Overcoming Procrastination/Consequences

Some of the Consequences:

• Lost opportunities: for example, somebody else buys the car the procrastinator wanted because they put off making a simple phone call. Or somebody else patents an invention the procrastinator thought of first, because they never got around to patenting it themselves.

• Tardiness: being late to meetings, showing up late at special events, and being late to pick up a date. Missing the beginning of the movie at the theater, and getting bad seats, because the procrastinator did not leave the house on time.

• Missed deadlines: from failing a school assignment by not turning it in on time to missing a flight at the airport because the procrastinator talked on the phone too long.

• Irresponsibility towards others: like failing to keep promises because they kept getting put off until later. Or causing others to be late for their commitments because the procrastinator didn't pick them up on time.

• Lack of preparedness: such as when the basement floods unnecessarily because the procrastinator kept putting off installing a sump pump.

• Poor performance: failing an exam, because the student waited until the night before the test to begin studying.

• Career troubles: repeatedly missing deadlines on projects at work, making promotion unlikely and potentially leading to getting demoted or fired.

• Unnecessary expenses: like having to pay late fees because the procrastinator didn't pay the bills on time even though they did have the money. Or having a huge liability from an automobile accident because the person at fault wasn't covered because they put off paying their insurance bill.

• Financial difficulties: such as the inability to pay the bills due to putting off generating new sales or finding new customers for the business.

• Medical problems: like having to make a painful visit to the dentist to have cavities filled or teeth pulled because the patient kept putting off brushing their teeth. Or having a heart attack because the victim kept delaying the start of their personal health program.

• Dissatisfaction about oneself.

• Dissatisfaction of others about one's procrastination. A spouse may even end the marriage because their partner put off getting a better paying job as promised.