Avoid "black and white thinking." In this type of thinking, everything you encounter either is or it isn't; there are no shades of gray. Therefore, if something doesn't turn out the way you want it to, everything must be bad because nothing can be salvaged unless there are gray areas. It's a great one for procrastinators who say things like, "Since I'm not likely to get this paper done in time, why bother trying at all?" •To avoid this type of thinking, embrace the shades of gray in life. Instead of thinking in terms of two outcomes, one positive, and one negative, make a list of all of the outcomes in between to see that things aren't as dire as they seem.
•For example, if you get a late start on a paper and think you shouldn't bother because you won't finish it in time, consider the other possibilities. You could finish half the paper and still get a better grade than if you don't turn it in; you could finish the whole paper but have it be a bit more rough that you hoped; you could even talk to your teacher to see if you could get an extension.
•"Black and white thinking" is a form of "over-generalizing." This is thinking that things are never or always a certain way. This is a way of scolding yourself into permanent inability, such as when you say something like: "I always botch these tests. Why would today be any different?" or "She is never wrong, therefore it must be me who is wrong."
•Seeing the shades of gray in any situation will help you see that it's almost never the end of the world when you feel like your back is pushed up against the wall.