Minimizing Inertia while researching

Some of us are late starters and some are very late starters. Sometimes I feel guilty because it takes so long for me start. Then I remember a popular idiom 'better late than never'. No matter how late I start, I always find consolation in the fact that I actually started and as a result there's a higher probability that I'll finish. 

After starting, the problem of procrastination sets in. The trick is to start a regular routine and push yourself to follow it everyday. Even that has problems. For very late starters, discipline may not be easy. Since I know that, I find external push factors in the form of classes to go to in the mornings, a test to study for, a conference to work towards, etcetera. With this strategy, some days are very productive for me, while others are total duds. The bad days should not demotivate you though, since this is a work in progress to minimize the inertia.