Procrastination is defined as “to put off doing something.” But to me, procrastination feels like being stuck. It feels like you are physically being held back – almost as if procrastination comes from outside of yourself instead of within. The truth is though, procrastination does begin – and end - inside of you. And, only you can overcome your procrastination. But how?

Well, the first thing to do is to get to the root of your procrastination. Find out why you are stalled. Sure, you’re putting off a task, but there is something deeper at the heart of your procrastination.

Many times, the root of procrastination is fear. Fear of failure, fear of having to confront a new situation, fear of the unknown. Sometimes, procrastination happens because we’re depressed, or because we’re just too darn tired. Procrastination can happen if we don’t have the necessary tools to complete the task, or we are not sure how to complete the task. Other times, procrastination happens for the simple fact that we have no interest in the task.

For me, I’ve procrastinated tasks for all of the above reasons. The important thing to remember is that everyone procrastinates from time to time and you can overcome it.

It’s pretty easy to recognize when you’re procrastinating something. The thing to do though is to figure out why – figure out what is at the root of your procrastination, and move through it.

Try this exercise: Think of something you are procrastinating. Write it down at the top of a piece of paper. Under that, write a paragraph about what will happen when you overcome your procrastination and get your task done. Now, write a paragraph about what will happen if you do not do the task. Ask yourself why you are putting off the task. Write down your answer and be honest. See what comes to light. Are you afraid you will not do it correctly? Are you afraid of failure? Is there information you are missing that you are afraid to go after? Once you get an honest answer as to why you are procrastinating your task, write down what you can do today to get the process moving.

Now that you have some thoughts around why you are procrastinating, you can take steps to move through it.

The best thing you can realize about procrastination is that there is a root to the matter, and you can find it, and work to overcome it.