Right now, you’re settling in to read this article. But is there something else you should be doing? Perhaps you’ve turned to this as a distraction instead of tackling a more pressing issue. It’s not that you don’t want to do it … or maybe that is the case. It could be that you do your best work at the last minute. Maybe you love the adrenaline rush of wrapping up a project just before deadline. Or what lies ahead could make you anxious.

Really, all those reasons come into play when we consider why we procrastinate. Though some of us are worse than others, we’re all guilty of putting off tasks until they become urgent. It’s not a new phenomenon – historical references to procrastination date back thousands of years.

While we’re sometimes quick to blame poor time management or lack of skill as the reason for procrastination, leading psychologists disagree. For example, brain-training expert Theo Tsaousides says we’re inclined to procrastinate because it has worked out well for us in the past.

“The thrill of achieving something that seemed so impossible – like creating an entire presentation for an important meeting in just one night – gives you an unforgettable high,” Tsaousides writes, in a Psychology Today article. “You feel proud, relieved (and probably exhausted). But you did it! And maybe you can do it again … and when you think you are able to get anything done, regardless of how late you start, you have no motivation – no reason – to stop procrastinating.”

He also notes we’re sometimes tardy to take action on our life goals because we don’t set deadlines. With no deadline, we don’t feel pressure to act and our dreams remain out of reach. Naturally, this leads to our first tip: set yourself up for success by defining timelines for everything.

Set short, mid and long-term goals, and break every project into small steps. It sounds simple, but it really is the most effective way to get things done. However, our own internal deadlines aren’t always enough to motivate us and keep us on track. Which brings us to our second tip: find someone to hold you accountable.

By setting goals and sharing them with others, you’ll be more inclined to meet your own deadlines. Seek out people who will hold you accountable for your actions, like a trusted friend, mentor or coach. If you don’t have someone in your life to fill this role, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. According to a recent Fast Company article, “procrastination nannies” – people you pay to facilitate a full day of uninterrupted work for you – are now a thing. They’ll even serve you lunch and play motivational music.

While paying someone to force you to work may not sound pleasurable, our hardwired reward center indeed plays a role in procrastination. So, here is our third tip: match up unpleasant tasks with something you want to do to lessen the pain and motivate you to press on.

In her paper Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling, Wharton professor Katy Milkman describes how she successfully married an unpleasant task (working out) with a more pleasurable one (reading a book).

“For example, imagine only allowing yourself to enjoy the next episode of your favorite TV show while exercising, receive a pedicure while completing an overdue manuscript review, or indulge in the burger you crave when spending time with your cranky uncle,” she writes.

“Temptation bundling can solve two problems at once by increasing the desire of those with self-control problems to engage in beneficial behaviors requiring willpower and reducing the likelihood that people will engage in indulgent activities that they will later regret.”

Though most of us see procrastination as a bad habit that is detrimental to our overall success, many of our great business leaders have used it to their advantage. Some of the most famous procrastinators include science fiction novelist Douglas Adams, architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Steve Jobs, who needs no introduction.

In the case of Jobs, he viewed procrastination as an opportunity to provide time for new ideas to come to the forefront. Instead of tackling a project immediately with the first idea that popped in his head, he’d put it off to let the ideas stew and the creativity flow.

The next time you are putting off an important task, think about what you can do to increase accountability and motivate yourself by making the project more pleasurable.

But for now, get back to work. We wouldn’t want to keep you from what you were supposed to be doing.