Procrastination

“Procrastination is the thief of time.” - Edward Young (1683-1765)

According to dictionary.com procrastination is the act of putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time.

Do you every find yourself saying any of the following?:
"I'm more productive when I work under pressure, so I'm postponing all my work until the pressure builds up and then I'll get it done easily."
"I don't know how to do this problem, so I'm waiting until I know how before I do it."
"This task isn't getting done because I really don't want to do it. And that's the honest truth"
"Relax. The world isn't going to come to an end if this doesn't get done."
"This job is easier to do when I'm in the mood, and I'm simply not in the mood right now."
"I waited until the last moment before and it worked out okay, so why not this time?"
"If I wait until the last minute, I won't spend so much time on it."
"If I do this work right now, I'll miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime social event."
"I've worked on this for so long that I have no interest or energy for it."

If you have ever said any of these, chances are that you spend percentages of time procrastinating. You can also take this test at http://discoveryhealth.queendom.com/procrastination_short_access.html to find out just how much you procrastinate.

Procrastination is a complex psychological behavior that affects everyone to some degree or another. With some it can be a minor problem; with others it is a source of considerable stress and anxiety. Procrastination is only remotely related to time management, (procrastinators often know exactly what they should be doing, even if they cannot do it), which is why very detailed schedules usually are no help.

So why do we procrastingate?

Difficult - the task seems hard to do; we naturally tend to avoid difficult things in favor of those which seem easy to us.
Time-consuming - the task will take large blocks of time, and large blocks of time are unavailable until the weekend.
Lack of knowledge or skills - no one wants to make mistakes, so wait until you learn how before you start.
Fears - everyone will know how you screwed up.

Steps to the Cure
Realize you are delaying something unnecessarily.
Discover the real reasons for your delay. List them.
I'm delaying on ________ because
Reasons for Delay

1._______________

2._______________

3._______________

4._______________
Arguments Against Delay

_______________

_______________

_______________

_______________

Dispute those real reasons and overcome them. Be vigorous.
Begin the task.
Procrastination is reinforcing - every time you delay, it reinforces your negative attitude toward that task. Every time you put off something you dislike, you:
strengthen the habit of not doing;
practice avoidance instead of participation;
avoid acquiring training and skills, and
indoctrinate yourself with fears.

Procrastingation is something you must keep working on. But once you’ve got in better habits you'll be able to resolve any situation much more quickly which in turn will enhance your feelings of self-confidence. When you do succeed, take time to savor the moment so you will remember how good it feels. This will help the next time you need encouragement.
Treat the discovery process like a game, and have some fun with yourself.