Procrastination: The universal habit

Fear of failure is often touted as the main cause of procrastination. And this may be true for people with high anxiety and perfectionistic tendencies. However, for the average punter, the main cause of procrastination is much more likely to stem from a failure to control impulses: the impulse to watch TV, eat, sleep, play computer games, check emails, read the online news (my personal favourite).

Procrastination is so common because humans are wired for immediate pleasure over long-term pay-offs: the impulse to watch that new Youtube clip is much more compelling than the drive to work on your English paper that's due in 2 weeks. We procrastinate because the potential rewards of working on that English paper are just so far away relative to the fun of watching a funny cat video on Youtube. And the potential costs of procrastination (being disappointed with your mark, for example) are even more remote.

One way to tackle procrastination is to spend some time vividly imagining the negative outcomes that could occur as a result of procrastination: looking stupid in front of colleagues, letting down team mates, or missing out on an opportunity because you weren't prepared. In addition, try to delay acting on an impulse for 5 seconds, which gives your rational brain time to decide whether giving in to that impulse, and procrastinating, is really in your best interests.