A deadline is looming, a crisis is on the horizon, the clock is ticking and you’re finally getting started.

It’s a horrible feeling.

You’re doing something and the whole time you know that you should have finished the task long ago.

It’s procrastination, and it’s so common.

It’s human nature.

We want to do the things we love.

We don’t want to spend time doing things that don’t thrill us.

Thus, we put off the “ugly” stuff until we don’t have a choice.  We know that isn’t the best way to manage our time, but it happens so often that it almost feels unavoidable.

You can avoid it and you should avoid it.

Procrastination doesn’t just make for stressful last-second efforts.

It also prevents us from realizing our potential.  When we put off necessary tasks because they don’t have that certain immediate appeal, we slow our progress.

There are million different people willing to teach you the mechanics of avoiding procrastination.

They’ll teach you all about to-do lists, time management and similar ideas.  Some of the advice is outstanding, too.

None of it will work, however, if you don’t do something first that very few of those productivity gurus ever even think of mentioning.

Remember, we procrastinate because we want to spend our time doing things that we love.  If you can organize your life around your passions—the things you love the most—and tie your actions to a higher purpose that involves those loves, you won’t want to put anything off.

You’ll be motivated to tackle any chore because it will aid in creating the life of your dreams.

Find your passion.

Define your purpose.

Understand how the things you need to do fit with them.  You’ll soon find yourself ahead of schedule instead of constantly trying to get things done at the last possible moment.

And start now.

There’s no reason to procrastinate on this!