Most people procrastinate from time to time. And most of the time it’s not so harmful: putting off doing the laundry for a few days or 15 minutes here and there, lost in Facebook.
But procrastination can also create huge problems for many people — at work, at school, and at home. Consider all the people who keep meaning to start saving for retirement, for example, but never do it. Or people with obesity or diabetes who constantly tell themselves: “I’ll start eating right tomorrow” — but never do it. Roughly 5 percent of the population has such a problem with chronic procrastination that it seriously affects their lives.