Solving the Procrastination Puzzle Master Class

2. Course Format

Each class will run for 90 minutes via Zoom. Each 90-minute session will be divided into the following 4 segments:

1. Each class will begin with a 30- to 40-minute instructional segment:  here, Tim will introduce the topic for the week with examples, summarize research that addresses the topic, and provide a strategy (or a number of strategies as appropriate) that coaches could incorporate into their practice to enable clients to address this aspect of procrastination.
2. This instructional portion will be followed by a 5- 10-minute segment for “Questions of Clarification.” Questions at this point will be focused on specific points of that day’s teaching, such as research or terms used.
3. The third 30-minute segment will be the “Coach’s Corner:” during this time, Irene Nizzero (MentorCoach instructor) will talk with Tim about ways she sees coaches using this approach now,  how she has used the same or similar techniques in the past and/or how students might incorporate aspects of the information presented more concretely in their work with clients.
4. The final, 10- to 20-minute segment will be an open Q&A: a lively, open-ended conversation begun in the “Coach’s Corner” with further application of theory and research to coaching specifically.

3. The Eight Weeks

Week 1 – Name It to Tame It

Although all procrastination is delay, not all delay is procrastination. We begin by examining what procrastination is and in not in order to understand the nature of delay in our lives more fully. Delay is a part of life, and not all delay is problematic. In addition, even when some delay becomes problematic, it may not be procrastination per se. We may be forgetful or distracted, resulting in delay. Using examples and vignettes, we consider how clients might learn to distinguish between truly needless delay that undermines them from purpose, or inevitable delay that is part of life.

Week 2 – The Costs of Procrastination

Although some people diminish the negative effects of procrastination to the anxiety of a few “all-nighters” and a little extra stress, research reveals that procrastination undermines performance, well-being and even our health. In this session, we explore the research related to the outcomes associated with procrastination, including the deeply existential problem of not getting on with our lives due to needless delay. Understanding and identifying the costs of procrastination in our lives can help motivate clients to change.

Week 3 – Giving in to Feel Good

Procrastination, that “thief of time,” is often framed as a time-management problem. From grade-school students to CEOs, too often our coaching focus can be on enhancing efficiency through time-management. However, although time management is necessary, it is not sufficient to solve the procrastination puzzle. In this session, we review research that more accurately frames procrastination as an emotion-regulation problem – where we misregulate our emotions by “giving in to feel good.” This self-regulation approach can form the foundation of effective coaching related to procrastination issues.

Week 4 – 7 Techniques to Manage Emotions

Building on our understanding of procrastination as a self-regulation failure, particularly an emotion-regulation problem, we spend our time in this session reviewing the Affect Regulation Training (ART) program as a series of coachable skills that have been shown to decrease procrastination.

Week 5 – Predictably Irrational

Behavioral economists and psychologists alike have learned that we are more like Homer Simpson than homo economicus. We are, in the words of Dan Ariely, “predictably irrational.” In many ways, procrastination is an outcome of, or at least affected by, our irrationality in terms of how we think about the future and our future selves. “I’ll feel like it tomorrow.” In this session, we explore some of these biases in human cognition and the implications for how we can help clients with their goal pursuit by recognizing and counteracting our inherent irrationality.

Week 6 – Outsource Your Will

All too often, we lament that our procrastination problem is a symptom of our lack of willpower. If only we had the willpower, we could get going on that dreaded task. We think about willpower as an internal individual attribute, a muscle that we need to strengthen. In this session, we challenge this thinking and learn techniques to help clients outsource their will using environmental helps to support goal pursuit.

Week 7 – More Effective Intentions and Plans

We have all made half-hearted, anemic intentions that simply have no motivational force in our lives. In fact, coaches and psychotherapists alike lament how clients say that they will do the follow up work before the next meeting, but all too often this never happens which undermines the coaching and therapeutic process. In this session, we learn how to move past broad goal intentions to more specific implementation intentions, as well as a 4-step process to help move clients from wishes to specific plans.

Week 8 – Perfectionism, Self-Compassion & Self-Forgiveness

Even when we have a strong readiness for change in our lives, change is an uneven process often described as “two steps forward, one step back.” Research has shown that unless we can forgive ourselves for not following through as intended, we are less likely to try again. The thing is, self-forgiveness requires self-compassion, and self-compassion can be undermined by our attitudes towards compassion as well as perfectionistic tendencies. In this session, we consider how to enhance a client’s self-compassion by addressing self-forgiveness, self-compassion and perfectionism.

4. Private Class Webpage

We will be using a password-protected class website that will be your home on the web for this class. In advance of each session, we will post Tim’s PowerPoints in multiple formats, relevant articles, videos, and blog entries. Then by Wednesday evening, following the Tuesday class, we’ll post the recording from that week’s class as well.

In addition, private space in Mighty Networks® for the class will allow students to make comments and post questions during and between classes.

Every class will be recorded. By the day after each session, you will be able to listen to the class recording online or to download a digital recording of the class to your computer, phone, and/or MP3 player.

Thus, when you have a conflict with a particular class, you will have the recording, PowerPoints, and readings, and you will not miss a thing. In many of our special one-time offered master classes, some students had ongoing conflicts and listened to the entire class by recording. We anticipate that a few of Tim’s students in this class – for example, those living in Australia and New Zealand – may decide to experience the class entirely by recording, still emailing questions to him between classes. (And they will even be able to earn ICF CCEs in Resource Development).

5. Class Schedule

6. Open to All

All are welcome to Tim’s class.  There are no prerequisites for it.  The class is open to everyone, both within the MentorCoach Community and outside of it.

7. Tuition

$695.00
Or 3 payments of $249
(plus optional $75 for California BBS CEs)
(plus optional $20 for ICF CCEs)

8. MentorCoach Coach Certification

This class provides 12 hours toward MentorCoach Certification as an elective for students meeting the class attendance requirement (see #11 below.) It can also provide 12 hours toward ICF Certification via a Level 2 approved program such as MentorCoach or via the ICF Portfolio Approach.

9. International Coaching Federation (ICF) Coach Continuing Education

Live Class Attendance. This class is approved for 12 hours of CCEs from the ICF for students meeting the class attendance requirement (see #11 below). There is a $20 fee for ICF CCEs.

Listening by Recording. For students who will be listening to Tim’s classes by recording, this class is approved for 12 CCEs in ICF Resource Development for students meeting the class attendance requirement for listening by recording (see #12 below).

10. Board Continuing Education (CEs)

This class is approved for 12 hours of CEs (continuing education units) for Marriage and Family Therapists in California (CA BBS). The CE administration fee is $75. CEs for psychologists (APA) are not provided for this class.

To receive credit for CEs, students must pay the CE fee and be present for 9.5 of the 12 class hours (see #11 – Attendance Requirements).

Note: The CE fee is $75 and applies only if you are a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California and need CEs from this organization. Otherwise, when you register, indicate that you do not need to pay the CE fee by choosing the “Base Unit Price with NO CE’s” registration option.

11. Attendance Requirements

Every class will be recorded. You may listen to some or all the classes by recording at your leisure. Please note: this will affect the kind of credit you are entitled to.

To receive credit for board clinician CEs, ICF CCEs in Core Competencies, credit toward MentorCoach Certification, or to receive a course Certificate of Completion, you must be present for 10 of the 12 class hours. (How do you receive attendance credit for half of a class? By being present only at the beginning or end of a class.)

Listening to the class by recording does not count toward the attendance requirement for receiving CEs, credit toward MentorCoach Certification, ICF CCEs (Core Competencies), or a class Certificate of Completion.

However, you can earn 12 hours of ICF CCEs in Resource Development by listening to all eight 90-minute sessions. (See #12 below.)

12. Listening by Recording

Every class is recorded. Some students may listen to some or all the classes by recording at their leisure, sometimes emailing questions to Tim between classes. We applaud and support this practice. We know one well-known Australian professor who used to end his week listening to the recordings of Chris Peterson’s lectures on Friday evenings, drinking white wine and reclining in his hot tub.

Listening to all eight sessions of the class by recording DOES qualify the student to receive 12 hours of ICF CCEs in Resource Development. For students who will be listening to Tim’s classes by recording, you will receive 12 hours of ICF CCEs. To qualify for these ICF CCEs, students must listen to all recordings and submit all class attendance codes (2 for each class) and a summary paragraph within a week after the final class. Students electing to listen by recording should notify the class TA they are doing so at the beginning of the course.

13. Refund Policy

You may withdraw your registration at any time before the beginning of the second class and receive a full refund. You are responsible for the full tuition amount if you do not withdraw before the beginning of the second class. Should you need to request a refund prior to the second class, please email your tuition refund request to info@mentorcoach.com.