Procrastination May Be Genetic

Procrastination may be genetic – wow! Now when will we get around to doing something about it….

“While procrastination seems like a character flaw, it evolved for a reason. “The genes progressed down generations because these people were still holed up in caves fearful of predators [saying], ‘My tools are not sharp enough. I better spend more time perfecting this spear,’” he says. “These people survived more because they avoided conflict, and these genes were handed down to future generations.” The genetics of procrastination are related to the genetics of impulsivity. Cal Newport, author of Deep Work and assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University, says one of the reasons we procrastinate is because our brain isn’t buying into our plans. “If we stop and think about this, it makes complete sense,” says Paul. “We can identify with those times we had a business plan that we had written up in great detail, but were delaying doing something about. If we were to be honest about it, either we were not ready or hadn’t thought it through well enough. In Newport’s words, ‘You shouldn’t lament procrastination, but instead listen to it.’”

Read: You Might Be Genetically Predisposed to Procrastination at FastCompany