There's no shame in the occasional moment of procrastination - let's face it, everyone gives in to the urge once in awhile! If you've found your way here, however, chances are that procrastination has become a source of frustration or is getting you into trouble at work, school or in your personal life. But there is good news: anyone can learn the skills to kick the procrastination habit. The first step is to stop thinking about your tendency to put things off in negative terms. Don't tell yourself, "I'm such a horrible procrastinator". Focus instead on the things that you DO accomplish, the areas of your life where you are able to get down to the dirty work (everyone has at least one task they are good at sticking to, whether it's baking, playing a sport or walking the dog). In this Mind Tool, you are going to learn to extend that ability to other parts of your life by examining the roots of your habit and creating the conditions for success. Before we start the process, it's a good idea to learn some facts behind procrastination.

Little Known Facts about Procrastination:

You are not alone. Procrastination - or at least the temptation to put things off - affects everyone. We wouldn't be human if we didn't get the occasional urge to skip the housecleaning and go to the beach. People who give in to that urge on a regular basis, however, just aren't using the right strategies to get the job done.

Procrastination can have a huge impact. Don't mean to scare you, but putting things off can damage relationships, our personal lives, our career and school success and even jeopardize our own happiness. Isn't that reason enough to get a grip on it?

Procrastinating creates stress. Many people wrongly believe that putting things off results in a relaxed, go-with-the-flow lifestyle. While this may be true for occasional, minor procrastination, the truth is it usually ends up creating more stress in the long run. Eventually you will have to face the repercussions of your habit...whether it's a bad reputation, last minute panic or an eviction notice!

Know thyself. While some people claim there are certain times of the day when people are more productive, the truth is it varies with each individual. We all know someone who can barely find the energy to make a pot of coffee in the morning, while others are out running marathons at the break of dawn. Pay attention to how productive you are at certain times of the day and milk it!

Perfectionism can cause procrastination. You might think perfectionists always get things done on time, but that's not always the case. Wanting everything to be "just so" can create anxiety and a growing workload that makes it hard to get things done.

Personal rewards are a good motivator. While some may argue that the reward for finishing a task should be intrinsic, it certainly doesn't hurt to throw in a new CD or a massage as a bonus. Promising yourself a reward if (and only if) you get something done can help you get the momentum you need.

Breaking tasks down to baby steps helps. One of the root causes of procrastination is the overwhelming feeling that the job is too big, the "I don't know where to begin" syndrome. Breaking a task down into smaller parts helps relieve this feeling.