It's 2:00 in the morning. My article is due to the publisher in less than eight hours. Sure, I've had more than two weeks to write it, but I've been busy. I washed my car, saw a couple of baseball games, and who could miss the mixed doubles semi-finals match at the U.S. Open?

Sound familiar? In spite of all the time-management books we've read, and all the strategic planning we've done, many of us still wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. Let's face it: Even the best of us procrastinate at one time or another.

Procrastination is often the result of an underlying conflict. For example, someone may accept too much work and then feel overwhelmed by the load. Faced with a seemingly impossible task, that person will procrastinate.

Another cause of procrastination is that, often people are afraid to do their best at something because they fear they will not be good enough at it and will fail. They're afraid to put themselves on the line. For example, a student with an upcoming test, might put off studying for the test until the last minute. Then, when the results of the exam are less than stellar, he or she can rationalize the failure by saying, "If only I would have had more time to study."

Not all procrastination is bad. If you know how to procrastinate you can enjoy life. Some people, for example function well under high levels of pressure and are even at their best doing things at the last minute.

However, procrastination can have serious consequences in the work environment when it causes you to miss important deadlines. It can also negatively affect your coworkers, just ask your secretary about this the next time she has to stay late to type an assignment you've waited until the last minute to complete.

There are two types of procrastinators: Those who wait until the last minute and don't worry about it, and those who worry constantly. If you accept that you procrastinate as part of your natural work style and it doesn't adversely affect others, rest easy and skip the rest of this article. If you procrastinate and constantly worry that your procrastination may be causing you great harm in terms of stress, missed deadlines, or poor relations with others, in other words, if it troubles you, it's a problem. So read on.

Often we procrastinate because we are so overwhelmed by the volume of work that we just can't start. In those cases, it's helpful to break up a large task into several smaller ones. The key is to focus on one small piece of the whole, because the task then becomes a small project, not the overwhelming large one.

If you know that there is a task that you regularly put off, then, make it part of your day. Set aside a few hours for it every day, and make yourself do it. Pick the time of day when you function best. For morning people, it may be easier to tackle a distasteful task earlier in the day.

One of the biggest time wasters is the time you spend to start a task. You sharpen your pencils, clean off your desk, and check your email for second and third time. These actions all are part of procrastination. If it doesn't directly involve the job at hand, you don't need to do it. Throw yourself right into the task. No excuses!

For many people, it is best to completely isolate themselves from others. When tackling that job, unplug your phone, turn off your cell phone, and close the door. Avoid anyone and anything you know will distract you.

One of the things I recommend to my clients who procrastinate is that they reward themselves for completing certain unpleasant tasks. For example, go out to dinner, or to a movie, or even buy yourself something.

Procrastinators, take heart. The good news it that if you perpetually procrastinate without arousing any office conflict or creating any internal anxiety, don't worry about it, because you may be one of those people who performs better under pressure.

Copyright©2006 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.