6.2 Procrastination Defined

Procrastination can be thought of as the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished or that is deemed as necessary for a particular outcome. It is often described as postponing, delaying, putting off, or waiting until the last minute before addressing the task, whether it be writing a paper, cleaning the bathroom, having a difficult conversation with a friend, or taking action around changing a health behavior like sleep, physical activity, or eating habits. A recent survey of college students showed that students listed procrastination as their top barrier to effective time management (Cengage Learning, 2015). Almost everyone procrastinates, though for different reasons and to different extents.

Although it is common for people to equate procrastination with laziness, procrastination is typically not a function of laziness or lack of work ethic; it is not a character flaw. Procrastination is also typically not a result of lack of interest, desire, or concern. Instead, procrastination is often related to other factors, such as the fear of failure, the tendency to overcommit, unclear goals or task flow, lack of confidence, and being distracted.