Why procrastinators procrastinate / How to beat procrastination

I'm a procrastinator. I don't think I used to be. I don't know what has caused me to become one in recent years. But it doesn't matter, because I am one now. It's not great. I know I have things I need to get done, and things I want to get done, but I find lots of excuses and reasons to put those things off for another day - a day that never comes.

I came across these articles on procrastination and how to get out of it on waitbutwhy.com the other day, and I found them both amusing and helpful. They're quite long and have illustrations so I won't reproduce them in full, but the links are below.

Part 1 - Why Procrastinators Procrastinate

http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html

My Instant Gratification Monkey is a powerful jerk. And I often find myself in my own sticky version of the Dark Playground where Facebook is a 24/7 ride. (I found it highly intriguing that a the goals used in the article as examples are pretty much actual goals I often set for myself in real life. I quote, verbatim: "[G]etting in shape, cooking elaborate meals, learning to play the guitar [well], writing a book, reading, or even making a bold career switch ...")

Part 2 - How to Beat Procrastination

http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/11/how-to-beat-procrastination.html

This makes perfect sense, and it's gold. Plan effectively by prioritising your goals and turning each goal into a series of manageable tasks. Discipline yourself to escape the Dark Playground and persevere through the Dark Woods until you get to the Happy Playground, and you may even find yourself in the Flow. Enlist external support if you need to. Ultimately, you'll become a more productive, happier and better person. I want to be that person - a more fulfilled, well-rounded and useful version of my current self.

Easier said than done? That's what a procrastinator would say.

G.