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Procrastination is a real schedule buster. At times it can be so easy to put things off until later, but if you do that too often, nothing gets done.

There are plenty of reasons people procrastinate:

• Feeling overwhelmed
• Dislike of the task
• Mis-alignment of task and person

I’d like to talk a little about each one and provide some tips and advice for overcoming them.

Feeling Overwhelmed

Sometimes, when a task seems so big and overwhelming, you can feel so daunted that it is easier just not to start. You may not know where to start. Or you may feel like nothing you do toward that goal seems to get you anywhere. One way to overcome this challenge is to break the larger task into smaller, easier to handle tasks. Give each mini-task a deadline, so that you can still feel accomplishment. And be realistic about how quickly the tasks can be completed. If you are still getting behind, you can always re-evaluate the time you’ve allotted and give your self more time.

Dislike of the task

For me, cleaning the floors and dusting the house are the things I procrastinate the most because of this reason. I really don’t like cleaning. One way to overcome this challenge is to delegate the task to someone who does it better than you and, possibly, even enjoys the task. Another is to take a look at the task and see if it really needs to be done. If not, take it off your schedule. (Boy, I wish I could do that to cleaning!)

Mis-Alignment of Task and Person

Sometimes you’ve set yourself a task that you may not be good at. Other times you set yourself a task that goes against your core self. If the above two reasons aren’t behind your procrastination, this one probably is. Take a look at the task. Ask yourself how you feel about it. Does the task make you feel negative emotions such as anger, discomfort or fear? If so, you really need to take a look at why you feel the task needs to be done and done by you.

For example, when I was in my 20s, I had moved to a new city and was having trouble finding a job. I found one that was — you’ll love this — on the cleaning staff of a local hotel. The very thought of going to the interview made my stomach hurt. But I needed the money so I went. The interview consisted of donning a uniform and following a member the staff as she showed me how to clean the rooms. It was dreadful! I had an allergic reaction to the cleaning solutions and felt like climbing out of my skin. At the end of the shift, I turned in the uniform and said no thanks — I didn’t even take payment for my work!

Now that’s an obvious mis-alignment between task and person, but I hope you get my point. Mis-alignment can be blatant, and it can be subtle. But, if you can’t explain your procrastination by the first two reasons, look hard at the task to find where this third reason may lie.