Having decided to write about procrastination, I settled down to do some research on the Web. What I discovered is that most of the material there is provided by colleges and universities for their students - evidently procrastination is something we don't like to admit to once we have graduated and are working! Most of us, however, would admit to putting off jobs we know we could do now, both at home and in the workplace.

Some reasons for procrastination are straightforward, ranging from finding the task boring (cleaning the oven), not understanding what is required (DIY for a lot of us), being overwhelmed by the sheer amount to be accomplished, or simply not wanting to do something we don't enjoy.

These reasons, once identified, can be dealt with fairly easily - pay someone else to do it, or swop jobs with someone who does enjoy it being two obvious ones. The real problem lies in those things you cannot possibly delegate, but just cannot seem to get started on, no matter how badly you feel about it.

In my experience the most insidious reasons for procrastinating are these:

1. We are anxious about the task and spend time worrying about it rather than just making a start.

2. We are afraid of failure - 'If this doesn't work out, everyone will know I'm not up to it.' Or conversely we may

fear success - 'Will my colleagues still like me if I do really well in this?'

3. Perfectionism or unrealistically high standards. We might think we have to read everything we can find on a subject before starting an essay. We might expect the first draft of a report to read like a classic piece of literature.

4. Negative beliefs about our abilities - 'I'm not clever enough to do this. I've never been good at this sort of thing.'

Have a look at my article 'Procrastination - 5 Practical Ways to Get Unstuck' for simple, effective ways to get over the block and get yourself moving on your most dreaded jobs.

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