Our last column was an exploration of how procrastination is sometimes a misnomer for the process of pondering an issue before acting, and thus an entirely appropriate activity. Now I’d like to explore the more troublesome manifestation of procrastination, which is the failure to take responsibility.

Examples include not spending sufficient time with a child, spouse or other loved one, not returning phone calls from clients promptly, being disorganized to the extent that there are negative consequences such as unpaid bills or taxes, or not taking care of your health by not getting preventative health care or constantly eating poor quality food. All of these situations require a response.

One way to look at these responsibilities is that you have three choices – to do, to delegate or to ditch. Not choosing one of these responses can result in the failure to take any appropriate action. Procrastination is a big time waster and emotional drain and can negatively affect each choice. Have you ever avoided doing something and when you finally got around to it realized how much more painful the procrastination was than the onerous task itself?

To do is deceptively simple. While carrying out routine tasks at work or home is often satisfying, there may be some areas of your life that involve tasks you dislike or don’t know how to handle and thus you avoid or procrastinate. Getting started on these tasks and keeping moving when challenges arise can require an extra push, especially when the responsibility is unwelcome. Procrastination can occur at any time, so watch for it so you can act.

Some ideas to get "doing":

Delegation is requires a number of skills and related actions. I use the term broadly to include seeking help from a variety of sources. Think creatively. Delegation isn’t about getting someone else to do your work. It also isn’t about forgoing standards. Sometimes people say "it’s easier to do myself because if I don’t do it, it won’t get done right." Delegation is a skill requiring organization, patience and often thoughtfulness. If you don’t know what you need, how can you ask for help?

Delegation doesn’t require financial resources, although they can be helpful! It often simply involves assisting a subordinate or colleague in developing expertise that you already have, so patience is critical.

At work:

At home:

1. Not enough time for yourself?

2. Not eating dinners together as a family?

To ditch means not to execute a task or series of tasks at all. It involves the ability (and opportunity) to say no, or resist or decline tasks as they arise. Oftentimes, people say to me that they don’t have a choice about a particular issue, but when they look carefully at their own behavior, they realize that they are choosing to say yes.

Where do you have choice in a situation where it seems you have none? There may be a small piece of what I call "wiggle room" where you can maneuver and choose. And, from a practical standpoint, if you accept a particular assignment, and fail to deal with it, this failure can have worse consequences than declining at the outset. Procrastination can play a role here by eliminating your options. Sometimes if you don’t decline or accept in a timely fashion, the decision is made for you.

Being thoughtful and strategic about what you say yes and no to are critical for managing your time and being the person you want to see when you look in the mirror.

Do, delegate or ditch. The choice is yours.

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