Procrastination in Daily Living

Abstract

Two aspects of procrastinating on tasks of daily living—(a) the failure to plan when and how to perform a given task in advance and (b) the failure to perform the task well and when scheduled—were investigated by obtaining self-reports of the converse behavior. Efficient planning-scheduling of three kinds of tasks (routine tasks of minor importance, discretionary important tasks, and coping with stressful, largely adverse events) and executing these tasks well and on schedule were highly intercorrelated. People are more likely to apply these behaviors to tasks they regard as important, regardless of the normative importance assigned to these tasks. People who plan and schedule efficiently report greater life satisfaction and emotional adjustment than those who do not.