We all have been guilty of procrastination. Yes, even professional organisers and time management consultants are plagued by procrastination.

I will sometimes put off doing certain things I don't like and do those I find more interesting, consequently throwing my time management completely out of sync. If you are guilty of this periodically, don't be too hard on yourself; it's normal.

The key is to making it an infrequent and rare habit, but most importantly to recognise when you are in this dawdling state and to get back on your scheduled track quickly. This can be accomplished by making sure you keep a proper diary of exactly what you do, when you need to do it and how you are doing to accomplish the task, either through the traditional written form or the now popular electronic manner.

This article is for the people who are in a constant state of distress and panic because of missed deadlines and are the ones who have, like most clients, stated that getting organised is their top priority for this year and as we enter March, don't have a clue, much less a plan, as to how they are going to do it.

Firstly, let us look at the anxieties caused by the P word. Usually procrastinators: receive poor job evaluations; written schedules generally show lots of wasted and/or unaccountable time; they miss great opportunities; their office can be easily declared a 'state of disaster'; and are stressed to their limit trying to meet deadlines.

A sure sign is staying down at the pub having one more just because the month-end report is due, and the draft is incomplete, or tackling the end of your prioritised `to do' list instead of starting at the top. When you slip into this mode, recognise it and back away from the temptations. If you are having difficulty getting back on track, try compromising with yourself by placing a token reward at the end of the completed task. If that does not entice you to get started, tough love will need to be enforced. Jot down the consequences you can if you continuously procrastinate, such as: stress, tension, anxiety, guilt, embarrassment, and in some extreme cases -- unemployment, eviction, hunger etc.

Try implementing some of these tips listed below to deal with any procrastination you may be experiencing: Set limits -- take on fewer responsibilities -- sometimes not an easy task. I know from experience it is hard to say no, especially when it's towards a good cause.

Delegate -- instead of doing it all and feeling frustrated, or putting it off until the last minute, if someone else can get the job done, assign it out; Small steps -- break large projects into small manageable ones; Recognise energy levels -- take advantage of your high-energy peaks and use that time to attack high priority task; Set up rewards -- reward your comfort zone --give yourself a pat on the back for accomplishments and plan to do something you really enjoy at the end of a major task; and Don't wait until tomorrow to put your plan into action, start now! So if your plan is get organised this year, don't wait any longer, if you do the entire year will slip away and you will be beating up yourself about the things you wanted to do and never got around to doing. Start today, you still have time to catch up.

Cindy Swan is a Professional Organiser with over 20 years of office administrative managerial experience and a member of the National Association of Professional Organisers. Her column appears in the business section on the first and third Thursday of each month.

Address inquiries to Cindy Swan, PO Box 304 St. George's GEBX or email her at organize y ibl.bm