Off the Shelf: Rewire

It's no secret I'm a procrastinator—in a huge way. Unless I'm about to do something I really enjoy, I can find dozens of ways to postpone the task for a "better" time. Even with those favorite activities, I catch myself putting things off til later—probably why I end up researching and writing my posts after dinner. While others spend their evenings vegging out in front of the television after a long day of tackling their to-do lists, I've finally gotten around to beginning those activities I enjoy the most.

Why the wait? A while back—that's procrastinator-speak for three years ago—I ran across a book which promised to use new insights into how the brain works to help people overcome bad habits. Admit it: procrastination is a bad habit, so the promise piqued my interest. I ended up buying the 2014 publication. And putting it on my bookshelf.

Yep. I immediately put off reading it. Why hurry? I hadn't yet had the time to duly procrastinate.

Speaking directly to those who are "somehow getting in their own way," psychotherapist and author Richard O'Connor uses Rewire to reach out to those prone to self-sabotage because "to our chagrin, we remain persistently ourselves."

In an empathetic, almost self-reflective style, the author observes that it "seems as if we have two brains, one wanting the best for us, and the other digging in its heels in a desperate, often unconscious, effort to hold on to the status quo."

He promises a book full of advice based on research drawn from various fields of brain science, inspecting just how it is that our brain really works—and what to do to "rewire" so that we are more mindful.

So...how are your New Year's resolutions doing? It's been almost a full quarter of the year since people sat down to draw up those sparkling plans for a better year. The reality of the matter is that—at least, if you are like me—those resolutions had to get packed up and stored away for a more hopeful year in the future (which is why I don't do New Year's resolutions any more). Perhaps, instead of beating ourselves up over not measuring up to our self-inflicted standards, considering some of Dr. O'Connor's advice might make a peaceful difference.