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Be honest, are you putting something off right now? According to new data, Americans spend almost 15 hours a week procrastinating.
We may have good intentions with a fresh year but new results show that Americans spend an incredible FIVE years of their life putting off completing important tasks before finally getting around to doing them.
Browsing the web is the biggest culprit as to why many often brush off important tasks - followed by binge-watching your favorite TV shows, movies and taking naps.
Research conducted by market researchers OnePoll on behalf of Fidelity Investments surveyed 2,000 American adults on the subject of procrastination habits.
The results showed more than a quarter of respondents confess they’re currently putting off dealing with a serious or big issue they can’t seem to face.
Nearly half (43 percent) wait until the last minute before stressing themselves out and completing a task at the very last opportunity.
Making an important financial decision is one task that leads many to procrastinate.
In fact, more than half (55 percent) confess they’re currently putting an important financial decision on the back-burner – such as creating a budget, saving for retirement, and even paying bills on time.
"When it comes to your finances, procrastination can come with serious consequences,” said Ken Hevert, senior vice president of Retirement, Fidelity Investments.
“For example, when it comes to retirement planning, saving early gives you the ability to leverage the time needed to grow your money and benefit from compounding interest. Even saving in small amounts now can make a real difference in what you’ll have in your retirement account.”
Aside from lost opportunities, however, more than half of respondents confess they’ve actually have gotten into trouble putting off tasks. From missing an opportunity to delaying something until it becomes an even greater issue, 52 percent have experienced some kind of negative consequence for procrastinating.
That includes matters of the romantic kind: 20 percent of respondents acknowledge that putting off making big decisions has caused damage to their relationships.
Furthermore, 30 percent have put off breaking up with someone—and one-third have delayed breaking off or severing a love connection they knew wasn’t working for six months before finally calling it quits.
While avoiding relationship issues has caused quite a bit of trouble for Americans overall, more people report getting into financial trouble because of procrastination, with nearly one-third admitting they’ve gotten into money trouble due to their delays.
About 20 percent put off paying their bills; the same number intentionally avoid creating a budget.
Of the nearly two-thirds (63 percent) who have created a budget, the average for sticking to one is less than three months. Most troubling, 40 percent say they are completely putting off thinking about retirement,
"While it’s hard to see yourself as a retiree when you’re only in your twenties and just getting started, by investing now, you’ll thank yourself for seeing the big picture later on down the line,” Hevert said. “
TOP 10 THINGS PEOPLE PUT OFF DOING THE MOST:
Cleaning/laundry/home maintenance
Exercising/working out
Making a doctor’s appointment
Answering emails
Starting a diet
Paying bills
Creating a budget
Saving for retirement
Getting car maintenance completed
Doing taxes
TOP 10 ACTIVITIES PEOPLE DO WHILE PROCRASTINATING
Browsing the internet
Binge watching TV/Movies
Taking naps/sleeping
Talking or texting
Reading a book or magazine
Cleaning/Doing Laundry
Spending time with family/friends
Playing video games/online games
Watching online videos
Shopping
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