Get the best out of procrastination

Do you have a problem with procrastinating?  Do you want to cure it?   Not now, of course, but when you get around to it.  Here is your opportunity to put off the cure again.

The key to effective procrastinating is to start early.

Cue.  Procrastinating may be just a cue problem.   Maybe one part of your brain intends to do something, but when the time comes to do it, some other part of your brain is running things.  That would be just like any other kind of memory problem.

Habit.  Procrastinating may be a habit problem.  You may be in the habit of putting things off.  That may even be a reasonable plan most of the time.  For a lot of jobs, the result may be better if you finish it just in time.  What looks like procrastinating may just be a mistake in estimating how long a job will take.  If so, you may get help from the Startalittles

Procrastination is just another name
 for underestimating the work.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

The benefit of a to do list is that
 it feels good to scratch something off.

Short-term goal.  Sometimes procrastination is a symptom of a goal problem.  Here are some reasons people give for putting things off.  And a few items to mull over while procrastinating.

I really don't like doing this job.   Why are you doing it, then? 

The one good thing about doing something you hate
is you get it off your checklist.

I'd rather be doing something else.   Then why aren’t you? 

You hate it.  You can’t avoid it. 
Do it now or it will ruin your day.

Long-term goal.  Maybe the job is a step to some long term goal.  How important is this job to reaching that goal?  How often will you have to do this job on the way to the goal?  Is there a way you can get past this job or make it less unpleasant?  You might want to call up your Mulling Team on this.

Maybe you want to review that goal and look for other ways to get there.  Or even look for other goals.  Maybe this is a job for Problem-Solving. 

                       A journey of a thousand miles begins
with choosing your destination.

Maybe the job comes from social obligations or responsibility.  How strong is the responsibility?  How did you get it?  How long will it last?  How often will it happen? 

Do you want to change anything about this?  Is this another job for Problem-Solving?