Procrastination...

Who hasn't put off doing things at one time or another?

In It's About Time: The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them, Dr. Linda Sapadin and Jack Maguire write: "Of course, everybody procrastinates occasionally. An unusually messy closet gets cursed for months without ever being cleaned, or the task of writing an especially difficult letter is put off until the last possible minute."

Root Cause
Sapadin and Maguire further investigate the problem that is procrastination and point out that its roots are deep. "For many people, [procrastination] is chronic, pervasive, and deeply-rooted," they analyze. "Because of how, as children, they were conditioned to think, speak, and behave, these individuals have a built-in tendency to not only procrastinate whenever they face a challenging situation, but to do so consistently, in the same way."

Sapadin and Maguire likewise classify procrastinators into six types: Perfectionists, Crisis-Makers, Worriers, Overdoers, Defiers, and Dreamers.

Timely Breakthroughs
While each procrastinator has idiosyncrasies that distinguish him from the rest, Sapadin and Maguire assert that all procrastinators have to take these steps to break free from the bad habit:

1. Stop the negative vibes. Chronic procrastinators have a high level of frustration. This is because they often feel angry over the fact that nothing seems to be happening in their lives. "Some direct this feeling inward and come to regard themselves--at least in certain respects--worthless, stupid, unreliable, or incompetent," say Sapadin and Maguire. So, isolate your procrastination problem and don't let it spawn more negative feelings.

2. Own up to the truth. Procrastinators who don't own up to their problems may also direct "anger at the people around them" or express "resentment of the situations they're in." Own up to your procrastination problem and start finding a way to break away from it with "more productive ways of speaking, thinking, and acting."

3. Take note of your procrastination triggers. You have to pay attention to the factors that make you want to put things off. Keeping track of your reaction to certain situations would make you more conscious of the behavior that you have to correct. Take a notebook and take note of your weak moments. It's not going to be easy to do this, but you have to come clean so you can eventually move forward. You shouldn't keep making excuses like "There's no perfect time for me to do it," "I'm not ready yet," and such to avoid doing things that take you out of your comfort zone. Procrastination shouldn't become your dysfunctional "security blankets."

Good Prognosis
Chronic procrastinators need not despair. "You can solve your [procrastination] problem, no matter how long suffered from it or how hopelessly trapped you may feel," assure Sapadin and Maguire.

As long as you're committed to licking your procrastination ASAP, you're guaranteed a successful rehabilitation and a productive life.