As psychologist Piers Steel points out in his book The Procrastination Equation, the problem is not perfectionism but impulse control.

Even though you have no problem getting started initially, the label of procrastination applies. Here is my summary of the book:

Book: The Procrastination Equation, Piers Steel (psychologist), 2011

www.procrastinus.com

Perfectionism does not lead to procrastination - this is well studied. It may be that they are thought to be linked because of the cases where there is this discrepancy in behavior.
Procrastination is a result of impulsiveness. Self-control and delaying gratification are key to controlling procrastination.

Procrastinators suffer from

* weak impulse control
* lack of persistence
* lack of work discipline
* lack of time management skill
* inability to work methodically

Motivation can be modeled by

(expectancy * value) / (impulsiveness * delay)

* The numerator is Expected Utility Theory in economics
* Expectancy is the perceived likelihood of reward or success
* Value is the perceived value of the reward
* Delay is the perceived delay in receiving the reward
* Impulsiveness is the tendency to (irrationally) pursue immediate reward instead

Impulsiveness is moderated by the prefrontal cortex

* the prefrontal cortex is late to develop in humans,
impulse control develops slowly in children
* adults with damage to the prefrontal cortex may be
markedly more impulsive

Temptation - defeating impulse control

Important factors:

* Proximity to temptation is a major factor in impulsiveness
(low barriers to gratification)
* Variable schedule of reinforcement causes a robust response

Modern society offers many more sources of temptation

Expectancy - optimism, expectation of success

* too much pessimism causes procrastination
low expectation of success keeps us from starting
* too much optimism causes procrastination
unrealistic ease of success may delay starting until the last moment

Techniques for improving optimism:

* success spirals - progressive series of successes build confidence (e.g. earning scout badges). regularly stretching your limits is important to teach yourself confidence in your ability to tackle something difficult
* vicarious victory - relating to someone’s success story, finding inspiration in books, movies, inspirational speakers, joining a group of inspirational people
* wish fulfillment - visualization of success and contrasting with where you are now. Visualization that only focuses on the goal may drain motivation to complete the necessary steps. As you visualize attaining the goal and then contrasting the current situation, maintain your optimism so that you can translate this visualization into a plan of action.
* Plan for the worst, hope for the best - develop strategies to recover from falling back into old habits. Anticipate temptations and find ways to counter them.

Value - the perceived value of completing a task

* create a chain of goals that helps connect less pleasurable tasks to the ultimate desired goal
* frame goals positively, rather than goals of avoiding something negative
* make games out of tasks - avoid boredom
* justify tasks by connecting them to your goals
* recognize your available energy, and plan around it - schedule difficult tasks for your morning and mid-day peak performance (likely between 10 and 2)
* commit to a regular schedule of exercise and sleep
* snack as needed - avoid hunger
* make sleep predictable, with a regular wind-down routine
* respect your limitations
* as an antidote to task avoidance, identify and do related tasks that are less intimidating - whittle down the main task until it is less intimidating
* reward yourself for accomplishments

Impulsiveness

* identify and put temptations out of reach
* satisfy your needs first before they become a distraction.
* schedule your leisure time ahead - work harder knowing your leisure is ensured
* add disincentives to your temptations, a penalty - e.g. a personal tax for infractions
* mentally contaminate temptations, making them seem less attractive in your mind
* eliminate cues that trigger temptation - e.g. keep your workspace clean

Criticizes S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-anchored)

* specific is redundant with both measurable and time-anchored
* attainable is redundant with realistic
* missing key concepts that are important to effective goals

Instead, goals must be

* challenging (expectancy not too high - too easy)
* meaningful (high value)
* framed in specific terms so that you know when you have to achieve them - what you have to do and when you have to be done
* if long-term, then broken down into a series of short-term objectives. particularly daunting goals should start with a small goal to kick off.
* organized into routines that occur regularly at the same time and place. A predictable work schedule is important.