Procrastination isn't only about deciding not to do or to delay doing something - it also means that we have chosento do something else instead. So, it's watching TV instead of having a relaxing swim. It's going out to lunch with a friend when there's a report to be completed. Habitually making choices which don't serve us well will continually create challenges and drama in our lives.

Procrastination causes stress. Yes, most of us have too much on our plates, but leaving things until they really have to be done just ensures that we put even more pressure on ourselves.

Delaying things take time and energy - because when you know that something needs to be done and you're not doing it - it stays in back of your mind and silently drains you.

Procrastination is only a habit and habits can be changed. The first thing to ask yourself is whether procrastination is a sign that you need to change something fundamental in your life (ie job, environment, relationships) or if it's masking fear, lack of self-confidence, self-esteem etc

There are a number of ways to tackle procrastination and you can use different strategies for different situations.

1. Conversion

May of live a "have to", rather than a "want to" life. Our lives are full of obligations and things that we don't really want to do. But with some creative and imaginative thinking we can convert "have tos" into "want tos". How can we do this? By thinking beyond immediate task and focusing on wider benefits of completion.

For instance, if you don't want to do books or open your bank statements, you can try asking yourself what are benefits of greater financial control.

Read This Now, Believe It Later!

I want to introduce you to most important person you will ever meet. He is closer to you than your breath and knows you better than you think you know yourself. Let's call him your sub-conscious.

Your subconscious is center of your being; very essence of who you are. The subconscious causes you to feel up, down, or sideways. And, sometimes causes people to hurt themselves. The subconscious is trainable; thank goodness it is.

This essence of your being is so important that everything that has ever happened to you is stored somewhere in its data banks. Some things are easy to call up, some things are not.

Ask yourself this question. Why do I feel bad when something goes wrong? Ask yourself, why do I feel good when something goes right? Is it "just because"? No! Is it, because circumstances surrounding you dictate how you are supposed to feel? Good circumstances=good feelings, bad circumstances=bad feelings?

A Blessing In Disguise!

This may be had to swallow, but, circumstances really have very little to do with how we feel. I want you to think about something. If you could change circumstances right now, you would. Wouldn't you? But, in most cases we can't change circumstances immediately. Time does that.

He's About One French Fry Short Of A Happy Meal!

The circumstances are going to change whenever they change. It might be a day, a week, a month. Whatever! So, if I can't change circumstances right this second, can I make my subconscious think my bad circumstances are really good? Absolutely! Don't look at me like I flipped my lid.

Consider this: subconscious doesn't know difference between good circumstances and bad. Why should you care? Yes, I know you know difference, but, that's your conscious level that knows difference. Your feelings, i.e. emotions, are coming up from subconscious level where most important person lives.

So, doesn't this make sense? As I said, subconscious does not know difference between truth and lie. The subconscious takes everything as truth. So, can we use this knowledge to re-wire subconscious and cause those bad feelings to become good feelings?

The first thing you have to do is recognize that this is between you and your subconscious and no one else. This strategy is not something where you are going to have to take a lie detector and pass. The biggest hindrance to this, with most people, is getting over feeling that they are being dishonest and lying to themselves.

Go Ahead, Stick Your Neck Out!

If you think that you are being dishonest, untruthful, and deceptive you will not attempt to re-wire your subconscious. If you don't re-wire it, you will continue to feel bad when things are bad and good when things are good.

Think about this: we have already determined that we can't always change circumstances at very moment we would like to. So, why does it really matter at all if I convince my subconscious that it doesn't ever have to feed me bad feelings in spite of what circumstances are?