The reason for procrastination varies from person to person. Some do it because they don’t want to fail and are convinced they will, some do it because they want it to be perfect, some do it because they are afraid of the future thinking that they will have nothing to do if they finish this work and they don’t want to think about what’s next. For some, it is time and for some it is a dislike of the activity involved.

Whatever be the reason, it is hard because we are convinced in our minds (and often in our hearts) that by putting off a particular activity, we are somehow better off – mentally, physically, spiritually, etc. It is perception and is hard to fix since it is intangible.

The best way to deal with it is to visualize the end goal, what you would gain by doing it and more importantly, what you have to lose by not doing it. If it helps, make a list of the pros and cons of not doing that activity. Seeing the consequence of your procrastination written down often helps make it mroe tangible, more ‘real’ and serves as a wake-up call.

It is easier said than done, of course because the longer we put something off, the bigger it looms on our life’s horizon. Our imagined fears become real problems because they feed on the conflict within ourselves that caused us to delay working on it to begin with.

Of course, there are times when we are plain lazy! And the commonest culprit of all – time (or the lack thereof)! :-)