Procrastination is something that we all are affected by periodically. To some degree, it is quite normal to put activities off. However, the key is to do it periodically. Everyone has days where he or she simply does not feel like do anything. I am sure that you have experienced the lazy Saturday or Sunday spent watching old movies on television. After viewing 3 movies, you suddenly realize that you ‘wasted’ the entire day. There is nothing wrong with this behavior if it is well deserved. When people work extremely hard, they merit having time off. In fact, success coaches all proclaim the benefits of taking time for you. Again, the important factor is to earn it.

Most people are also afflicted with the occasional desire to put off an unenviable task. In life there are things that most want to avoid. For example, the majority of managers do not want to rush out and fire someone. There are a few who really like it. However, many dislike this task. Naturally, this is a part of the business process. Yet, it is a common desire to want to avoid it for as long as possible. However, most people will handle the situation in a timely manner. For them, the procrastination is a temporary affliction.

Procrastination becomes an issue when it done with regularity. This seemingly minor habit has horrific consequences when left unchecked. As time passes, the tendency to put things off gets to the point where it starts to paralyze one emotionally and psychologically. It is often an indicator of an underlying psychological disorder.

What makes procrastination so dangerous is the subtlety that it maneuvers through our lives. As mentioned, it is a habit. Procrastination is ingrained deeply into us by decades of inactivity. What began as a mild condition can evolve into an uncontrollable animal. For some, it assumes total control of one’s life. The ability to take meaningful action is taken away. In spite of the overwhelming desire to complete the assigned task, the person finds that he or she is incapable of it. This is similar to other destructive habits that have progressed to far. An alcoholic finds that one day he or she cannot stop drinking. The smoker tries to quit only start up again after a short period of time. Our habits unassumingly dictate the actions we take.

Procrastination becomes a mindset for many people. There are some who instinctively get busy whenever something arises. These are the ‘doers’ in the world. They jump right on a project as soon as it is assigned. At the same time, there is an entirely different group of people who have the exact opposite mindset. Their default thought process is ‘later’ or ‘tomorrow’. Whenever they are confronted with something that needs attention, the mind says "I will get to that later’. In the early stages they might actually do it. Yet, for some, they advance to the point that they never take the action. Hence the electric is cut off even though they had the money to pay it. Putting things off becomes the natural pattern. Getting something done requires conscious thought.

Why do people put activities off? What causes us to lack the desire to get something done? Simply, there are two motivating factors that drive people. The first is laziness. This usually deals with the incidental tasks that need little effort. The person is completely capable of handling what is avoided. A prime example is changing a burnt out light bulb. The total time to finish this activity is probably less than two minutes. Being lazy causes us to put handling this situation off to a later time. Of course, 3 months later we are still awaiting the time to arrive. Usually we overcome the laziness when something outside ourselves exerts a little pressure; i.e. the spouse. Suddenly the pain of not getting it done becomes magnified.

The second reason people procrastinate is due to fear. When we are confronted with a situation that needs our attention, we project negatively into the future. Our mind tricks us into thinking of all the bad things that are going to go wrong. It pushes us into a state of insanity since there is no possible way to know how things will transpire. We look at the circumstances and imagine the very worst thing happening. Given enough practice, we will acquire the capability to ‘know’ this will be the outcome. Ironically, situations rarely, if ever, work out as badly as we view them. The fear that we experience is a figment of our imaginations. It is not real. This is what makes this habit so insane. We are stopped by something that has as much substance as the Easter Bunny. Fear is a picture in our mind that we believe to be reality. It is this picture that causes us to procrastinate.

Procrastination is destructive since it stops us from acting. Depending on the severity of the habit, it can ruin any dreams that a person has. It is also the one characteristic that is guaranteed to keep you from success. To achieve success in any area of life, action is required. Procrastination, by its very definition, promotes inactivity. Webster defines it as ‘to put off doing something until later; delay’. It is working in the direction opposite of success. Overcoming this perilous habit is one of the first steps in moving towards success.

Part 2 of this article covers a series of ways to overcome this awful habit. It can be viewed in the ‘free download’ section at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.