The Onion of Procrastination

I'm still observering myself procrastinating on a daily basis, so I haven't yet solved my procrastination problems. I'm noticing progress but I'm not done.

It's like an onion in that there are many, many layers. I keep figuring out one thing after another. I think, "I know, my problem is that my tasks aren't clearly defined!" So I work on defining my tasks more clearly, and that helps a little, but I still procrastinate. Then I realize, "My problem is that I have a lot of fears about doing my work." So I work on overcoming my fears, and that helps a little, but I still procrastinate.

I'm learning that I have many reasons and methods for procrastinating. Recognizing just one of them isn't going to solve the whole multi-layered problem. Here are some of the reasons and solutions I have found so far:

1. I procrastinate when I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Solution: Work on defining my tasks better.
2. I procrastinate when I'm afraid I won't do a good enough job. Solution: Recognize that I'll do a better job if I do something than if I do nothing, and even if I don't do as good a job as I wish, that's not the end of the world. Therefore, I don't have to be afraid.
3. I procrastinate when I see procrastination as inevitable. Solution: Visualize my life without procrastination -- what would it feel like to get to the end of every day without procrastinating? How would my life be in that case? By imagining that successful outcome, I can more easily achieve it.
4. I procrastinate when I feel like it is impossible to do everything I need to do in the time I have. Solution: Recognize that I have scheduled too much for myself and cut back on the amount I have schedule so that it is reasonable rather than overwhelming.
5. I procrastinate by doing something that feels good but isn't what I want to be doing. Solution: Think about all the bad aspect of the activity I use to procrastinate (such as playing online games or surfing the web). While doing those activities, think negative thoughts about the procrastination activities, such as, "This is horrible. I hate this. It's such a drag to play solitaire. I'm never going to win. Even if I win one game, I'll just lose the next one. This isn't worth it. Why should I even try to win at solitaire?" In other words, take all that negative self-talk that happens when I'm doing something I should be doing and shift it over to the thing I shouldn't be doing so that I stop feeling like doing it.
6. I procrastinate in the afternoon much more than in the morning. Solution: Spend time right after lunch going through the mental exercises that help me get through the morning, giving me another mental push to get through the afternoon, rather than trying to continue coasting from what's left over from the morning push. Every night or morning before work, I spend time thinking about how I want to get my work done and avoid procrastinating that day. I usually arrive at work with some level of conviction about getting my work done that day. It lasts most of the morning but then after lunch things start to break down. So I need to regroup and think my good thoughts again so that I can make it through the afternoon.
7. I procrastinate when I think the task will be unpleasant. Solution: Realize that most tasks are ok and not horribly unpleasant, especially if I have the right attitude.

Not only are there many, many aspects to procrastination and many solutions for each aspect, just recognizing the problems and coming up with the solutions won't do any good unless I put them into practice. I can see that regrouping after lunch will help me through the afternoon, but it will only help me if I actually do it. And I have to practice it a lot for it to become a habit and second nature.