Causes of Procrastination

Causes of procrastination. What is procrastination, and why so many people suffer from the effects of procrastination.

What is Procrastination

Procrastination is the tendency to put off something you know you should be doing. When we procrastinate, we tend to attempt to rationalize and come up with excuses to justify our actions. These excuses usually appear empty once we think about them more carefully.

Procrastination Effects

The bad habit of putting off things leads to sometimes ugly effects of procrastination. Late term papers, late applications, late tax filings – all these result from procrastination, and all of them carry unpleasant consequences that can easily be avoided.

Causes of Procrastination

There are many of us who are discontented with our lives at present, but yet are contented with not taking action to change the status quo. Many seem comfortable in their bondage. The unfortunate truth is, like the proverbial toad gradually being boiled to death, many of us do not realize it until it is too late.

Procrastination Causes

According to the 2003 Spherion Emerging Workforce Survey of 3200 full-time workers,
52% indicate a desire to change jobs, with 46% of them hoping to do so within the next 6 months and 75% of them within the next 12 months.

54% indicate growing confidence in their ability to earn a stable income outside the conventional work structure.

86% cite fulfillment and work/life balance as their top career priority.

Yet, 81% continue work in jobs that do not give the work/life balance they want.

What do these figures suggest? Many of these workers hope to see a change in their lives and feel a need for change, but they seem more comfortable not taking action. If you keep thinking ‘tomorrow’ and you are always waiting for the stars to align perfectly, you will always be waiting.

The above is an edited excerpt from Jon Hanson’s excellent book, ‘Good debt, Bad debt’.

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