We all procrastinate, but the stress of a looming deadline and feeling you can't act until it's crunch time can make you feel out of control. Stop this self-punishing cycle by becoming a better self-starter. 1) Ignore the desire to plan and organize yourself until you feel "ready" to start a project. This is resistance masquerading as preparation. Instead, dive in. 2) Decide how much to accomplish within a set amount of time, for example, one hour. This shrinks the perceived size of your task. 3) If you procrastinate, you may also be distractible. Both may play a role in helping you avoid work. Fight back by working in a "boring" location and taking planned breaks instead of allowing distractions. Close down Enemy #1 - email, and its never-ending signal alerting you to another message.