Procrastination Destinations

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. ~William James

Dear Procrastination,

When I think of clearing the emotional clutter in my life I know it's you that has to be one of the first things to go. This time I really mean it!

Procrastination plagues everyone at some point in their lives. Some people fear failure; some fear success. Still others underestimate the time it will take to accomplish a task. Often it's a combination of things. Whatever the cause, procrastination not only robs us of time but lost opportunities. The increasing stress we feel in not tackling what we know needs to be done can become overwhelming.

When I find myself frozen in rut, I take a hard, honest look at the reason. Often time simply slips away from me and in spite of good intentions I don't accomplish everything I've set out to do. But day after day, week after week, if some of the same stuff on to-do lists keeps popping up, I know I'm avoiding things--and I know there's a reason.

The reason I balk at doing some things is usually becuase I've never done the thing before and don't  know how to go about even starting it. In this case I take steps to educate myself and ask the advice of others who've trodden similar ground before. After studying the options--and not over analyzing them--I force myself into action. Making mistakes is part of life and if I make one I know I can go back to the drawing board and try another way.

Frequently I'm afraid of failure: that I'll make a fool of myself. Too often I worry about what other people will think. Sometimes it can take a lot of self-talk to overcome problematic thoughts and get back on the right track.

What are some of the reasons you procrastinate?  How do you overcome obstacles that hold you back from being all you can be and from doing what you want to do?