# Materials On Goal Setting / Less Procrastination / Seeing Things Thru **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 28, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997 "2007-11-28T04:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/1 "2007-11-28T04:28:10Z")
I’m on record as thinking that self-help books are usually a really bad gift idea unless you’re absolutely sure they’re wanted, but in this case I am. I have a relative who shared my personal inclination towards procrastination and inertia, but while I am a mere dabbler in these fields, the rellie could medal in them at the Olympics. He’s interested in getting a grip on things, clarifying his goals, and taking concrete steps towards accomplishing them. But he’s not really sure how to do that, and I’m not much assistance. (I guess “Get the brick out of your ass” isn’t really that helpful.) Dopers, do any of you have any books or systems or materials you’ve found to be helpful in terms of setting goals and disciplining yourself to move towards them? By his personality, I know he will be much more interested in practical, concrete steps or exercises, than he will be in any thing New Age-y or woo-woo. Thanks for your help. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/2 "2007-11-28T04:33:35Z")
Sounds like Albert Ellis is the man for the job. He’s got a book called _Overcoming Procrastination._ You can’t get much more practical and no-nonsense than the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/3 "2007-11-28T04:51:15Z")
You might also try _Getting Things Done_. I admit to not having read it myself, but I have friends who swear by it. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/4 "2007-11-28T04:58:31Z")
Get Skip Downing’s _On Course_. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/5 "2007-11-28T05:38:57Z")
I guess it would depend on why he’s stuck. If he has a psychological issue that needs unsticking, I like Barbara Sher’s work for that. Her book on [Wishcraft](http://www.wishcraft.com/) is awesome, but there’s also [I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was](http://www.amazon.com/Could-Anything-Only-Knew-What/dp/0440505003/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196227810&sr=8-1) which is also very helpful in determining why someone is stuck. Barbara Sher also has a message board if he needs inspiration to keep going. If it’s just a matter of organization, I like [FranklinCovey Planners](http://www.franklincovey.com/fc/index.jsp?) and [PlanPlus](http://search.franklincovey.com/?q=planplus&x=0&y=0&sp_sr=rank) if he wants the organization to be computerized and link with his PDA. Then there’s the whole motivational field, but I’m not sure you were talking about that. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/6 "2007-11-28T15:25:53Z")
Thanks, guys! This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/7 "2007-11-28T17:07:58Z")
What do you bet he never gets around to reading them? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/8 "2007-11-28T17:30:05Z")
Yeah, you can lead a horse to water, right? But at least after that I won’t have to listen to him complaining about how he’s stuck in neutral and doesn’t know what to do. I have some sympathy for people lacking tools; I have none for people who are handed tools and don’t take the wrapper off them, much less try to use them. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/9 "2007-11-28T18:16:46Z")
I’ve read it but haven’t acted on it – procrastination cuts deep – but David Allen’s previously mentioned _Getting Things Done_ has a lot of passionate followers. Merlin Mann’s always-interesting site 43 Folders was spawned by the book, and he’s got a [great post on getting started](http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/08/getting-started-with-getting-things-done). One of these days I’ll actually start. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/materials-on-goal-setting-less-procrastination-seeing-things-thru/427997/10 "2007-11-28T18:33:17Z")
I like Steven Covey’s _First Things First_. It is good for putting the goals and framework in place of what you want to accomplish. \*Getting Things Done \* is more on the techniques for accomplishing a lot of tasks. I don’t think it’s as good for someone who feels they need the goal setting piece. It’s more for the stage where you have a lot of goals, and a lot of tasks identified to help you toward those goals, and need to make sure you are doing them.