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HOW TO... beat procrastination Book Procrastination - Why you do it. What to do about it. by Jane B Burka. De Capo Press. New Ed edition. £9.99
Procrastination is not only pervasive, it's also pernicious. We lose sleep, time, and energy, and achieve less as a result of putting things off. And it affects everyone at some time - all of us would rather stay in our comfort zone than take on a difficult challenge.
Admitting that the temptation to postpone doing something unpleasant can be overwhelming is a starting point. Whether it's a difficult conversation with the HR manager, tackling a backlog of boring admin, or facing up to a mistake you have made, not doing it can seem a far easier option than doing it.
However, the fact that evasion is part of human nature is not a good enough excuse. Ignoring essential tasks until you are in the mood to confront them is a sure-fire way to increase your stress levels, and make you feel demotivated about even the tasks you normally enjoy.
So how do you stop putting off the day you beat procrastination?
Where do I start?
Do the worst task first. And, to ease yourself through this process, punctuate...