It may seem obvious, but the best antidote for procrastination is taking action, any action. Jump in. Start at the front, the back, or in the middle, but do something. Once you’re into the project, your paralysis may fall away, and a course of action will become more clear to you.
Is procrastination just laziness? Not really. Psychologists say procrastination is not just an issue of time management. It’s about feeling paralyzed and guilty as you ignore a deadline. It also involves false beliefs.
You might think you work better under pressure, or you feel better about tackling the work later. The project is put off to the point where it can’t be done well before the deadline.
* Fear of failure is the main reason people procrastinate says Neil Fiore, Ph.D., author of The Now Habit. Procrastinators would rather be seen as lacking in effort than lacking in ability.
* Perfectionism is a factor. Those who feel they must be perfect in order to please others often put things off.
* Impulsiveness leads to fractured work time. Rather than staying focused, the procrastinator will allow himself to be distracted by another task and go on to that instead of proceeding with what should be done.
* Depression can lead to procrastination and procrastination can lead to depression.