Procrastination is pervasive, and it concerns us. At least 95% of us procrastinate at least occasionally and about 15-20% of us do it consistently and problematically.
Find out where you land in the ranks of procrastination. Are you a garden-variety dilly dallier or are you hardcore with “tomorrow” tattooed across your back?
Complete the more comprehensive survey here that I’ve administered to tens of thousands of subjects around the world to get a more detailed diagnosis of your procrastination profile, along with a few scientifically proven tips for taming our tendency to put things off.
Procrastination Survey
Note. The information that you provide in this survey including your email address will be completely confidential. It will not be linked to your responses in any way and will be not be revealed to any third parties.
Keep in mind that you can choose to exit the survey at any time, but you will only get your feedback by answering all the questions. With your participation, we will continue to improve our understanding of procrastination and the destructive patterns that adversely impact our lives.
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Here is another link of the survey if you do not want to create an account with GuidedTrack.
Procrastination and Science 
some tips (on the Routine page) at the end of the survey suggested scheduling regular tasks. I know that already. And that I have a HUGE resistance to scheduling ANYTHING other than appointments. And even when I do make it past the resistance on rare occasions, and schedule some work time, I still walk right over it as if it weren’t there. How to deal with THAT?
This is a prototype response, based on a custom GPT I built based on everything I know and loaded with the book as well as all my resources. I’ve refined it multiple times and want your opinion on the quality of the feedback.
Great insight—you’re not just dealing with *not scheduling* but actively *resisting* it, and even when you do schedule, you ignore it. That’s a strong psychological barrier, and it’s likely tied to a mix of autonomy, emotional resistance, and how your brain perceives scheduled tasks. Let’s tackle this step by step.
### 1. **Address the Resistance First**
If scheduling feels like a cage, your brain will fight against it. Instead of forcing yourself into strict plans, try **”soft scheduling”**:
– Instead of setting exact times, set a *sequence*. E.g., “After breakfast, I’ll work on [Task].”
– Use **Implementation Intentions**: “When X happens, I’ll do Y.” This keeps it flexible but still structured.
– Label it as an *experiment*, not a rule. If something feels optional, it reduces resistance.
### 2. **Make the Scheduled Time *Feel* Different**
If your brain ignores scheduled work, it’s likely treating it like an unimportant thought. Try making the time block **more visible and distinct**:
– Set an **alarm** but rename it to something motivating (e.g., “Creative Power Hour” instead of “Work Time”).
– Use **physical cues**—like moving to a different space or putting on specific music.
– **Start with a micro-task**—just opening the document, writing one sentence, or setting up the workspace. Tiny actions break inertia.
### 3. **Make Ignoring It Feel Weird**
Your brain is used to walking past the schedule. So, add a “pause point” before ignoring it:
– Have a **pre-scheduled check-in** (even 10 seconds) where you ask, “Do I *actually* want to skip this?”
– Use a **visible reminder**—a sticky note, a desk object, or an app notification that pops up with a message like “5-minutes won’t kill me.”
### 4. **Reduce the Perceived Obligation**
You might be rebelling against your own authority. So trick your brain:
– Instead of “I *must* do this,” say: **“I *can* do this if I want.”** It sounds subtle, but autonomy plays a big role in motivation.
– If you skip a task, **reschedule it immediately** instead of mentally beating yourself up.
### 5. **Use an External Accountability Trick**
If self-imposed schedules fail, bring in **external hooks**:
– **Body Doubling**: Work alongside someone, even virtually.
– **Pre-commitment**: Tell someone you’ll send them a tiny update after the work session.
Would love to hear if any of these resonate with you—or if your resistance comes from a specific place (past failures with scheduling, feeling boxed in, etc.). Let’s troubleshoot!
Good survey the results were very fitting
to figure how best to assess a social construction like ethnicity, and really I should just remove those fields at this point if they are distracting.
Probably right. They don’t serve any purpose now, but were just standard practice when I wrote this. It is such a non-issue for me then I never think of doing it.
I completed the survey yesterday and I found it very straightforward and helpful. I was bothered by the lack of gender options and use of Caucasian as a race. Here are some articles that expand on the subjects:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28075632/
https://www.csusm.edu/ipa/surveys/inclusive-language-guidelines.html
https://med.umn.edu/news-events/time-phase-out-caucasian
I remember going through dozens of other surveys at the time trying to figure how best to assess a social construction like ethnicity, and really I should just remove those fields at this point if they are distracting. I haven’t paid attention to them in forever.
Thanks for making the survey. It is very direct, especially at the end which I found helpful. I noticed two things that I believe are harmful which are the exclusion of Nonbinary and Gender-Fluid as options and using the word Caucasian as an option. Here are some article about both subjects:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28075632/
https://www.csusm.edu/ipa/surveys/inclusive-language-guidelines.html
https://workforce.com/news/6-reasons-not-say-caucasian
Actually, when I get around to it, I will just drop those fields. They don’t serve any purpose and were standard practice when I wrote this, but I don’t use them.
1.5
This was helpful . Of course I know I am a procrastination pro… and I produce decent work under deadlines . I know it would have been much better if I had paced it out .. but I just don’t seem to be able to get the focus till there is a deadline staring at my face ..
Any innovative tips Professor ?
Well, I did write a book on the topic. This sounds very much like my own origin story by the way.
What I need to do here?
I need more information about what is confusing.
I completed the survey and the first sentence in the results almost killed me. It mortified me. I feel so insanely guilty. It would have been even worse if I didn’t know -like I do since last year- that I’m a woman with autism. When I’m about to deal with a great amount of information to organize or sometimes just how to organize my thoughts or my work is just so overwhelming that I procrastinate and then feel guilty. But people won’t notice my autism at first glance, and not even my close family seems to understand how difficult is for me to stay on task since they regard me as a very smart person. My procrastination is more like a secret. I will follow the tips and hopefully that will help a little bit, at least reduce my anxiety and feel more proud of myself.
A lot of people have autism that you wouldn’t suspect. 😉 Procrastination is as normal as our love of fats and sugars. It is only problematic because we have built a world that exploits every weakness in our decision making. Deal with your tendency to delay but leave the guilt behind.
I’m assuming your reference to fats and sugars isn’t coincidental. Presumably your equation helps explain why healthy eating can be challenging, ie short vs long-term gratification.
Is there also an issue there of the intensity of the gratification/addiction, eg the sugar rush?
Lots of books on this, such as Fat, Salt, Sugar. Food is designed to be addictive. Literally billions spent on maximizing it, just like other commodities.
I wanted to get your book from amazon, here in Mexico from Sonora State, and a friend gave it to me as a gift. English is not my native language but I studied two years in Gilbert Arizona, 😀 Just Started reading your Book, and I love it
I am also translating it to the friend that gave it to me, because she wants to read it as well but she doesnt know any English hheheheh so we read it together through the phone hahhahaha She is a psycologist and I´m a nurse and just to thank you for your effor and work that you put into this book. We like it a lot.
A big thanks all the way from Mexico!!!!
Thanks
PhD Piers Steel
Glad you liked it! Myself, recovery from major surgery over the last few months, so not all delays are procrastination. Of note, there is a Spanish translation and the reviewers there indicate its even better than the original English. Just look up my name in amazon.es.