The humorous thing about this article is that I have been putting it off for the longest! I knew that it had to be done, and although I kept telling myself that I would do it, somewhere deep down in the cavity of my subconscious I knew that I would most likely continue to put it off until the last minute; until it was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would have no more time left to procrastinate.

Procrastination! Why do we do it? The answer boils down to self comfort. It makes us feel good when we offer ourselves the gift of relaxation and time. Shoving our tasks to the side creates a separation of ourselves and the things that are constantly in the back of our mind, and can create a blissful feeling of relaxation, but what about the consequences?

Many of the things in which we decide to perform procrastination on, usually ends up being something very important and even fatal depending on the tasks level of influence. The outcome of not doing it far outweighs a few minutes or days of rest and relaxation. One of the primary feelings that overcome us and provokes procrastination is that of anxiety. The pressures of anxiety and worrying can push us to not want to deal with the task at all, therefore creating procrastination. The key to procrastination is to just do it!

Just do it! When you have a task to do, whether big or small, just take a breather and start the task the moment that you think of it. When you write out your to to do list, make sure that you all so write down the exact time that you wail perform the task. You also want to make sure that you don not become overly ambitious when making out your list. When you do not complete the tasks, you will feel guilty and unfulfilled. So keep your lists short. Overcoming procrastination is sort of like the battle of waking up in the morning. You just do not want to move out of that comfortable feeling that you have all wrapped up in your warm blanket, but once you get out of the bed, you are up and going, and ready to start the day. That mid-point in between your comforts and your necessity (the mid-point comfort zone) is your biggest obstacle, and once you jump that hurdle, you will be good to go. When you think of something that you have to do, write it down immediately so that you will not forget it when planning out your daily to o lists.

Here are some of the most common things that we procrastinate about and some of the consequences they bring:

1. Exercising & Eating Healthier: obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, lack of energy, a weak immune system, death, numerous health issues, low self esteem, anger.

2. Cleaning & Organizing Cluttered Spaces: confusion, stress, allergen & bacteria build up, anger

3. Paperwork & Budgeting: late fees, mis-use of money, debt, credit collectors, anger.

4. Washing Dishes & Folding Clothes: A good argument with your spouse on how he can't find anything to wear because their either in the dryer or sitting in the washer because you procrastinated and didn't put them in the dryer, anger.

5. Pre-planning Your Days: confusion, forgetfulness, stress, anger.

6. Returning e-mails or Phone Calls: missed opportunities, being labeled as irresponsible, anger.

7. Finding Ourselves & Spending Time With Family: lack of love, uncertainty, stress, depression, anger.

Hmm...do we see a common bond between many of the things that most people are known for procrastinating about? Anger! Procrastinating your tasks may make you feel good for the moment, but in the end you will cause your body more harm and unnecessary stress. I admit, that overcoming procrastination is not easy, but once you realize the dangers of comfort and realize the necessity of acting productively within the “mid-point comfort zone” in which I spoke of earlier, you will have taken your first step toward overcoming procrastination. So, the next time procrastination knocks, don't answer the door, because rest assure, that it's bringing along some unwanted company!