1. From your own view, what is procrastination?

Procrastination is a form of emotional, mental and behavioral inertia. From physics the word "inertia" represents the tendency for an object to remain at rest or resist being moved. Procrastination is the inertia an individual experiences when they need to accomplish a given task. It can manifest as an inability to think about the task clearly, the inability to summon up any desire to undertake the task and an inability to actually accomplish the task physically.

Another way of putting it is that the individual feels they must put more energy into doing something than they are willing to put into it, hence it doesn't get done. As a result there is a sort of energy threshold that must be overcome by the individual.

In cases (Case (A)) of procrastination often the task has to do with something that the individual themselves really, in their heart of hearts, doesn't want to do themselves rather which is being expected or imposed by others. More commonly (Case (B)) it is a resistance to doing something that they truly want themselves to achieve. I will label theses two as separate cases (A) and (B) respectively.

2. What do you think the (main) factors that cause it are? How?

In Case (A) the main factors causing procrastination result from the unwillingness of the individual to do something that is not desired by them internally. Hence the procrastination is a way of the individual attempting to assert control over a situation in the only way they can. It is very much like saying to the "powers that be" "No I Dont Want To Do This".

In Case (B) this situation is somewhat more complex. When an individual is unable to muster up the energy to do something they really want for themselves it's often because they are being undermined by some sort of fear that they are carrying within themselves. For instance the fear of making a mistake, the fear of failing, the fear of being disappointed, the fear of being criticized or judged, the fear of success and so on. These fears essentially undermine the individual's confidence, their self esteem, and their self worth, depletes their energy and makes them feel so inadequate and unable to be in charge of their life that they essentially give up trying. This is a very serious situation if it persists for too long because then it can become a "way of life" that is it can become habitual and as you know some habits are hard to break when they have persisted for too long.

3. What are your past experiences with procrastination?

Procrastination as in case (B) is often fed by a history of emotional, mental and physical trauma in one's early life. Almost everyone I know whether they wish to admit it or not has experienced some trauma. Hence some degree of procrastination lives in everyone. Those individuals who wind up seeking help often have been so paralyzed by fears of living a full life (also a definition of procrastination in case (B)) that they cannot function well or at all. Yes, many individuals, you could say have this problem.

4. Should procrastination be taken lightly (ignored)? Why or why not?

In case (A) it is important for the powers that be attempt to understand why an individual might not want to do what is expected of them. It is through understanding and empathy for that individual's desires that one can support and nurture that individual's self esteem and self confidence. Simply forcing someone to do something that they really dont want to do in their hearts is what I call "trauma". It only destroys the spirit and the will to live.

In case (B) it is useful for the individual themselves to get up the courage to face their own internal fears and do something about them. Not doing so will only leave them feeling powerless and like a victim. Victims tend then only to blame others for their situation and this of course helps no one, especially not the victim. The process I developed called MRP helps individuals reclaim their power and mastery over their own life thus freeing them and helping them to unleash their immense creative potential once and for all.

5. What would you advise a client to do who suffers from "severe" procrastination?

As I said above if they are stuck in case (B) which is the most common situation I see it becomes the individual's responsibility to decide for themselves whether they want to go on living this way. No one else could nor should attempt to impose on that individual what they should do about it. Doing so might simply unleash a great deal of resistance in their direction. Having said that it becomes essential that the individual with the problem realize that if they choose to submit to the procrastination problem they will have no one but themselves to blame for the ultimate consequences to them and their life.

6. From past clients (or any other experiences), what is the likelihood of overcoming procrastination? Explain.

You see it's not that there aren't effective methods of overcoming procrastination, there are, and MRP is one if them in my view. In the end overcoming it is the result of the individual's heartfelt desire and intent not to be a victim of procrastination and to seek out the appropriate assistance.

7. What would you suggest a client, who has recently overcome procrastination, do to prevent it?

Well in my view that question is a bit of an oxymoron because if they "have" overcome it then it should be gone and no longer need to prevent it, thus all they have to do is go in living their life as they desire. The fact that that you asked the question in that way speaks to the matter that many approaches to addressing procrastination don't work, they only appear to work in the short term. So to answer your question most directly I would suggest that the individual seek out an approach that will help them rid themselves of it for good so they don't have to have it "sitting on their shoulder" waiting for it to attack again.