Finishing something you've been putting off will energize you for the rest of the day. Don't do it yet. If you're not sure what to do, putting off an unpleasant task may be wise. Perhaps a better approach will surface once you sleep on it. If the task has been hanging over your head for a long time, maybe you don't really need to do it.
Delegation can be a great way to procrastinate less.
If you're someone who feels that you need to do things yourself to get them done right, you may think that delegating tasks isn't worth the time and trouble it takes. The key is to identify your own personal pattern of procrastination so you can motivate yourself to switch gears. Pamela Vaccaro is owner of Designs on Time, a consulting firm specializing in time management and organization, and a member of the Family Practice Management Panel of Consultants. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference.