIVATIONAL STYLE
9 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
10 LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD
BIBLIOGRAPHY
About the Author :
Mary C. Lamia, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who practices in Marin County, California. Additionally, she is a professor and the faculty chair at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. Her career-long passion to convey an understanding of emotions to the public is exemplified by her writing and media work. She is the author of Emotions! Making Sense of Your Feelings and Understanding Myself: A Kid’s Guide to Intense Emotions and Strong Feelings. She co-authored The White Knight Syndrome: Rescuing Yourself from Your Need to Rescue Others and a forthcoming book, The Upside of Shame. She has provided commentary for numerous television, radio, and print media interviews and discussions, and for nearly a decade hosted a weekly call-in talk show, KidTalk with Dr. Mary, on Radio Disney stations. Her blog posts for Psychology Today, Therapy Today, and How Do I Date websites illustrate the significant role of emotions in our lives.
Review :
Interestingly enough, both procrastinators and nonprocrastinators are successful in their endeavors, though each respond to motivation in different ways. Lamia, clinical psychologist and faculty chair has made a lifetime study of human emotions. She explains that people are moved to complete a task by not only positive but also negative emotions such as anxiety, fear of failure, and shame. Through her descriptions of personality types and motivators, readers learn to optimize their own style of action, respond to intense feelings, and be committed to meeting goals. The 'troubleshooting guide' at the end of the book outlines various ways to handle life’s glitches as they come along. VERDICT This motivating self-help guide will have wide appeal.
When it comes to getting things done, according to clinical psychologist Lamia, we can be divided into two camps: task-driven and deadline-driven. The task-driven folks keep detailed lists of projects and can’t really rest until everything is checked off. The deadline-driven mull over commitments before they begin and use the pressure of a deadline to complete their work. Interestingly, Lamia doesn’t consider one approach to be better than the other. Although the task-driven seem to be on top of things, they can sometimes rush, producing work that isn’t always their best. Despite the last-minute heroics, the deadline-driven can complete their work on time and produce high-quality results. (She does make a distinction between procrastinators who meet and don’t meet their deadlines.) The trick is embracing your style and working with it. Lamia provides illuminating insights into the positive and negative emotions that shape these attributes as well as a troubleshooting guide that offers concrete suggestions on ways to successfully harness stress and clear that to-do list.
Clinical psychologist Lamia…. analyzes the difference between successful people who are procrastinators—’deadline-driven’ people—and non-procrastinators—’task-driven’ people. Emphasizing that anxiety can be a positive motivating force, Lamia writes that task-driven people complete tasks to avoid the anxiety over having one remain unfinished. Deadline-driven people, conversely, use the anxiety they feel as a deadline approaches to get a task finished…. The book is at its best when addressing how being labeled a procrastinator can negatively affect children and adults, and how the two work styles interact with each other…. Readers will find some good advice for getting along with people with different work strategies.
Exceptionally well written, impressively informative and insightful, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, What Motivates Getting Things Done: Procrastination, Emotions, and Success is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library collections, as well as the personal reading lists for psychology students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject.
Dr. Lamia’s new book on procrastination speaks to readers in a simple, straightforward language and tone, with lots of real-life examples making it an easy read. She offers insights to the “eMOTION + MOTIVATION” link behind forms of procrastination, with tricks on how to get it done. The emphasis on emotions (e.g., shame, guilt, anxiety, fear), and not focusing on failure, will help procrastinators cope in life.
Dr. Mary Lamia offers wise and practical light and guidance on emotions and motivation in this serious, thoughtful and important book. A singular achievement
Dr. Lamia says “you can learn about yourself if you pay attention” and you can also do so by reading this book. It is lucid and has great examples. After reading it you will have deeper self-understanding.
If you are someone who often can't "just do it", this book may help you just do it better. Procrastination can often be seriously debilitating. Yet, ironically it can also be a powerfully motivating, as most people who have been students know. Dr. Lamia illustrates how some people have learned to make procrastination work for them to become more effective and better reach their goals. This book uniquely shows how highly successful people have turned procrastination into a personal asset. Procrastination may help unleash creativity, generate novel problem-solving, and even heighten focus. The secret of making procrastination an ally is in managing the negative emotions it too often generates. In an area where behavior is very difficult to change, this new approach is truly exciting and greatly needed.
