Temptations: Far More Than A 60’s Singing Group

According to a recent study completed and reported in the Psychological Bulletin, procrastination is getting worse. The result? Being fat, broke, sad and unfulfilled. Apparently the reason for this increase in procrastination starts with the plethora of temptation that each of us faces.

The study found that in the past 25 years the average self-score for procrastination (using a 1 to 5 scale with 1 being no-delaying) has increased by a whopping 39 percent!

Men are worse than women. Young people worse than older people. The report even estimates that the US gross national product could increase by $50 billion if just the icon and sound that notifies people of new email would disappear!

The cause of all this? Temptations are the leader. Life is just too easy and too diverting. The others? A sense of choosing immediacy over deferred payback, whether doing the job provides value, and whether a person believes they can get the job done.

How do you overcome procrastination? The study’s authors, Pier Steel and William Knaus (author of Overcoming Procrastination, 1977) say:

• Precommitment - Force yourself to get something done.
• Do unpleasant tasks first and when you are at your best.
• Set goals and break them down into doable tasks.
• Unplug distractions (televisions, computers, games, etc.).
• Commit to doing something for 5 minutes. At the end of 5 – go on to something else.
• Ask yourself why you procrastinate and defeat it.

Procrastination can derail your best efforts and entire career. It can also become a habit. Avoid it at all costs – but don’t procrastinate in taking action. You too, could end up fat, broke, sad and unfulfilled.

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