Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow?
At one time or another we all do it. In fact, I sometimes wonder if procrastination is part of human nature. However, when it comes to project management decision-making, procrastination can be detrimental to the success of the project and expensive.
Of course, 
overcoming the urge to procrastinate is easier said than done. "Just Do It" might work for Nike, but project managers in the trenches have to do more than pull on a pair of running shoes and hit the streets. That being said, planning for procrastination as we do for resources, return, and risk could provide an answer.
By "planning for procrastination" I mean, making as many decisions up front as possible—eliminating the need for spontaneous decision-making when it’s crunch time. That doesn’t mean there’s no room for making decisions as situations change, but it does eliminate the need to make decisions about things that could easily be made in advance. Thomas Edison said, "Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets planning." I think inventing the lightbulb was a pretty successful project.
Another option is to pre-establish the criteria for making decisions in any given circumstance. Of course you can’t anticipate everything, but you can plan ahead for many of the common challenges and situations that might occur.
With that in mind, we will need to remember the words of humorist Will Rogers, "Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there."
With any project based work the ramifications associated with procrastination are serious. There are project management tools that will make it easier to plan, communicate with team members, and evaluate success, but ultimately we have to "Just Do It."
Maybe Nike is right after all.
What are you doing to avoid procrastination?
