* fear — we don’t know if we’ll succeed

* overwhelm — we do not really know what do to

* dislike — we simply just don’t like the task at hand

However, I think one of the main reasons we procrastinate is that we simply don’t know what we want — and I mean really want, like deep down inside.

Let’s dive in at the deep end.

Do you know what controls most of your behavior? Deep down, your everyday actions are molded and shaped by your deepest values. And values are simply the things you value the most in your life: like maybe love, freedom, security, belonging, and so on.

Most of us share a lot of values; where we differ is in how we order our values — what is most important to us (I learned this concept from Tony Robbins). And if two conflicting values are high up on your list, it can cause you to halt and not get anything done.

Let me give you an example to make it clearer. On my personal list of values (I’ve actually taken the time to write them down and order them), security ranks very high, and just under it, I have freedom.

Can you see how that could lead to problems for me?

I really value being secure — like “withdrawn into my shell”-secure. I want my income to be steady and safe, and my life in general to be fairly predictable.

However, freedom is also extremely important. To me it means a lot of things — freedom of time (to work when I want, to play when I want, to go to the library to read poetry when I feel the need) — and financial freedom (these go hand-in-hand, of course).

To be free like that — that is, to create freedom like that, I need to take risks.

And so these two values have a thug-of-war, and nobody wins. Procrastination sets in, accompanied by that nasty feeling in my stomach that something isn’t quite right.

If you have that feeling while procrastinating, the reasons might be a value-conflict you’re experiencing without really knowing so.

In order to cut this gordian knot, it is imperative to figure out what you really, really, really want. Figure out your values, write them down, order them the way you think  they are ordered today. Then look at that list and see if your values and their order support you in getting to where you want.

Maybe you need to consciously re-order your values. It is easier  than you think. Just do it. Write a new list with the new order (including any new values and excluding any old that you seem fit). And see what that does for you.

Now, do it.

This little nugget is not like that, so don’t pass it by lightly.

It is based on the realization that for most of us, motivation comes in bursts. Motivation to actually get things done might be a scarce resource with you, but every now and then, you get the drive to do something…

When that happens, make sure you go straight for the target, and do the right thing. Here’s what I mean:

Let’s say that for a long time you’ve thought about starting your own business online (because you want to fire your boss and make a great living doing something you love, and contribute more to the world). You’ve never created your own website for the business, you haven’t learned how to market it, and you don’t really know what to sell.

And that hurts.

Tonight the drive to do something got you so hard that you started surfing google on how to stop procrastining… and ended up right here in this blog post.

Now you obviously had the drive to do “something”. You’re here because there is something in particular you want to do… but instead of heading straight in the direction of the target, you used that motivational burst you actually had there, to take a side-trip… And so you got nowhere.

I am glad you’re here, but the next time you feel that motivational burst (and you catch yourself actually doing something), make sure that the “something” you do moves you directly in the direction of your target. Go straight for it… that’s usually the shortest path, you know.

The take-home message is this: Realize that your motivation only comes in small bursts, and use that realization to manage the motivational-burst wisely. Create that first web page. Brainstorm for product ideas. Get an online course on marketing, and follow the steps.