Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a twenty-something management consultant asking how she can recover from a procrastination addiction. The solution depends on why she’s procrastinating in the first place, but here are some motivational arguments for common of the most common scenarios:

You can do it later.  Think about whether a momentary reprieve is worth having to overhaul your whole calendar to reschedule the task.  Do you want to repeat this same song and dance again later or would you rather just get the task over with now?

The task is boring and you’d rather do something fun.  Sometimes, the most worthwhile activities require the most effort and in turn produce the greatest rewards.  Besides, how can you really have fun when you’re feeling guilty about blowing off your work?

You’re afraid the task will be too hard or take too long.  Consider that every minute you spend procrastinating is one minute you could be using to complete the task.  Instead of looking at the task as a never-ending dark tunnel, break it up into a series of short, manageable assignments and think about resources you could call on for help at each stage. 

You don’t know where to start.  Choose the least complicated part of the task and work at completing it as swiftly and efficiently as possible.  Once you’ve successfully finished one component, you’ll gain momentum.  The task will no longer seem like such a bear and it will be much easier to move to the next component.

Procrastination is a tough habit to break, and if you’re successful, you should reward yourself. Instead of moving on to the next assignment right away, block out time to do something you enjoy, like checking your Fantasy Football scores or shopping on eBay.  Remember the 48/12 rule I mentioned last week, and take that break!