Work & Money 

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Stop procrastinating now!

Don't wait for tomorrow, do it today. Find out how to get ahead of yourself.

Do you find yourself waiting until the last minute to finish that all-important document? Do you announce meetings only when it’s almost too late? Do you take work home at the weekend, every weekend?

If so, procrastination may be sneaking into your life, stealing valuable time and eroding your productivity. Procrastinating can also be exciting: It leads to crisis, and the adrenaline rush that goes along with it. You are pitting yourself against the odds, and gambling that not only will you beat stress, fear and tiredness but that fate is on your side - the post will arrive on time, the photocopier won’t break down and that there won’t be an urgent request from your boss as the countdown to your deadline marches on. When procrastination does come off, you probably feel high and slightly euphoric. These are intense feelings, much more so than the quiet, calm satisfaction produced when a project is completed early.

Waiting until the last minute to start a difficult task can also be used as an excuse for performing poorly. You can always claim that things would have been done better if only you’d had more time…

But once delay becomes a habit, it undermines your ability to function effectively. In trying to overcome procrastination, do not decide straight away that you will never do it again. Be realistic and be fair to yourself; the habit may have become so automatic that you don't realise the many ways you talk yourself out of getting started.

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