As told by my mother, my dolls began going to Business College and having Big Church Weddings at time I was about 3 years of age.

You may not find that so strange, but let me finish story . . . I grew up in a very poor family. My father was a share cropper on a cotton farm in Southeast Missouri.

No one in my family - - not a brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle - - nobody - - had ever gone to school past High school, and nobody had ever even attended a Big Church Wedding. Nobody had any idea where these terms came from! I don't know either.

My mother supported me in my dreams. My father objected intensely. It was just unheard of for a young lady to leave those cotton fields and go to big city.

Those dreams dominated my life. Everything I did even as a child was directed by my dream. There was no money to pay tuition for Business College and my father knew that, BUT . . . I did not accept it. When not working in cotton fields due to weather conditions, I worked in a department store in town. That money went into my bank account which I had for as long as I can remember.

Every penny I could earn went into my bank account to save towards paying school tuition. I helped my mother with her sale of fresh eggs and we quietly placed that money into my bank account.

My Senior class went on a Trip to St. Louis. That cost money which would be needed for tuition. I was only Senior that did not make that trip. Just one example of what priorities can do.

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.