ACT For Overcoming Procrastination Vocabulary

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on Dr. Russ Harris's guide 'ACT For Overcoming Procrastination'.

HARD Acronym

An acronym summarising four major barriers to taking action: Hooked, Avoiding discomfort, Remoteness from values, and Doubtful goals.

Hooked

A barrier where the mind invents reasons, rules, or conditions that hold us back from taking action on things that matter.

Avoiding Discomfort

The single biggest reason for procrastination, involving the delay of action to gain temporary relief from difficult thoughts and feelings such as fear and anxiety.

Remoteness from Values

A state where a task or goal lacks motivation because its underlying meaning, importance, or connection to personal values has been ignored, neglected, or forgotten.

Doubtful Goals

Goals that cause procrastination because they are unrealistic, overly ambitious, perfectionistic, or lack necessary resources such as time, energy, health, money, social support, or skills.

Unhooking

The strategy of using skills—such as noticing and naming thoughts, thanking the mind, or dropping anchor—to take the power and impact out of reason-giving thoughts.

Making Room

Using 'opening up' skills to acknowledge, name, breathe into, and allow uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, and sensations to exist without letting them prevent action.

Wise Goals

Goals structured to be realistic and doable by making them specific, scheduling them, simplifying them, allowing extra time, building psychological muscles, or nibbling away at them.

Nibble Away At It

A goal-setting strategy of breaking a daunting task down into small, manageable chunks of work or time rather than attempting to complete it all at once.

Building 'Psychological Muscles'

The practice of starting with smaller, less-challenging goals and gradually increasing difficulty over time, analogous to starting with light weights at the gym.

The Seven 'R's

Seven motivation strategies: Reminders, Records, Rewards, Routines, Relationships, Reflecting, and Restructuring the environment.

Reminders

Simple visual or digital prompts—such as post-it notes, screen savers, calendar entries, or smartphone notes—used to remember intended actions.

Records

Keeping a written or digital log (such as a diary, notebook, spreadsheet, or checklist) to track what actions were taken, their duration, and the resulting benefits.

Rewards

Motivation boosters including positive self-talk, sharing progress with supportive people, or material treats given after making progress on a task.

Routines

Regular habits or rituals established around tasks to make them automatic and reduce the amount of willpower required.

Relationships

Connecting with an encouraging partner—such as a study-buddy, exercise-buddy, coach, therapist, or friend—for support and accountability.

Reflecting

Taking time regularly, either mentally or in writing, to review the actions taken and recognize the benefits they provide.

Restructuring the Environment

Modifying one's physical or digital surroundings to make desired actions easier and to eliminate distracting influences.

Dr. Russ Harris

An internationally best-selling author, medical doctor, psychotherapist, life coach, and consultant to the World Health Organisation who created the 'ACT For Overcoming Procrastination' guide.

The Happiness Trap

Dr. Russ Harris's best-known book, which has sold over one million copies and been translated into thirty languages.