Introduction
The study of behavior and the behavioral change is an important area of interest in the contemporary psychology. The paper is based upon the experience of bringing self-directed positive change in my procrastinative behavior. The experience relevant to the paper is generated and studies on the basis of the Stages of Change Model (Demetriou & Raftopoulos, 2000, pp.23). The behavior can be modified in a process comprised of five steps. At the Precontemplation stage, one may or may not be aware of his/her problem. In transitioning to the Contemplation stage, one thinks about the behavioral problem and decided to change it. The Preparation stage involves the planning to bring change in the individual’s behavior. This stage includes the selection and formulation of strategies and tactics to bring a change. During the Action stage, the individual behaves consistently in a planned manner in order to bring a change. The final stage known as Maintenance stage is comprised of six months to check the consistency of the changed behavior to call it as a ‘change in the behavior.’
The area of personal change
When procrastination takes over, nothing can motivate an individual to complete or carry out the desired task that may be of some importance to the individual’s everyday life or long-term goals of life. I suffered from procrastination before the self-directed change in the behavior. There was a lack of motivation and energy to complete academic homework, search for a job, and overall, leadings an energetic and punctual life. If we apply the Change Model to the situation, it will be the Precontemplation stage where I would not be intuitive about my procrastinate behavior. This project, however, pushes me towards the Contemplation stage, where I realized that the procrastinative and clingy behavior about the homework and other goals in life can be threatening to my future and life in general.
The reason for the change
The motivation behind changing the procrastination involves the possibility of a punctual, energetic, and ultimately a successful life. And if this habit is not changed; it would lead to a relatively less energetic, and a meaningless life. The goal of this change process is to be self-assertive, and be in control of one’s own behavior. I have had put-off this dream of change for years, and this project is an opportunity of self-assessment for me. The idea of bringing a positive change in the behavior is challenging to me. Moreover, procrastination is relatively the worst behavioral problem I have ever faced in my life; therefore, a change in this habit would be self-satisfactory and bring positivity in the life.
Procrastination is a silent killer, where it brings in us the false belief that avoiding a task and problem at hand would ultimately make it disappear on its own. However, with the passage of time, it becomes clearer that the procrastination has caused us more tension and loss. There is the point, where we feel that this behavior is problematic and must be changed. The purpose of the change is not to change an individual’s personality, but a change in the behavior and way of thinking and acting.
Why did not this happen in the past?
The change in the behavior did not happen in the past, since, I was suffering from procrastination which happens to kill the motivation for the accomplishment of a task, let alone the idea of eliminating procrastination itself. However, the scope of the study is based on my personal change experience, that provided an opportunity of self-assessment and insight about the behavior. The answer lies in changing the procrastinative behavior that the author has wanted for long, but put it off, as there was hardly any push to bring motivation in order to change this behavior.
Strategies and tactics used
In the preparation stage of the Change Model, an individual selects and formulates the strategies and tactics to help eliminate a behavior on its own. The strategies and tactics used in the study are as follows;
Elimination of paradoxes and inconsistent behavior
The paradoxes and inconsistencies like working under pressure, the utilization of the important time in leisure activities, and avoiding an emotionally upsetting-situation to feel better temporarily were voluntarily removed from the behavior. It was not easier, since, I had to work hard to convince myself that working under pressure is better than facing the embarrassment; and that avoiding a conflicting or emotional situation only worsens it. Therefore, it is better to deal the issue in a timely way.
Self-motivational reinforcement
If the success was achieved during the Action stage, therse was a positive reinforcement to bring the consistency in the positive behavior. Positive reinforcement included watching a movie in leisure time, and going out with friends, which are my favorite pass-time activities.
Punctuality
The inculcation of the punctuality was an objective of bringing an overall change in the behavior, as the procrastination stems out of a non-punctual and inconsistent lifestyle. Although it was hard to introduce punctuality in a sluggish lifestyle, but the challenging nature of the study helped in doing the trick.
Setting deadlines and self-supervision
In order to accomplish the tasks and duties in an agile manner, the deadlines were set for important academic tasks, or the tasks related to the job search. A continuous self-check and self-appraisal helped in meeting the set deadlines, and the motivation of achieving the successful results kept the sluggishness at bay.
Evaluation
Although it was a practical project, but there is always a possibility of deviation from the set standards and rules, when it comes to bringing change in the behavior. The behavioral change was monitored for a few weeks, and the experience was successful up to a greater extent of the set target. However, a complete success would be evaluated after a period of six months, that would be the Maintenance stage. The change process proved to be fruitful for the relevant period, and it is expected that the change would be consistent after some period of continuity and consistency.
Conclusion
The lesson that I learned from the experience of bringing change in the procrastinative behavior was that the personal deviant behavior is associated with our inner fears and complexes, and all it needs to eliminate such behavior is a self-assessment and self-supervision of the behavior. And the best critic of an individual’s behavior is his own mind and thought. There are various strategies and models in the literature devised and experimented by renowned psychologists, and the practical implementation of one of those models or strategies can help in the better management of the behavioral change.
References
Demetriou, Andreas and Athanassios Raftopoulos. Cognitive developmental change. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (2000) pp. 23-27.
