Chronic procrastinators may be comforted to know that they are not alone. Slate magazine ran a special issue on the subject last year, Psychology Today has a daily blog on it, and a Google search turns up nearly four million results.

And that’s not all.

According to Ben Zimmer’s article in Slate, the word “procrastination” dates back to the mid-16th century. Even Benjamin Franklin – the consummate achiever – is said to have penned the saying: “Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.”
Which begs us to ask the question: If it has been around for so long and the cure has yet to be found, is there any hope for those plagued by it today?

Yes, absolutely.

To start, there are several theories as to what causes procrastination. Perhaps one of the most prevalent is that humans tend to value short term gains over long term benefits – a theory put forth by Professor Dan Ariely in an engaging 5 minute lecture at 5min.com. Ariely also describes how to help procrastinators reach their targets through imposing discipline.

At Mindtools.com, several reasons for procrastination are proffered, along with a three step grid to overcome it. This includes recognising that it is happening, working out why, and moving past it.

According to The Economist, new research by a German university has shown that people tend to respond in a timely manner to concrete tasks, but to procrastinate when the task calls for abstract thought. This offers new hope for turning procrastination into productivity through presenting tasks as well-defined calls for action. Dr. Timothy A. Pychyl, of Psychology Today online, writes in a recent post that his team’s research on procrastination has shown that self-forgiveness can reduce future procrastination.

Finally, (10+2)*5, the simple tool with the deceptively complicated name, may be helpful for getting down to work. Designed for procrastinators, compulsive web surfers and the like, the formula is set forth in the 43 Folders blog and involves sitting down to a strategically planned, productive hour that alternates work with compulsory break time.

If you are not sure how serious of a procrastinator you are, you can find out by visiting Discovery Health’s web site. This short quiz will help diagnose the extent of your problem and even point you towards some potentially useful solutions.

If you enjoyed the article "Overcoming Procrastination " - why don't you read more about the Whakate Way.