WE ALL PROCRASTINATE AT TIMES, and usually the results are unpleasant but not catastrophic. However, if you procrastinate a lot, it can cost your company thousands of dollars in lost productivity and unhappy customers. It also can cost you your job.

“There are two main reasons people procrastinate,” says Susan Roberts, Ph.D., author of Living Without Procrastination: How to Stop Postponing Your Life. “They may be overwhelmed with the project, or they think the task is boring. And, of course, some tasks straddle both categories. They’re overwhelming ones that are drudgery.”

To overcome procrastination, Roberts suggests asking yourself, “What is it about this task that I don’t want to do and why?”

Be totally honest because there may be several reasons for the delay.

“There’s no single solution. You must try several different strategies to discover what’s going to work for you,” says Roberts, who recommends the following strategies.

Employ Positive Self-Talk
The number one strategy for getting things done is to psyche yourself up. Thinking in a really positive way is essential to getting things done. Change your thinking from, “This is very difficult or boring” to “I really want to do this. I can do this. I want to get this over with.”

Get it started. Once you get started, it gets easier and easier. Doing one step at a time will keep the project moving forward.

Modify Your Environment
If your task is boring, play some lively music. If you need to concentrate, put Do Not Disturb sign on your office door or go to a quiet conference room away from distractions.

Don’t Use Procrastination as a Weapon
There’s an imbalance of power between employer and employee. If you have problems accepting authority, you may be angry and unconsciously using procrastination to get back at your boss. This can have a disastrous effect on your work and can put your job in jeopardy.

Get a Work Buddy
Invite a coworker to work alongside you, even if you’re doing different tasks, just so you have some company. Having a work buddy helps both of you get your tasks done.

Give Yourself a Deadline
If you weren’t given a deadline for your task, create your own. Then, work backward from your deadline and determine how much work you’ll need to do every day.

Ask for Criticism
Most people fear criticism of completed tasks because they fear failure. However, if you ask for criticism, it puts you in a position of greater power because you’re asking for the feedback. Expect criticism, and try to anticipate criticism you might hear.

Balance Your Work and Leisure Life
Don’t expect your work to sustain you in an unrealistic way. Use your personal time to do fun and exciting things you enjoy, and you’ll be more willing to do the difficult or unpleasant tasks at work.

Mix and Match
Just as you don’t make fruit cocktail with pears alone, no one strategy by itself will overcome procrastination.

“The best news is that you can overcome chronic procrastination,” says Roberts. “When you start to get things done, it lifts your spirits. You feel like a new person, and it’s very exciting.”

Harriet Meyerson spoke with M. Susan Roberts, Ph.D., a personal skills coach, consultant and author of Living Without Procrastination: How to Stop Postponing Your Life, New Harbinger Publications Inc., 1995, $14.95.

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