"Procrastination is opportunity's assassin."
~ Victor Kiam, American businessman, Remington Electric Razors (1926-2001)

"Oh, how I wish I could overcome procrastination! Somebody please help me stop procrastinating! But not today, I'm busy."

Procrastination is a double-edged habit. It deserves our attention as well as our appreciation. The guilt we feel indicates that our procrastination serves as the destroyer of dreams. However, when inspired by our connection to our values it also serves as the protector against wasted energy and futile activities.

Regardless of the type of procrastination, it's important to forgive yourself for doing the best you could do, given who you are and what you've learned up until this point. You are a Divine Child of God and the Truth is that it's possible that your sensible delays were inspired according to your Divine path.

On the other hand, feeling frustrated because your lack of action has postponed your good, is a message from your higher self that what you want requires your attention and you're not currently in alignment with its effortless fulfillment.

Let me clarify the distinction between when we can appreciate our procrastination and when we should instead kick ourselves out of lethargy.

Once upon a time, I was stuck at the Los Angeles airport with no money for my cab or shuttle ride home to Newport Beach, about 50 miles South on Pacific Coast Highway. I knew I had to get home and I had neglected (procrastinated) to call friends to arrange a ride. Then, when my flight arrived, I was really ready to get home but for some reason I sort of meandered through the airport a bit aimlessly.

I admit that because I didn't have the money for the fare, I procrastinated finding a ride for fear of having to ride-and-run, known in other circles as dine-and-dash!

I picked up my luggage, went to the gift shop, grabbed a bag of chips and truly walked around aimlessly for an indefinite amount of time. Eventually, reality sunk in. I had to get home and even though I didn't have the money, I had to take the shuttle.

My heart raced and my stomach ached thinking about how I would face the driver at my driveway. What would they do? Would they call the cops? Would they take a hot check so that I could cover it later?

I made a decision as I got on that shuttle that would change my life forever. I decided to manifest a miracle. I didn't know how but I knew enough about the law of attraction to know that if I could put my attention on what I wanted while handing it over to God, that something would happen and I'd be alright.

I got on the shuttle, smiled and said hello to the man and his daughter, the single woman, and the cute elderly couple. I immediately began to pray and apply my thoughts toward a magical solution and most importantly, every time I felt fear, I handed it over to God (the big U).

The father and daughter were the first to exit, and I began to really be persistent with 'handing it over' as the fear came in waves. I began to feel a sense of willingness to just handle whatever happened and found myself inspired to talk with the elderly couple. They were visiting from South Africa, had a daughter my age, loved to travel and meet new people. We laughed and continued to talk as I intermittently remembered my dilemma and handed it over again and again.

The next stop was to be the hotel of my new friends but the gentleman told the driver to take me home first as they were enjoying my company. When we arrived, I turned to tell my new friends what a pleasure it was to meet them and they were talking to each other. He turned to me and said, "My dear, we have enjoyed your company so much. Please allow us to pay for your fare."

With tears of delight and gratitude, what could I do but graciously accept?!

This was a turning point for me and my ability to succeed as a conscious creator. My procrastination in arranging a ride inspired my aimless wandering, which in turn was actually inspired by my higher intentions to succeed in truly understanding the law of attraction. I was inspired to procrastinate so that I would show up at the right time, in the right pick-up zone to meet my new friends and manifest a mini-miracle.

This is inspired procrastination. Honor the truth that sometimes there is a higher purpose for Divinely Ordered procrastination. If you are running behind schedule, you miss your exit, you meander aimlessly, etc. allow yourself the flexibility to accept that somehow this too is perfect and in alignment with what you really want.

On the other, deadly edge of the procrastinator's sword is the fear based procrastination that will inevitably delay and destroy your dreams.

The following tools may be used to overcome this type of procrastination. You want to set yourself up for success by inspiring inspiration. Yes, using the law of attraction, you can actually inspire and aligned action.

If you postpone making the number of cold-calls necessary to succeed in your business, then you are procrastinating out of fear of success, fear of rejection, or fear of failure, for example.

If you postpone working out and eating right, then you may be procrastinating out of a sense of futility, a feeling of worthlessness, or a fear of deprivation.

If you feel guilt when you look at your procrastination tactics, then you are being called to move towards inspired action from your higher self.

To overcome procrastination here are a few practical tips:

1 - Write it down! Write everything that you must/could/should/want to do on paper; write out your high-level goals, the mini-milestones, the tasks involved, and the decisions that must be made to accomplish your goals. Then, prioritize and write down your reasons and your rewards. If it's too big a task, then spend just 10 minutes at a time until it's done.

2 - Chunk it down! We procrastinate eating the Elephant because it's such a huge undertaking! Break it down into bite-sized morsels (on paper) and ask yourself what is ONE thing I can do today or right now.

3 - Use a timer set for 15 minutes. You have 15 minutes to do ONE thing on your list - pick it and do it. If you are inspired to do more, great keep going. If not, that's okay too!

4 - Just put on your shoes! Whatever goal you have in mind starts with the first inspired action. If you want to run 6 miles, it begins with simply putting on your running shoes; nothing more, nothing less. When you are procrastinating - simply ask yourself what's the first task? Take action on the smallest incremental item on that task. You'll be amazed at how quickly you will be inspired to run once your running shoes are on.

5 - Reward yourself - when you accomplish each project as well as each milestone.

6 - Be human and give up perfectionism! Do it imperfect on purpose. If you procrastinate for fear of it being imperfect, get over it. An action performed imperfectly is superior to inaction performed perfectly.

To overcome procrastination using the law of attraction, use both the law of attraction and Emotional Freedom Technique.

First, launch a living vision that paves the way for inspired action then upon awareness of doubts/fears use Emotional Freedom Technique to eliminate the blocks.

A - Inspire Inspiration with a Living Vision

Launch a living vision that addresses inspired, daily action. This is a one minute exercise that will change your life forever. If you will simply imagine yourself 'enjoying the act of taking daily consistent action towards your goal' in a consistent, daily living vision, eventually you will be inspired to do what you are imagining.

Launching a Living Vision that you are taking daily, inspired action is a "No Fail" method! You will find yourself inspired with a passionate, connected sense of certainty and eagerness and you won't be able to stop yourself from taking action. It will work in one way or another every time.

For example:

If you want to be a prolific writer but you procrastinate or feel that you have writer's block, then launch the following living vision every day for 7 - 21 days and record what happens:

"Yes! I am so enthusiastic about how easy it is for me to write every day. It's like the words just flow and most of the time I don't even know where they are coming from. The characters inspire me to new heights and the storyline comes out of left field, jumping onto the computer screen with profound clarity and conviction. You know, I'm so grateful that it's always been this easy for me. I have always been able to simply sit down and allow the words to flow. I have to admit that I am a prolific writer and it's always been easy for me."

If you want to start exercising or be more consistent with your exercise routine, then launch the following living vision every day for 7 to 21 days and see what happens:

"I love exercising and staying focused on my goals. It's so easy for me to make this a priority. I always seem to have the energy to work out, not matter what time of the day it is. I also always seem to have the time as my life simply supports me in achieving my ideal health and fitness. I know others say they don't have the energy or time, and I just can't even imagine this being the case for me! I simply feel inspired to work-out regularly and the time happens easily as does having the energy within to accomplish my goals. There's something magical that happens when I put on my work-out gear or my gym shoes, it's like the angels practically carry me through my routine as soon as the gear touches my body. I simply put on my gear and I'm destined to a fabulous work-out that I absolutely love. And, I love the way I look and feel. I love and enjoy my body!"

Launch your own living visions to inspire inspiration and action. Allow your living vision to be a breathing, flowing, ever-evolving masterpiece of the activities that you want and desire.

B - Use Emotional Freedom Technique to overcome procrastination.

Formulate your own using the following Emotional Freedom Technique set-up phrases and positive implanting statements as prompts.

* Even though I procrastinate, I choose to love and accept myself anyway.
* Even though I am a habitual procrastinator, I lovingly support myself in taking inspired action.
* Even though I sabotage my success by procrastinating, never the less, I am pleasantly surprised at how easy it is for me to take action from this point forward.
* Even though I am afraid of success and therefore I procrastinate, never the less, I see myself easily taking inspired, consistent action.
* Even though I put off doing what I know must be done, I love, accept and forgive myself. And, I choose to easily take inspired, daily, consistent action.
* Even though I can't seem to stop procrastinating, never the less, I am so passionate excited that I am reliable and unswerving in my commitment to take action.
* Even though I hate the fact that I keep procrastinating and I don't know how to stop, never the less, I find myself easily focusing on the completion of small steps every day.
* Even though I feel terribly guilty for being such a procrastinator, I easily choose to chunk my projects down and just begin it now!

The law of attraction is our ally in manifesting success and prosperity as well as the little things that we want in life, such as successfuly defeating procrastination. Remember that it's important to use your attention to manifest your big dreams as well as your daily desires.