Procrastination is about resistance and refusal, and although you can dress it up so it looks like deep philosophical contemplation, it still comes down to you not taking action. Ever heard the saying 'what you resist, persists'? Believe me, I have put things off for years that I was reluctant to deal with, like sorting out the attic, and surprise, surprise the undealt-with items lurk around like unwanted guests at a wedding, spoiling the feast.

Every time you refuse to deal with something, or put it off till a later date, it hasn't gone anywhere. It is still there waiting to be dealt with. Not just physically in terms of what you have to do to make the thing happen, but also emotionally it is draining because you are using a lot of energy to avoid rather than put into action.

Let's make this clear - lift your eyes from this page and look at some physical object in front of you, anything will do from a pile of papers waiting to be dealt with to a cup of coffee. Now close your eyes and I assume in that state you don't see the object - is that right? It has disappeared, but the moment you open your eyes, hey presto it is back again.

That's what happens when we 'close our eyes' to what we need to be doing. Our resistance creates and then erects for us a wonderful barrier. It tries to fool us into thinking that the problem has gone away because we refuse to 'see' it. So let's look at removing that barrier, once and for all.

Removing the Resistance Barrier - What are you procrastinating most about right now? Take only a moment - 1 minute maximum - and write down the first thing that comes into your head. This one thing is the basis of a really practical exercise and although I know you can probably come up with a list stretching to infinity, I want you to work with just ONE item.

You have full permission to put off dealing with the other procrastination items on your list until you have worked this exercise right through for just one of them. What you are going to look at here will help you identify what your resistance really is about and how you normally try to deal with it.

This is really about self-examination of your motives and methods and that is the core information you need to be able to overcome the barriers you have erected for yourself.

The Key Questions - First, what are you really procrastinating about right now? What is taking up all your time and your energy in NOT doing it?

Second, How do you resist taking action on it? Don't be shy, put everything down from going for a walk to drinking too many cups of coffee.

Now simply think of one single, simple, easy action you could take that would move you from inertia into action. Then do it - repeat this simple formula at least twice a day and you will see your procrastination disappear.

when pc is a good thing.......

I have always been a procrastinator, with huge stress levels as I got overwhelmed by what I had left undone. Gradually I learned many different techniques for overcoming my reluctance to get things started, or finished, and my life got back on track. What took me longer to realize is that sometimes procrastination can be a good thing - isn't that incredible?

When Hesitating Is A Win

Procrastination comes from the Latin root of Pro, meaning for or in favour of, and Crastus which means tomorrow. So basically we procrastinators are all in favour of tomorrow, which of course never comes. Now normally I am encouraging people to take action to overcome their procrastination but there are some exceptional circumstances where holding back can be a benefit.

The first case where this applies is if you have lost someone dear to you through bereavement, separation or divorce. There is a huge temptation to try and deal with it by selling up and moving away, or getting rid of the things that are painful reminders of that person.

Time is needed to heal grief and sorrow and impulsive actions now can mean you feeling bereft months down the line when you have no familiar surroundings or support system because you have upped sticks to a new town.

There will come a time when the things that remind you of your loss will be a comfort and bring happy memories and a way of reconnecting the joy and pleasure you shared. If you have given away everything then you are denying those memories and losing the opportunity to accept the loss and move forward in an integrated way over time.

The next time to procrastinate is over making a huge life change without enough thinking and planning time. Major decisions can be made in an instant, but are harder to undo if you have literally committed everything to your new venture.

I am particularly thinking here of people I have met who have decided to spend their retirement in a sunnier climate, sell up and move lock, stock and barrel. Great idea, but when they get there they realize they are too far from their family, or a place that is great for a holiday is not ideal for retiring to. Procrastination here helps you take time, research the project, plan ahead and have an escape plan such as renting out your home for a year and living in the new place without committing all your capital to buying a new home.

I know this all too dearly for myself because I moved countries at the end of a relationship and it was exciting, fun and challenging. It also meant I lost my whole support system at home and in a country where my knowledge of the language was not adequate I really struggled. Had I thought it through, I would have done research that would have shown me that there were very few English speakers where I was going, it was very rural and I love shopping and cafes, and the local patois needed some months of study to be comfortable with - so I offer these thoughts to ponder if you too are thinking of doing something so drastic.

Cherish this article, it is probably the only time I am going to recommend procrastinating as a good thing!

Lifebelt tip.......

Two of the most common problems that procrastinators can face are an inability to prioritise and to keep getting stuck on perfection. Let's look at how to tackle prioritising because unless you learn to get the main thing done before the hundreds of other more interesting things claim your attention you will be stuck in that procrastinating rut and going nowhere.

I call this my 'lifebelt' tip because it literally can rescue from drowning in a sea of inaction and frustration. I work by the rule of three: each morning I write down on a sticky note the three things that must be done that day and I put it where I cannot miss it - in the middle of my computer screen. In order to work I have to move the note, so if I want to check my emails I have a stark reminder that those are my priorities - and I get them done first before finding out whether my favourite astrology column says I should venture out of doors or what the members of the various forums I belong to are banging on about that day.

Notice, I am choosing to do those three things because I know that once they are out of the way I can do the more fun stuff; my 'reward' is the way I choose to look at it. These are my ABC's and a typical day's top three could be this:

A Contact agent about book synopsis sent off a month ago
B Write healthy newsletter
C Pay water bill

These are the 'must-do's' and you will notice I have put them in order of importance. I don't want to keep hanging on for that particular publisher if they are not interested in the book, so I want to move it on to offer to others and I need to know what the situation is. So I make that phone call first, then move the post-it note to the side of the screen to write the newsletter, and then go online last to pay the water bill. As I am online I will probably then go on and check my emails, horoscope and the many newsgroups I belong to, but the point is I have done the prioritised list first.

Remember that procrastination can ruin your health, happiness and relationships - but only if you let it.

Procrastination is the Thief of Time.......

So that's why you don't get anything done is it? That quote comes from a work by Edward Young, the English poet who lived from1683 - 1765. Well that ought to prove to you that procrastination is nothing new, and although it may be fine for poets to daydream their lives away it doesn't really work for the rest of us.

It's a good image though isn't it? It's not your fault you haven't got things done, it was that nasty thief who came in and stole all the time you had allowed to do that thing you keep leaving undone. Well, guess who gave the thief the key to the door and invited them to walk in? You did of course by not setting out clear boundaries around your time.

Did you say 'this time is mine, and sacred, and cannot be touched, exchanged or bartered away'? No, instead you said things like 'well I was going to start redecorating the spare bedroom this morning for my mother's visit, but if you want me to go to the mall with you, well I guess that will be ok. I will do it later'. Did you hear the creak as the door swung open to allow that opportunist thief in?

Did you set a personal 'burglar alarm' by instead saying 'oh I would have loved to go to the mall with you, but I have set today aside for decorating the spare room. If I don't start today it won't be finished in time for my mother's visit next week, so count me out for today'.

That thief can't get in if you lock the place up tight and you do that by setting clear boundaries around your time and then honouring them. Your time is one of your most precious possessions, so take charge of it and don't even think about letting anyone steal it from you.

Procrastination means always having to say sorry.......