I also strongly recommend that you take at least one full day off each week with no work whatsoever. This will really recharge you and make you eager to start coming week. Having a guaranteed work-free day will increase your motivation for work and make you less likely to procrastinate. If you know that next day is your day off, you'll be less likely to put off tasks, since you won't allow yourself luxury of allowing them to spill over into your day off. When you think that every day is a work day, however, work seems never-ending, and you always tell yourself, "I should be working." Thus, your brain will use procrastination as a way to guarantee that you get some form of pleasure in your life.

Use Timeboxing

For tasks you've been putting off for a while, I recommend using timeboxing method to get started. Here's how it works: First, select a small piece of task you can work on for just 30 minutes. Then choose a reward you will give yourself immediately afterwards. The reward is guaranteed if you simply put in time; it doesn't depend on any meaningful accomplishment. Examples include watching your favorite TV show, seeing a movie, enjoying a meal or snack, going out with friends, going for a walk, or doing anything you find pleasurable. Because amount of time you'll be working on task is so short, your focus will shift to impending pleasure of reward instead of difficulty of task. No matter how unpleasant task, there's virtually nothing you can't endure for just 30 minutes if you have a big enough reward waiting for you.

When you timebox your tasks, you may discover that something very interesting happens. You will probably find that you continue working much longer than 30 minutes. You will often get so involved in a task, even a difficult one, that you actually want to keep working on it. Before you know it, you've put in an hour or even several hours. The certainty of your reward is still there, so you know you can enjoy it whenever you're ready to stop. Once you begin taking action, your focus shifts away from worrying about difficulty of task and towards finishing current piece of task which now has your full attention.

When you do decide to stop working, claim your reward, and enjoy it. Then schedule another 30-minute period to work on task with another reward. This will help you associate more and more pleasure to task, knowing that you will always be immediately rewarded for your efforts. Working towards distant and uncertain long-term rewards is not nearly as motivating as immediate short-term rewards. By rewarding yourself for simply putting in time, instead of for any specific achievements, you'll be eager to return to work on your task again and again, and you'll ultimately finish it.

The writing of this article serves as a good example of applying above techniques. I could have said to myself, "I have to finish this 2000-word article, and it has to be perfect." So first I remember that I don't have to write anything; I freely choose to write articles. Then I realize that I have plenty of time to do a good job, and that I don't need to be perfect because if I start early enough, I have plenty of time to make revisions. I also tell myself that if I just keep starting, I will eventually be done. Before I started this article, I didn't have a topic selected, so I used timeboxing method to get that done. Having dinner was my reward. I knew that at end of 30 minutes of working on task, I could eat, and I was hungry at time, so that was good motivation for me. It took me a few minutes to pick topic of overcoming procrastination, and I spent rest of time writing down some ideas and making a very rough outline. When time was up, I stopped working and had dinner, and it really felt like I'd earned that meal.

The next morning I used same 30-minute timeboxing method, making breakfast my reward. However, I got so involved in task that I'm still writing 90 minutes later. I know I'm free to stop at any time and that my reward is waiting for me, but having overcome inertia of getting started, natural tendency is to continue working. In essence I've reversed problem of procrastination by staying with task and delaying gratification. The net result is that I finish my article early and have a rewarding breakfast.

I hope this article has helped you gain a greater insight into causes of procrastination and how you can overcome it. Realize that procrastination is caused by associating some form of pain or unpleasantness to task you are contemplating. The way to overcome procrastination is simply to reduce pain and increase pleasure you associate with beginning a task, thus allowing you to overcome inertia and build positive forward momentum. And if you begin any task again and again, you will ultimately finish it.

*Envision goal. Is it 1000 new subscribers to your ezine? Is it a potential big sale that will change your business, or leaving a job that will help you live your dream? Make a little note and park it somewhere that's frequently in your line of site, such as a Post It on your computer screen. (You can word it obscurely to protect your privacy in an open office environment.) By keeping you attention on big picture, you'll naturally get less hung up on day-to-day small stuff.

*Impose a temporary goal. One of my dreaded tasks is vocalizing, or exercising my vocal cords every day in an effort to keep my singing voice in shape. Just about only motivator I've found that works is always having a small performance just ahead … especially in times when I'm working on a long-term project that doesn't 'need' my voice anytime soon. Knowing I have to perform, even at a dinner party, keeps me interested in staying in shape. Same would apply if you want to work out on a regular basis. Find a charity fun run or walkathon you can get yourself in shape for.

That should give you some fodder for facing harsh realities of life, and getting on with those annoyingly procrastinated to-do's. Feng Shui experts insist this 'mental clutter' keeps us small and inefficient; once we actually go through hard stuff, and clear out our anxiety and procrastination, we thrive.

And guess what? They're absolutely right!

TRY THIS … Create a better to-do list

One of my little projects for summer was to tame my unruly, wildly unreliable to-do list. Somehow it spilled out of my date book, spewing Post-Its all over my desk and computer, with another undocumented stack of tasks always clogging up my inbox. What to do?

First I read David Allen's book, Getting Things Done, and a little light bulb went off in my head. Allen suggests organizing tasks by location where you do them. So you maintain lists like 'At Computer', 'Errands', 'Office Time' and 'Calls to Make'. That's easy and efficient. Allen then has several suggestions on where to keep these lists.

I choose Tasks function of Outlook, on my computer, and boy is that terrific! Every day when I turn on my email, there's my task list staring me in my face. Productivity experts note that a graphic portrayal of tasks is actually helpful in understanding, and being motivated by them. Some are done, some are undone … and I can divide them into location lists, check lists, a timeline, or any kind of list I want at click of a button.

Not only that, computer actually gets me to put a time frame on all tasks (if I want) and then reminds me when deadline is near or past.

This is just kind of office structure a meandering, creative mind like mine (and yours?) needs to keep focused and on track.