Be honest: Do you put things off that you know you should be doing?

You’re not alone.

Procrastination is very common. In fact, in a study by DeSales University, about 20% of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. While it might not be a big problem for everyone, for some people it can be a very real issue.

Feelings of anxiety and extreme guilt from not fulfilling responsibilities to others can be paralyzing. And this only leads to more procrastination, which creates a self-perpetuating storm that’s very tough to end.

So why do we do it? It doesn’t seem logical. We repeatedly and consciously avoid doing activities that we know will be good for us in the long run, or which we know we’ll have to tackle at some point, no matter how long we ignore them.

There are a couple of common responses to why we waste so much time. One is due to laziness or a “lack of time”. The other is fear.

We can all relate to not having enough time to do something. After you’ve been working all day at a 9-5 job, and then you come home and you’ve got to think about dinner, clean up, do the washing, etc. then there’s really not much time for anything else. Those little chores and your big to-do list can really grow. We get that.

Laziness is also understandable. Even when you do find free time, who really wants to spend it working on difficult tasks? Playing video games, watching TV, and chatting to friends on Facebook is much more enjoyable. Though often when we procrastinate we’re not living up to our potential.

The idea of procrastinating because of fear might be surprising, but it’s actually a root cause. You see, initially there is a fear of doing a tasks, especially if it’s a particularly unpleasant one. Fear or starting. Fear of the stress of doing the task itself. However, the longer you put a task off the more fearsome it can become.

If procrastination is having an impact on your life, and you’d like to beat it, then I’ve got some solutions for you.

Download my free guide on how to stop procrastinating and stop worrying!