Everyone has at one time or another procrastinated, whether that be for a simple math assignment, or a huge English project. But why do people procrastinate? If you are guilty of procrastination, you definitely are not alone. According to Hara Marano, an author from Psychology Today, twenty percent of people identify as chronic procrastinators.

Procrastination can effect people way beyond school if they do not get it under control. It can cause late bills and overdue fees, last minute gift shopping and so on. So if procrastination is so bad, why do so many people do it?

Lack of inspiration and motivation is a big culprit of procrastination. Many people do not do things because they simply feel they can’t (or don’t want to) do something. “I procrastinate a lot, mostly because I feel like I have better things to do like going on twitter or talking to friends, but lately my grades have really been affected. I sometimes regret it because I’ll be up until three in the morning rushing to finish and it’s not my best work,” Brooke Dolleman, a sophomore, said.

Another reason people procrastinate is because they are afraid of failure. For example you might say, “Hey not trying and failing is bad, but trying and failing is worse, so I might as well not try.” So you barely try on an assignment and fail, but then you say, “If I would have tried I could have done better,” defending yourself from “actual” failure.

So now we know why people procrastinate, but is there anything you can do to stop? Often times just starting a task can be motivate you to finish. Even if you don’t want to start, once you do, you’ll begin to feel better about it. Remembering  your final goal can also make you want to start. For example, you don’t want to study, but then you remember that your reason for studying  is to get a good grade so you can get an A in that class, which might make you motivate you to start.

Another thing you can do is to just try. If you don’t try, you’ll never know your potential to do well. Remember that sometimes not reaching an unrealistic goal is not “failing,” and that you may just need to reconsider what you want to achieve. Maybe you can’t get an A in your class, but you can be confident knowing your tried. With these few tips, hopefully procrastination will become a less common occurrence.