In this post, I gave some tips for overcoming procrastination based on The Procrastination Cure by Damon Zahariades.
His last chapter in the book is dedicated to a quiz to help you determine if you need help overcoming this habit.
After you’ve rated the 15 statements from one to five, we’ll tally your score to gauge your tendency to put things off.
- I often find myself racing against the clock to complete tasks on time.
- I regularly miscalculate the amount of time that tasks will take to complete.
- I often put tasks off until the following day.
- When faced with an unappealing task, I look for something more engaging to work on.
- I often address tasks days after they were scheduled.
- When I’m tasked with projects that have long-term deadlines, I wait until the last minute to start working on them.
- I often catch myself daydreaming when I should be working.
- When faced with a difficult task, I’m easily distracted by social media, texts, email, etc.
- I’m often late to meetings, appointments, and social functions.
- My workspace is in a constant state of disarray.
- I never get through my daily to-do lists.
- My email inbox and voicemail inbox are filled with unanswered messages.
- I often pay bills late.
- My favorite phrase is “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
- You’ve abandoned this quiz at least once to do something else.
Did you rate each of the 15 statements from one to five? If so, it’s time to find out how big a procrastinator you truly are.
Are You A Habitual Procrastinator? Let’s score your results.
- 15 to 30 points – you don’t have a problem with procrastination. You might occasionally put things off – all of us do so now and then – but you typically roll up your sleeves and proactively work on tasks.
- 31 to 45 points – You’re somewhat of a procrastinator. There are likely select areas of your life that suffer from your tendency to put things off. But you normally take action before your workload overwhelms you.
- 46 to 60 points – Procrastination is a part of your daily life. You’re easily distracted, particularly when confronted by difficult or unappealing tasks. You regularly procrastinate to avoid such tasks. You often work on projects right before they’re due, and as a result, sometimes miss deadlines.
- 61 to 75 points – You’re the perfect example of a habitual procrastinator. You regularly arrive late to appointments and meetings, and do so unprepared. You typically start working on tasks at the last possible minute. You constantly miss deadlines despite working frantically to meet them. Your stress level is continually elevated as postponed tasks threaten to overwhelm you.
- If you scored 30 points or fewer, you probably don’t need this book. Unless you’re reading it as a way to avoid some other task. In that case, you’ll definitely benefit from the book.
