Procrastination is something that we all are affected by periodically.
        To some degree, it is quite normal to put activities off.  However, the
        key is to do it periodically.  Everyone has days where he or she simply
        does not feel like do anything.  I am sure that you have experienced the
        lazy Saturday or Sunday spent watching old movies on television.  After
        viewing 3 movies, you suddenly realize that you ‘wasted’ the entire day.
        There is nothing wrong with this behavior if it is well deserved.  When
        people work extremely hard, they merit having time off.  In fact, success
        coaches all proclaim the benefits of taking time for you.  Again, the
        important factor is to earn it.

        Most people are also afflicted with the occasional desire to put off an
        unenviable task.  In life there are things that most want to avoid.  For
        example, the majority of managers do not want to rush out and fire
        someone.  There are a few who really like it.  However, many dislike this
        task.  Naturally, this is a part of the business process.  Yet, it is a
        common desire to want to avoid it for as long as possible.  However, most
        people will handle the situation in a timely manner.  For them, the
        procrastination is a temporary affliction.

        Procrastination becomes an issue when it done with regularity.  This
        seemingly minor habit has horrific consequences when left unchecked.  As
        time passes, the tendency to put things off gets to the point where it
        starts to paralyze one emotionally and psychologically.  It is often an
        indicator of an underlying psychological disorder.

        What makes procrastination so dangerous is the subtlety that it maneuvers
        through our lives.  As mentioned, it is a habit.  Procrastination is
        ingrained deeply into us by decades of inactivity.  What began as a mild
        condition can evolve into an uncontrollable animal.  For some, it assumes
        total control of one’s life.  The ability to take meaningful action is
        taken away.  In spite of the overwhelming desire to complete the assigned
        task, the person finds that he or she is incapable of it.  This is
        similar to other destructive habits that have progressed to far.  An
        alcoholic finds that one day he or she cannot stop drinking.  The smoker
        tries to quit only start up again after a short period of time.  Our
        habits unassumingly dictate the actions we take.

        Procrastination becomes a mindset for many people.  There are some who
        instinctively get busy whenever something arises.  These are the ‘doers’
        in the world.  They jump right on a project as soon as it is assigned.
        At the same time, there is an entirely different group of people who have
        the exact opposite mindset.  Their default thought process is ‘later’ or
        ‘tomorrow’.  Whenever they are confronted with something that needs
        attention, the mind says “I will get to that later’.  In the early stages
        they might actually do it.  Yet, for some, they advance to the point that
        they never take the action.  Hence the electric is cut off even though
        they had the money to pay it.  Putting things off becomes the natural
        pattern.  Getting something done requires conscious thought.

        Why do people put activities off?  What causes us to lack the desire to
        get something done?  Simply, there are two motivating factors that drive
        people.  The first is laziness.  This usually deals with the incidental
        tasks that need little effort.  The person is completely capable of
        handling what is avoided.  A prime example is changing a burnt out light
        bulb.  The total time to finish this activity is probably less than two
        minutes.  Being lazy causes us to put handling this situation off to a
        later time.  Of course, 3 months later we are still awaiting the time to
        arrive.  Usually we overcome the laziness when something outside
        ourselves exerts a little pressure; i.e. the spouse.  Suddenly the pain
        of not getting it done becomes magnified.

        The second reason people procrastinate is due to fear.  When we are
        confronted with a situation that needs our attention, we project
        negatively into the future.  Our mind tricks us into thinking of all the
        bad things that are going to go wrong.  It pushes us into a state of
        insanity since there is no possible way to know how things will
        transpire.  We look at the circumstances and imagine the very worst thing
        happening.  Given enough practice, we will acquire the capability to
        ‘know’ this will be the outcome.  Ironically, situations rarely, if ever,
        work out as badly as we view them.  The fear that we experience is a
        figment of our imaginations.  It is not real.  This is what makes this
        habit so insane.  We are stopped by something that has as much substance
        as the Easter Bunny.  Fear is a picture in our mind that we believe to be
        reality.  It is this picture that causes us to procrastinate.

        Procrastination is destructive since it stops us from acting.  Depending
        on the severity of the habit, it can ruin any dreams that a person has.
        It is also the one characteristic that is guaranteed to keep you from
        success.  To achieve success in any area of life, action is required.
        Procrastination, by its very definition, promotes inactivity.  Webster
        defines it as ‘to put off doing something until later; delay’.  It is
        working in the direction opposite of success.  Overcoming this perilous
        habit is one of the first steps in moving towards success.

                Part 2 of this article covers a series of ways to overcome this awful
                habit.  It can be viewed in the ‘free download’ section at
                http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.

Dennis Harting is the Head Coach at Your Rich Life.  He is an acclaimed
speaker, trainer, and best-selling author.  His international best selling
books include Your Easiest Million and The Ultimate Procrastination
Handbook.  He also has had thousands of articles published worldwide.  His
programs and more information can be found at
http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.