We all know a procrastinator . . . that person who does Christmas shopping on December 24th, pulls an all-nighter to get a report done, or avoids making even the simplest decisions. Many times the procrastinator puts forth a defense of "well, I do get it done, don't I?" Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Even if things do get done, though, the stress put on the procrastinator (and those around him or her) is greater than it needs to be. If you know of a procrastinator (or are one yourself), use these tips to help make life a bit easier for not only the procrastinator but for those around him or her as well:

Decide that you're going to be serious about dealing with your procrastination issues - just as with any other issue, the first step is acceptance that you have an issue. If others have told you that procrastination is a problem then internalize it and decide you're going to do something about it. Until you're ready to admit it's a problem area don't bother trying to address it, because it simply won't work.

Spend time at the beginning of each week scheduling time to get things done - on Monday mornings take 30 minutes before you start your day to set your calendar for the week and schedule time to get your to-do's done. Need to get a report done by Thursday? Schedule a realistic amount of time in your calendar on Tuesday and Wednesday to get the report done. Being realistic is key here; don't try to schedule 16 hours worth of work into an eight-hour day.

Avoid being distracted by "shiny objects" - the biggest procrastinators I've seen allow for non-urgent disruptions to interrupt their day and divert their attention from working on the important tasks. If something comes up that is truly urgent and needs your immediate attention, then by all means address it. Play that card judiciously, though. Don't let the shiny objects drive your day.

Break big tasks down into smaller tasks - one reason for procrastination is the person feeling overwhelmed with the task at hand, particularly if it is a task that the person doesn't like doing. If you hate cleaning your house, don't do it all in one day; consider cleaning the bathrooms on one day, vacuuming on the next, and dusting on the third day. It won't seem as daunting a task and will give you more flexibility in your day.

Look for ways to simplify the task or eliminate it altogether - let's take doing your income taxes as an example. Rather than letting receipts pile up in a shoe box for the entire year, set up folders for your major expense categories at the beginning of the year and drop receipts in the appropriate folder throughout the year. You'll spend only a little amount of time setting up the folders at the beginning of the year but you'll eliminate a large task at the end of the year sorting your receipts into categories.

Think about the finish line, not the starting line - when you catch yourself procrastinating on a task, don't think about the degree of work ahead. Think about the relief you'll feel at the end of the task and the satisfaction you'll experience by doing a job well done. You'll still have to do the task, but you'll go into the task with a more positive attitude as you think about the finish line.

About the author:

Lonnie Pacelli has over 20 years' experience with Accenture and Microsoft and is currently president of Leading on the Edge™ International. Lonnie's books include "The Project Management Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-Ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass" and "The Truth About Getting Your Point Across". Get the books, leadership products, other articles, MP3 seminars and a free email mini seminar at http://www.leadingonedge.com