4. 直觉告诉我们应该缓一缓的事往往是不该做的事。

    如果你发自内心地不愿去做某件事，也许那就是老天在告诉你，还是干点别的吧。例子很多，比如因为你怀疑朋友的创业计划有问题，所以推迟给他投资；又或者推迟期待已久的求婚。

    怎么区分懒惰和潜意识里的自我认识呢？帕特诺伊建议：“只须问自己：‘我为什么推迟？我在想什么？我现在不愿动手去做的理由是什么？’通常这样就足够了。”坦诚地面对自己，这样就能分清拖延和智慧之间的区别。

4. You suspect the action you're putting off is not the right thing to do.

    When you truly do not want to do something, it may be the universe's way of telling you that you're meant to be doing something else. Examples might include putting off writing a check to invest in a friend's enterprise that you suspect has a flawed business plan, or even delaying an anticipated marriage proposal.

    How do you tell the difference between laziness and deepening self-knowledge? "Just asking the question, 'Why am I putting this off, what is happening in my brain, and what is the rationale for not wanting to do it now?' That is often enough of a tool," says Partnoy. Be honest, and you'll see the line between procrastination and being smart.