How To Stop Procrastinating.

Byline: INTERVIEWS BY DANIELLE PERGAMENT, CARA BIRNBAUM, AND ELIZABETH ANGELL

Expert advice on why we procrastinate and how to get motivated; how to make an easy, irresistible dessert; plus, the weirdest new cocktails.

An Interview With Neil A. Fiore

Fiore is a psychologist and the author of The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play ( Tarcher ).

Procrastination is our way of dealing with any task that's overwhelming, frightening, or just boring. It does offer some temporary relief from those feelings, but it can become a default response. It's better to find ways to deal with that urge early, before you start to chronically postpone. And don't waste time beating yourself up about past procrastination, eitherfocus on learning new habits for the future.

Put perfection on hold. Fear of failureor even fear of successcan be a chronic procrastinator's biggest enemy. Learning how to separate your sense of self-worth from your work will reduce your anxiety and allow you to be more creative. I used to try to win over my critics; now, when I write speeches, I tell myself that 2 to 5 percent of the audience will be critical of me because they're either crazy or drunk. Since I've stopped trying to be perfect, I write my books and speeches in half the time.

Break it down. The idea of completing a project that will ultimately take 400 (or even just eight) hours to finish can be paralyzing. Separate the elements of your task into bite-size pieces, and focus on just one chunk at a time. If you have a ...