… what you can do today. Yes, it’s another one of those nuggets of wisdom hiding in our common clichés and sayings. And what is this one telling us? STOP PROCRASTINATING. Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell–it’s just that this is a message most of us are very resistant to hearing.

Speaking for myself, when it comes to work (and school, when I was a student), I always get things done early. The second I’m given a professional or academic deadline, I’m off and running. I usually have my work done well in advance of the due date. My colleagues and former classmates would tell you that I never procrastinate. But when it comes to my personal goals… well, let’s just say that it’s a bit more challenging. For example, I want to stick to a regular regimen of writing, but I always have laundry to fold, or TV to watch, or a bathtub that simply must be cleaned AT THAT VERY MOMENT.

Hi. My name is Jen, and I’m a closet procrastinator.

When procrastination kicks in, it’s usually for one of the following reasons:

• Perfectionism. My old archenemy. This is especially bad with my writing. I’ll fuss over one sentence for HOURS, putting off making any real progress with the project I’m working on. Why? Because it’s not perfect yet. Obviously, this completely undermines my goal of moving forward. What can I do about it? Give myself permission to be less than perfect. Refuse to edit my work until I hit a predetermined milestone (e.g., 30 pages). Make a conscious effort to let go.
• Resistance. I’m a huge planner. I make schedules that I must adhere to, especially with running. I tell myself that I have to stick to the schedule. I must. It’s not optional. Then my inner teenager gets all rebellious and, the next thing I know, I’m smoking in the proverbial girls’ room between classes. What I need to do is convince myself that I want to stick to my running schedule, that it’s something I passionately desire to do. See the difference?
• Discouragement. My goal is to write a book, so I should focus on the end point, right? Wrong. Anyone who’s ever written with a word count in mind knows how intimidating a blinking cursor can be when you’re 10 pages in with 290 to go. I could avoid feeling discouraged and frustrated by breaking my goal down into manageable bites. Ten pages of a 30-page chapter is 1/3 of the way done. Much better!
• Lack of instant gratification. When I get home from a hard day at work, I have a choice as to how I’ll spend the night. I could do some writing, which requires mental and creative energy, or I could curl up in the recliner with a good movie and a glass of merlot. What’s more tempting to you? What I need to do is give myself an incentive to work toward my goals. A great way to do this is to implement a reward system. Maybe for each page I write, I put $10 in the Macbook fund (and I reeeeaaaallly want a Macbook). Or maybe I treat myself to a nice dinner at the end of every chapter. The bottom line is that I need to do something to make writing immediately rewarding.

What tasks do you put off until the last minute? Do you have any strategies for ending procrastination?

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