Do you have a haunting sense you are doing something else to avoid doing what is needed to get something accomplished? Tim Ferriss says that we often are busy rather than productive and we try to avoid what's uncomfortable that is actually a high priority.

Try to see how you fill up your days and if you are involved in activities such as channel surfing, jumping from link to link on internet or browsing print magazines as a substantial part of your day. It is easier to surf than to concentrate on one task. Of course in addition, often video games, computer games and tv watching are forms of procrastination that can use hours of your time. 

Face head on what you are putting off. It can be a work project that seems challenging, cleaning your house or completing the paper for school that is the haunting weight. One thing to look at is what is the sticky point for you. For instance, the work project may involve your having to call someone to get some data and you may be in a state of dread about that. Sometimes the uncomfortable part is only a small part of the overall situation and when you deal with that the rest of the process is fine. We get stronger when we face what's uncomfortable and more importantly, it is very liberating to do what you have been avoiding doing. 

Each uncomfortable situation we face helps us to see that our resistance was worse than we imagined. For instance, if you are avoiding the report you need to hand in because you feel insecure about your introductory page, go online and see some examples that are similar. You'll get some ideas and then you can write your own version. Getting beyond the paralysis teaches you that you can face it head on and this is such a valuable lesson that can be applied to many contexts of life.

Once it is finished, the enjoyment you'll have in your diversions will be much better as there won't be that sense of a weight on top of you. When we do things to avoid something else, we know that in one level of our minds and the body just can't fully relax. This is a great reward plus you've accomplished something even deeper than the specific task: You've been able to overcome a fear.

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