The words “later” and “tomorrow” are the biggest obstacles to getting things done and being organized. A task comes on your desk and you put it aside and say “I’ll do it later” or “I’ll get round to that tomorrow”.

I have already written about the two minute rule in an earlier post and that’s a great way to separate things that can be done immediately from those that can be done later.

Procrastination has many causes; sometimes merely understanding these causes can help a person to overcome this habit. Below are some causes of procrastination along with tips on how to deal with each cause.

The task is too large

Break it down into smaller tasks and tick them off your list, getting a feeling of accomplishment. Don’t try to deal with large tasks in one go. If you have to invoice 20 customers and are putting it off because it will take too much time, try invoicing just five. Then set a deadline for the next five, and so on. It’s better to get five invoices done now than none at all. Another tip: try not to blow the task out of proportion. Often, tasks are not as long-winded as they seem.

It’s laborious

Everyone hates laborious or repetitive tasks. They’re usually boring and certainly not fun. The trick is to think of a) the consequence of not doing them (usually the tasks will just build up and get even more laborious!) and b) the results you will get when you have finished. Also, undesirable tasks are rarely as bad as people think. The hardest part is to get started; once that has been done, it is usually quite easy to finish. Think objectively: how bad can it really get? It won’t be as bad as you initially thought.

You have to make a decision

This is another common one. In order to complete the task you need to make a decision about something and you can’t make up your mind. Perhaps the decision is related to how the task should be done or it may be something else. Whatever the case, try setting yourself a deadline by which you have to have made a decision. Tell someone else about the deadline too so you’ll have to abide by it.

Perfectionism

This is a big trap! Often, perfectionists don’t realize the bad consequences of delaying. They think that it’s for the ‘greater good’. They believe that delay is inevitable in order to get perfection. This is not true. Think about the trade off and how much it is worth. Is it really worth delaying a website launch by two months over something that only 1% of customers will notice? Your almost perfect may be most other people’s perfect. Set yourself a deadline and make sure you have someone else checking up on you. Remember, you can almost always revisit things later to make them even better. This is especially true of websites and other such things.

Lack of focus

I spoke about ways to be focused in a previous post. It’s always important to keep yourself focused and away from distractions. Isn’t it funny how ’something else’ always seems to be more fun when you are have revision to do for an exam or a work deadline? Often, this ’something else’ is something that you would normally never find interesting! Try to be focused on what you have to do and just get down to it.

Too difficult

Sometimes, you simply can’t complete a task in the required time frame. Try to set yourself realistic goals for your tasks. Don’t over-promise others (all in good faith of course) only to find that you simply can’t deliver. It’s always important to have realistic expectations of your own abilities and then to set yourself tasks accordingly. Remember, it’s always better to say ‘no’ than to say ‘yes’ and then don’t deliver. Say ‘no’ to ‘extra-curricular’ work if you are already behind on your obligations.

In conclusion, remember: you only have finite time. The more you delay, the more work piles up. The longer you leave it, the more painful it gets. Don’t be someone who says in a year’s time ‘I wish I had started a year ago’. Start now!