Forget swine flu.  The biggest pandemic in America is procrastination.  It seems not a day goes by that I don't run into the "sorry stricken" (tm Pride and Prejudice and Zombies).

So, why do we all put things off?  And what can we do to change our habits? 

Actually, those two questions are related.  If you identify why you put things off, you'll be well on your way to resolving the problem.

You have too much to do and too little time.  If this is you, then it's time to prioritize the things on your schedule and either drop some or get help.  Asking for help seems to be a big stumbling block for some people.  Maybe the person you ask to help won't do the task exactly as you would have, but that's ok.  If you live in a household of more than one person, all the members over the age of 2 should be contributing to maintaining that household.  (Yes, two year olds can be taught to put away their toys, put dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, and even make their beds — ok, there won't be hospital corners, but life will go on).  If you still have too much to do, you may be over-committed and have to cut back.

You keep forgetting the things you are supposed to do. Get some sort of a calendar — paper, electronic, whatever works for you — and start building the habit of checking it several times a day.    For example, first thing in the morning, at the beginning of the work day, at the end of the work day, and before bed. Once you are in the habit, write down everything you need to do when you think of it.  Once a day, you can assign the tasks you've thought of to the right slot of time.

You don't use your time well. When you know youi need to do a task, assign it the proper amount of time.  You aren't going to reline the kitchen cabinets in the half hour before bed, so if you keep telling yousrelf you should do that, you'll just be frustrated.  On the other hand, that time might be right to finish reading a magazine or to pay bills or to iron a shirt for work the next day.  For big tasks that must be done all at once, block out enough time to actually do it.

You face tasks that seem huge and overwhelming. When a task seems too huge, try to break it down into discrete chunks that you can handle.  For example, I want to reorganize my personal files.  One day, I may pull outdated materials from my current files.  Another day, I can shred the discards that include private information.  A third day, I can relabel my files.  On the fourth and fifth days, I can sort my new materials and place them in the folders. 

You don't want to do it. This is probably more common than we like to admit.  There are just some things we don't want to do.  They are tedious or unpleasant, boring and time-consuming.  When I face these tasks, I make a stack or a list and set myself a specific amount of time to work.  In that time period, I may take no breaks and I must do the tasks in the order they appear on the list or stack. When I've finished the list or the time period, I reward myself by doing something I enjoy (perhaps a bubble bath or reading a novel).  It's amazing how insignificant these tasks seem once you actually start.

Why do you procrastinate?  What can you do to change your habits?