It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

According to a study just released, more than one-fourth of adults in the US consider themselves “chronic” procrastinators, up from five percent thirty years ago.

In a major irony, the five-year study took ten years to complete.

In addition to the expected suggestion that economic productivity suffers due to procrastination, researchers also said the condition is making us “poorer, fatter and unhappier” as individuals.

The blame, of course, is laid on all kinds of digital diversions, from the web to iPods to video games.

According to one of them “the U.S. gross national product would probably rise by $50 billion if the icon and sound that notifies people of new e-mail suddenly disappear”.

But isn’t checking email supposed to be work? Or is he saying that email is an excuse to postpone any real work? (Most days, I’d probably agree with the later.)

However, I do have one piece of evidence that I’m not as much of a procrastinator as I thought.

If I was really chronic, this entry would be posted next week. :-)

procrastination