Accomplishing certain tasks may be difficult, especially if you keep putting off your start date. Procrastination is a common human weakness; you need to know how to beat it to avoid handing in a project way past deadline.

Here are some tips to help:

Understand why you are procrastinating. Ask yourself why you procrastinate. Do you work better under pressure? Do you get distracted easily? Is it that you don’t enjoy the task itself? Or are you not that confident that you can accomplish the task on your own?

Whatever the reason may be, keep a daily list of what you do in a day. Track how you spend or waste your time. Doing this helps you pinpoint your reasons for putting things off. The habit may be unbreakable until you know why it’s there.

Start now. You can always handle a task by taking it on in baby steps. You can plan and break the task up into manageable amounts until you finish the job. Use a task list to visually register your priorities and what needs to be done during the initial stages of the job. Make sure to set a realistic timeline for the project.

No matter how much you hate a task, take some time to think — with a plan in place, the work will be done before you know it. Keeping a schedule for finishing tasks is a big stress reducer and can help you work more effectively.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and break down the process of the project. Once the alarm goes off, set it for another 30 minutes, and start working on the first phase of the task.

Manage your time. Chronic lateness is also a form of procrastination. Make sure you know how to balance your time — for everything. Start by having an accurate estimate of how long it takes you to get to the office on time, leaving for work on time, and attending meetings without being late.

Track all your tasks over the course of a week to know if you’ve been spending too much time on anything other than the most important tasks related to your job. Analyze whether you are spending your time in the right places.

As simple as it sounds, all you need is a handful of determination to take down procrastination. Once you get the hang of it, you won’t think twice when it comes to organizing your time.