Procrastination is the art of avoiding a task that needs to be completed and I am a professed procrastinator. There are things that I will put off until tomorrow, when I should be doing them today. It was not until I started my own company and began working from home that I really began to notice it. My one and only savior is that I recognize this behavior in myself and take certain steps to manage it.

Given today’s technology, procrastination is difficult for people to avoid. The Internet itself has increased the number of procrastinators in the world. People can spend hours browsing the Internet, when in fact they should be doing something more productive. Instant Messaging is another good example. People spend many unproductive hours chatting with friends and family (one good reason why instant messaging should not be allowed in the workplace).

It is not just Internet technologies that distract people; it is technology in general. BlackBerries, game consoles, and cell phones all provide some sort of distraction from the tasks that we should be doing. Avoiding procrastination, therefore, is almost impossible.

So, with all these temptations around, how does one stay self-disciplined and avoid putting things off? Once you have recognized the fact that you are avoiding tasks in lieu of something far less productive (although potentially a lot more fun), there are a few handy tips that you can try to get back on track.

Stay tuned for Part II when I will share some of the tips I have used in the past to combat my procrastination.