So what’s on your procrastination list? You know! The things you’ve been meaning to do, but you’ve always had a reason to put off. For me, it’s all the small stuff around the house. Paint the metal-work on the porch, stain the capped post leading to the basement, install the door handle on the closet in my office (BTW, that’s been on the list for 2 summers now), install the new light fixtures in the kitchen, etc.

Here’s a great tip on overcoming the rot of procrastination, I found in an article written by Steve Pavlina.

Replace “Have To” With “Want To”

First, thinking that you absolutely have to do something is a major reason for procrastination. When you tell yourself that you have to do something, you’re implying that you’re being forced to do it, so you’ll automatically feel a sense of resentment and rebellion. Procrastination kicks in as a defense mechanism to keep you away from this pain. If the task you are putting off has a real deadline, then when the deadline gets very close, the sense of pain associated with the task becomes overridden by the much greater sense of pain if you don’t get started immediately.

The solution to this first mental block is to realize and accept that you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Even though there may be serious consequences, you are always free to choose. No one is forcing you to run your business the way you do. All the decisions you’ve made along the way have brought you to where you are today. If you don’t like where you’ve ended up, you’re free to start making different decisions, and new results will follow. Also be aware that you don’t procrastinate in every area of your life. Even the worst procrastinators have areas where they never procrastinate. Perhaps you never miss your favorite TV show, or you always manage to check your favorite online forums each day. In each situation the freedom of choice is yours. So if you’re putting off starting that new project you feel you “have to” do this year, realize that you’re choosing to do it of your own free will. Procrastination becomes less likely on tasks that you openly and freely choose to undertake.

How do you deal with procrastination? Leave me your comments below.