Procrastination is a seemingly innocent habit that plagues the lives of many individuals. However, scientific studies have shown that this counterproductive behavior can have severe consequences on various aspects of our lives. In this article, we will delve into the detrimental effects of procrastination on health, wealth, and relationships, supported by research findings from reputable sources.
As I read off a list of typical procrastination scenarios make a note of which ones relate to you as we’ll be using this in your change work coming up at the end of this section.
Dream Procrastination – You’ve had a dream of writing something like a book, a song, a movie, creating a piece of art, or starting a business doing what you really love but once the day is done you can’t seem to pull yourself away from the television or other distraction and make progress. Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, according to studies from palliative care nurses like Bronnie Ware, the #1 regret at the end of life is doing what others expected instead of pursuing your dreams.
Work Procrastination – You’re doing your daily grind but you find yourself thumbing through social media apps delaying important work tasks, which leads to missed deadlines, decreased productivity, and strained professional relationships. Unfortunately, in a meta-analysis of 691 empirical studies, researchers found a negative correlation between procrastination and productivity, which led to missed opportunities and lower income potential.[i]
Relationship Procrastination – It’s holiday time and you’ve got mounting tension between you and another family member but instead of addressing it you blow it off and go surf the world wide web or take a nap. Unfortunately, studies show this can lead to broken promises, more conflict, resentment, increased stress, lack of sleep, and erosion of trust in your personal and professional relationships.[ii] [iii]
Financial Procrastination – It’s that time of the month when you should probably check your budget and plan for future financial expenditures but instead, you turn on the football game or binge-watch a show on Netflix and fall into a blissful food coma after consuming an extra-large Dominos pepperoni pizza, which studies show can lead to missed payment deadlines, mounting debts, and financial insecurity.[iv] [v]
Health Procrastination – It’s the end of the day and you’ve been sitting in a chair off and on for over eight hours. You know exercise is good for you but you decide to put it off and go meet some friends for cocktails. Then, you get hungry and you could go shop for healthy food but you put it off in favor of fast food from McDonalds. Unfortunately, according to studies postponing regular exercise routines or doctor’s appointments, and eating fast food contribute to weight gain, deteriorating health, and potentially deadly diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.[vi] [vii]
Academic Procrastination – You have an exam coming up but instead of hitting the books you decide to clean your room and organize everything or get on the phone and talk to a friend. Unfortunately, studies also show that delaying studying for exams until the last minute, can result in poor performance, increased stress levels, and depression.[viii] [ix]
Do any of these sound familiar? If so, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most people suffer from procrastination in these areas and the good news is there’s a secret procrastination solution most people don’t know about which addresses the root cause of procrastination. Can you guess what that is? No it’s not lack of discipline, where you come from, what you look like or how much money you have in the bank.
This has also been scientifically proven in multiple studies. [x] So first, you’ll need to address your beliefs but this is not so simple since accessing subconscious beliefs requires that you break through the critical filter of your conscious mind. This is why books, podcasts, seminars, and even therapists fail you. They simply don’t have the tools to reprogram your subconscious mind.
To do this you’re going to need a master training that rapidly rewires your brain. The Winner’s Mindset Training Program is backed by over 300 scientific studies and helps you download and embed into your head the beliefs that create success and break procrastination from over 250 masters. To learn more just head over to The Winner’s Mindset HERE.
References:
[i] Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65-94.
[ii] DeHart, T., Pelletier, A., & Larose, S. (2014). Trust erosion and procrastination: Do trusters and trustees procrastinate in different ways and for different reasons? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31(7), 927-944.
[iii] Sweeny, K., Melnyk, D., Miller, W., & Shepperd, J. A. (2014). Information avoidance: Who, what, when, and why. Review of General Psychology, 18(2), 172-192.
[iv] Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65-94.
[v] O’Neill, B., & Xiao, J. J. (2006). The detrimental effects of financial procrastination: An experimental investigation. Journal of Economic Psychology, 27(5), 691-716.
[vi] Gautam, R. (2015). Procrastination and its relationship with self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in college students. Journal of Obesity and Therapeutics, 5(2), 2165-7904.
[vii] Sirois, F. M., & Pychyl, T. A. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115-127.
[viii] Klingsieck, K. B. (2013). Procrastination. European Psychologist, 18(1), 24-34.
[ix] Sirois, F. M., Kitner, R., & Hirsch, J. K. (2015). Self-Regulation and Motivation for Exam Preparation in University Students: Exam Procrastination, Academic Stress, and Self-Efficacy. Learning and Individual Differences, 43, 218-223.
[x] Bailey, C., Madden, A., Alfes, K., & Fletcher, L. (2017). The Meaning, Antecedents, and Outcomes of Employee Engagement: A Narrative Synthesis. International Journal of Management Reviews, 19(1), 31-53.
