You have a deadline. In fact, it’s right around the corner. But, instead of working on your project, you’re cleaning the house (which, interestingly, you hate to do normally), you’re running to the store, you’re watching TV, you’re checking your Google Reader or you’re looking for old classmates on Facebook. Or you don’t have a deadline, but the same tasks have stayed on your to-do list for weeks. OK, maybe months. Of course, you’re not alone. At some point in their lives, everyone puts off doing something. Fortunately, you can overcome your procrastinating ways and finally get things done. Here are eight suggestions.

Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, is an associate editor at Psych Central and authors the body image blog Weightless. She writes about everything from anxiety and ADHD to creativity and couples to mindfulness and stress. You can learn more about her work at her website.