How to Put a Stop to Putting Things Off

The first step, though, is to stop deluding yourself. You may find yourself sputtering, "I work best under pressure!" But you won't get any support from science. "Studies show [procrastinators'] performance is actually pretty bad," Ferrari says. And though you might think someone who takes longer is slow because he's focused on being thorough and accurate, "actually, procrastinators are impulsive at the last minute," Ferrari says. In other words, they work quickly and take shortcuts.

So ditch the rationalization. Instead, start "thinking about your thinking," says Knaus, who recommends making a mental shift away from the typical self-absorbed point of view ("I don't want to do it now because I'm too busy," for example) to a self-observant point of view. The self-observant person asks, "What kind of awful baloney am I telling myself to get myself off my back?" Knaus says. Taking it further might lead to, "I feel uncomfortable, and I tell myself that I don't want to do it, so I do something else, and I repeat this pattern."

The next step is understanding why you've deemed the task at hand so unpleasant. "What makes it intolerable?" Knaus asks. You might find it really is unpleasant, which isn't an excuse to avoid it, but you might also find that your perception is out of whack with reality. If you've put off mailing a thank-you card, for example, is it really because you "haven't had a minute to get to it"? Or have you spent more time considering it and coming up with excuses than you would have writing it, addressing it and mailing it?

Identify the Root of the Problem

Consider, too, those underlying reasons that might be to blame. Are you fearful of being controlled by others? Of failure? Of success? Are you listening to that inner voice that says you won't do it well? If you know what's stopping you, you can better address it. So, if you've been putting off assembling the baby's crib because you resent your mother-in-law's frequent suggestions that you get it done, you might need to recognize the root and rethink.

"You can still be independent and in charge of things while being generous," Goldstein says. "Don't turn it into a power struggle." Instead, get out the screwdriver and start assembling. (And don't imagine jabbing her in the arm with it -- that's just not nice.)

If, on the other hand, fear is causing you to procrastinate, you may need to talk yourself down from that ledge. Tell yourself, "If I'm going to fail, I may as well find out now," Goldstein suggests. And if you're going to succeed, "you can always take things at your own pace." Besides, the consequences of not completing a task are probably far more concrete and assured than the chances of failing. "Push through your anxiety," Goldstein says. "Feel the fear and do it anyway."

Of course, "do it anyway" isn't always easy to pull off. And, ultimately, there's no getting around the fact that any tool aimed at preventing procrastination is effective only if you use it. That is, of course, the rub. It takes work to force yourself to work.

The good news is that "pretty good" may well be good enough. As Knaus says, "Perfection exists only in theory." If you can moderately curb your procrastination, you're likely to see rewards: in reduced stress, improved effectiv eness and less wasted time and lost opportunity.

"If you do 10 percent better than most people, you're a superstar," Knaus says. And the guy in accounting can stop stalking you, which you'll both surely appreciate.