Last week, we talked about overcoming procrastination in general. This week, we are going to focus on a specific type of procrastination where awareness of the issue is high, a clear path of action exists, and yet no action is being taken. For example, do you need to communicate something painful with a friend or relative? Is it time to do something about your weight? Is there something you need to discuss with your spouse or your boss? Take a moment to write down one situation where you are clearly aware of the necessity for taking action yet you are caught in limbo between keeping the status quo and taking the action to change it.

Before figuring out how to move out of this state of limbo, let's look at the consequences of maintaining the status quo. In the physical world, energy is required to maintain a stable or balanced state. Just as your body requires energy to maintain an even temperature of 98.6 degrees, maintaining the status quo also uses energy. Maintaining the status quo, however, when a change is needed, actually requires additional energy and over time, lessens your confidence and self-esteem. The longer you're stuck in "limbo," the harder it is to escape into action. For example, the longer I do not exercise, the harder it becomes to start exercising again. The converse is also true — the more that I exercise, the easier it is to continue exercising. Thus, the longer you have been doing something, the more momentum or inertia you have to keep doing the same behavior.

How can you change the status quo? First, begin by taking a small, simple action step. You may know the old joke about "How do you eat an elephant?" (One bite at a time!) The key is to take a tiny bite and to keep "biting." In other words, if you want to start exercising at least four times per week, begin by increasing your physical activity 10 minutes today. Tomorrow, you might do another 10 minutes or perhaps 15 minutes. If you miss a day, that's OK. Just plan on taking another "bite" tomorrow.

If you're tackling an "elephant," make sure you have some fun working on it. For example, one woman had been working in the UK for the last 3 years and had placed all of her things in storage. She literally had hundreds of boxes to go through before she moved into her new home back in the US. What she decided to do was to make the tedious task into a "treasure hunt." In each box, she was searching for the "one treasure" she would take to her new home. The rest of the things in the box she was planning to discard because she simply didn't have the space for it.

A third approach to changing the status quo is to alter your environment. If you're tired of telemarketing calls during dinner, disconnect your phone before you sit down to eat. If you find yourself hitting the vending machines at work around 4:00 PM, take an apple or some other healthy snack and place it in your desk so it will be there when you get hungry. If you're intimidated about speaking to your boss in her office, ask to have the conversation in a less threatening environment.

A fourth approach is to "partner up." Parents Without Partners, Weight Watchers, and a host of other organizations assist people facing major life challenges by providing a supportive relationship where positive action is acknowledged and reinforced. In fact, one of the very best ways to "partner up" is by hiring a coach.

Whether you tackle the "elephant" alone or with the help of someone else, breaking the cycle of inaction will increase your energy as well as your self-confidence.

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