In honor of National Procrastination Week (the first week in March) and March Forth Day (on March 4th, of course), each year I dedicate my March article to subject of procrastination. Why? Because this single habit is root of so many of problems that plague all of us at one time or another – challenges with managing our time, relationships, projects, and information.

What is procrastination? Procrastination is doing low-priority tasks and activities instead of high-priority ones which so often contribute most to our success. For some, procrastination becomes a harmful habit which impedes personal and professional development.

So if procrastination is harmful, why do we do it? We tend to put off doing things for following reasons: * They are unpleasant to do. * They are difficult or complex to do. * They involve making tough decisions that can be overwhelming.

When we don't want to do something that is unpleasant or difficult, we find less important things to do that will keep us "busy" so we have an excuse for why we didn't get around to it. But putting something off does not make it go away, and postponing it often just makes it worse. As someone once said, "Killing time murders opportunities."

WARNING SIGNS OF PROCRASTINATION

"You will never find time for anything. You must make it." -Charles Buxton

Finding tasks on your to-do list week after week is a clear sign you are procrastinating, but there are also some more subtle, overlooked signs of procrastination. Can you identify with any of these possibilities?

* Feeling overwhelmed: No matter how hard you work, you cannot seem to catch up. You have a backlog of work that seems insurmountable. It may be affecting your sleep, as you lay in bed thinking about all things you "gotta do." Perhaps it's time to renegotiate some of your commitments and say no to more requests so you can say yes to what's most important to you.

* Breaking commitments to others or to yourself: You're constantly having to make excuses about why you didn't do something you said you'd do.

* Losing focus: Although you have many important tasks at hand (some are even urgent), you find yourself wasting time doing things that are not important. For example, you find yourself surfing Net instead of doing something much more important.

* Starting something new before finishing something else: This is particularly common with entrepreneurs who often spend time developing new leads rather than following up with prospects they already have. If you are spending more time attending networking events than you spend following up by phone, in writing, or face-to- face, this may be you.

SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PROCRASTINATORS

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." --Stephen Covey

Here are 7 tips to help you change from "I'll do it when I get around to it." to "I'll do it now!"

1. Recognize and admit that you are procrastinating. As long as you defend, deny, or rationalize your procrastination, you are not in a position to overcome it. Stop rationalizing and you'll be more likely to take action.

2. What motivates you to do better? What rewards -- tangible and intangible – will you get by doing it rather than putting it off? Remind yourself of that payoff on a daily basis. Post a picture or note that represents those rewards to you on such places as your computer screen, bulletin board, or dashboard.

One way to check motivation is to check your self-talk. Do you frequently say, "I gotta…," "I should…," or "I have to…"? Replace this self-talk with "I choose to…" and recognize that you are at choice about what you do. If you don't choose to do it, don't do it!

3. Analyze what causes you to put things off. Most of us tend to avoid things that are unpleasant, complex, or overwhelming.

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