On the night of October 29, 1787, Mozart quickly entered to the stage of the Estates Theatre in Prague. He was so exciting. He stopped in the middle of the stage and greeted the audience. The crowd was even more excited. After all, they were going to listen for the first time to one of the most important works of this composer who had become a legend in his lifetime. Yes, maybe some of you might imagine, it was ''Don Giovanni.''
Estates Theatre (Source: https://cdn-vsh.prague.eu/object/218/3.jpg)
At the premiere of such an important work, there were people who were even more excited than Mozart and those who came to listen to him: the orchestra members. Do you know why they were excited? Because they never rehearsed. They were about to practice the art while it's already happening. Because Mozart, who just entered the stage with quick steps, had just finished writing the notes of the overture which the audience is currently about to listen to. The notes were just placed in front of the orchestra before Mozart coming into the stage even the ink had not yet dried out. Because even geniuses like Mozart could leave their jobs to the last minute.
Yes, people are always the same. We love to procrastinate our had-to-done jobs to the last minutes. Just like I did. Let's start to talk about it more. First of all, almost everyone tries to procrastinate the job which has to be done in the taken day, so do not just connect it with your daily feelings and accept your procrastination.
The procrastination is not about effective-time managing but it's about emotion management. Everything you have connected to procrastinate your job is false. Let's give an example of it right away and let's say we have an essay has to be written. When you look at to the blank shinny-white paper or text screen you can think of:
- I don't like writing..
- What will people think of my writing when it's done.
- I am not that clever to write it.
... the lines goes endless... and you come up with the idea of tining your room or cleaning the mess in the kitchen! Let's first organise it then I can work on my essay.
- What will people think of my writing when it's done.
- I am not that clever to write it.
... the lines goes endless... and you come up with the idea of tining your room or cleaning the mess in the kitchen! Let's first organise it then I can work on my essay.
And that emotion is letting us procrastinate our works to the next day. When we go deeper of those emotions we came up with the negative feelings; anxiety, self-doubt, low self-esteem... and we connect these relations as an excuse with the blank paper in front of us. It's a dangerous relationship, hence we are trying to avoiding them. But, let's say we avoid the jobs and organized the table 3 times, what happens after? The negative feelings reappearing in front of us but this time it comes 3 times bigger. Yes, if we have something to do and when we want to do it, there will be so many different ideas will show up in your brain except doing the job which has to be done. These are the rewards given by your brain to avoid your job. You can only reach those rewards by avoiding your jobs. If we want to do the job instead of avoiding it, we need to come up with an attractive offer which our brain cannot deny.
We will use 3 different strategies and the reward of stress-relieving will be a better reward for our brains:
1) Split the job into simple parts and each time try to complete 1 part in time because our brains are knowing that hard jobs cannot be done easily so they try to avoid them for later. Then we will be making into small parts to make it a lot easier.
2) Always start with the hardest part. Starting with hardest will be a lot of fun for the brains that will know the second part is coming easier.
3) Try to avoid distractions of things like your phone or even the internet. The problem solver things sometimes can be our enemies. The same problem occurs for me, but I use this technique to avoid it, I said, we need to divide our jobs into 3 parts. For my example, the hardest part is writing the essay, there is also a part where I search on my topic, and to do that, I need to use the internet. In the meantime, taking a lot of notes. But when I start writing the notes on my essay, I am not needing the internet. Whatever I remember or whatever kind of noted have I been taken while searching on the internet, I try to write them into my essay and complete it. Of course, some points might be complex while trying to write it, but I am putting a question mark in that complex point and when I complete my essay and come back to proofreading it I put a solution for my question marks.
If you are just like the many people and procrastinating your works to "tomorrows" these strategies also may work for you, because the point is to get something done is just starting to do it!
In the past, maybe you have tried to complete your homework in the day before presenting it, or you have to revise your notes on the last day before the exam which was noticed 3 weeks before. That's not your fault, this is something that everyone is doing. Even geniuses like Mozart. But, that cannot be your excuse either! Because in his 35-year career, Mozart more than 600 of compositions only one of their entrance left to the final night. Except for this one he passionately complete to write the notes to the blank paper in front of him.
Use the strategies above and you will see the effects of that tactics, you are finishing your work a lot easier.
QUESTIONS:
1- Do you always procrastinate just like so many? If no, what is your strategy to avoid it?
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Sources:
Comments
Not always but sometimes. I like to have things done in the first place so later i have clear and free mind to do things i like without thinging that "I had something to do".
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
Right now it is very hard for people to not procrastinate because there are lot of distractions around us like social media, netflix, internet.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
When on the work you have to do depends your future or the task you have to do is very important for you or your closest friends or family.
I am huge procrastinator. If there were a competition to postpone my duties for the
last moment, I'd take first place. I've been fighting this for as long as I can
remember, but usually unsuccessfully and, unfortunately, later on, my duties
accumulate. The only way that helps is to plan the time exactly at 110%.
Why do you think people procrastinate?
In my opinion, people are procrastinating because they are too lazy and they don't
have the right motivation to act. There is also a saying that says: What you have
to do tomorrow, do the day after tomorrow, you will have two days off.
When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Especially it is not worth procrastinating your duties at work, for two reasons.
First of all, there will be too much work to do at once, and in addition, your
boss may be dissatisfied and fire you.
The brain will always find a way to escape from reality of working hard on the projects, and yes, if it's not today then tomorrow mode gives us some more free days of "thinking" on our work. :)
https://img2.thejournal.ie/inline/1132477/original/?width=462&version=1132477
I procrastinate very rarely, as I have a lot of duties in my daily life and I can not allow myself to do that. The more busy you are, the more positions you can cross out of the "to do" list in the very same amount of time.
2. Why do you think people procrastinate?
That is because people tend to be lazy in general, even more where they have a possibility to avoid working and taking care of their responsibilities.
3. When is it really bad to procrastinate?
It is generally bad to do that. But the worst possible field in which one can procrastinate are health related issues of oneself and his closest surrounding, like family and friends.
No, I usually finish doing something when the first day I get something to do as long as it is important, at least these 3 years in PJA, everything important that I finished them in one or two day, my strategy is just to be hardworking, and no excuse.
2. Why do you think people procrastinate?
The most popular reason must be laziness, I think we don't need to explain this, the other reason can be that people don't know how to manage their time, don't know how to measure which thing is more important.
3. When is it really bad to procrastinate?
For example, when you know your family member is passing away soon, and you are figuring out should you quit the work now to go back home for a week, or should you buy the flight ticket when it is really expensive. Anyway, I still think family is worth to be the most important in such situation, and we have better not to procrastinate.
Unfortunately, but like most people, I postpone a lot of my duties until then, and finally I do it at the last minute. For some time I have been trying to organize my time for duties. I think time planning can help. I will fly Google Calendar.
I think people are delaying because they just don't want to. And the end, when it's already deadline, you have to do it.
Procrastination can have good and bad effects. I think it's the worst to postpone health and family. You need to take care of your health and relationships with your loved ones!
Of course, I can’t say objectively about myself. Perhaps this happens from time to time. If people do this, then they either do not realize that this is procrastination or are simply afraid to admit to themselves. In general, courage is needed to acknowledge this. I try not to postpone, because in my head I usually have a plan of actions that need to be completed. Maybe not always, but in most cases I have a distribution in my head, and I know that it’s better not to postpone such things until a later date. Especially when the state of affairs of other people depends on it. I do not like to make people wait, and I do not like when they make me do it.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
It seems to me in most cases this lack of responsibility. Of course, there are times when they put off a small business for later, a business that does not mean much in their life, such as household chores that can be done later. In this case, this is the lack of willpower. But I heard the opinion that procrastination helps to increase productivity, and when a person needs to do something, he has little time left, he does it faster and begins to feel the importance.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
When it comes to study or work. Especially there are such professions on which the life of people depends. In such cases, there should be an awareness of responsibility. Imagine if we lived in a world where everyone loves to procrastinate. Probably there would be a mess.
Well, people should be aware of some things that concern him. What most things he does for the benefit of his life. And if he does not do it today, then hardly anyone will help him/her.
2. I agree with your opinion - it's rather about their attitude. Often when you have a lot of time to do something you think that you can start it later. And when you decide that you can start later, you'll postpone it many more times.
3. The worst thing you can procrastinate in is working or studying. Loosing a job, having to take an extra semester at uni - nobody wants to find himself in such situation. To be honest I think it's better not to procrastinate in any situation - just to not get this habit.
I procrastinate. I realize that about 2 weeks ago, while listening to some podcast about feeling guilty of low self esteem caused by bad time management. That was my first step. I want to change my behavior so I started to read books and explore the subject more deeply and I hope in a while I will deal with procrastinating.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
Of many different reasons. For example fear of failure, avoiding stress, low self-esteem and many others. People don't want to feel burden of endless stress, pile of work and responsibilities, thats why they run away for temporary relief.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Sooner or later our responsibilities always catch us up. Sometimes we can not make it before deadline and end up with failure. Leaving things to the last minute isn't always the best idea.
2. I think people procrastinate because they are overthinking the task that they need to do. They stop on planning and thinking about a solution, only a few are doing the practice. Sometimes it overwhelms us, sometimes it's the laziness or stress. There are many reasons why we procrastinate.
3. With every day that we procrastinate the deadline for something is coming and it will finally catch up to us. When the deadline is close we really should start doing something because this is the last moment to complete it, but we all know how things that we do in a last second tend to come out.
2. Answer is simple - people are lazy and disorganized. In project managment, this effect is named as student syndrome. We postpone the tasks we are afraid of. Very often I hear opinions that a something is difficult, but the problem is that it is said by people who did not spend at least a few minutes analyzing the task.
3. I think it is always bad to procrastinate. However, it is particularly bad when your team's opinion depends on your actions. Or when you have to do a task within a certain time.
I used to not procrastinate almost at all but ever since I started to work full-time during the week sometimes going back home and doing some tasks later at night when you are already tired is impossible so most of the task i push and try to do on the weekends.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
I think there are plenty of reasons for this. Sometimes it might be some interesting event happening that would be only available this one day or it's just because you currently don't have enough motivation or energy needed to face the task.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
I think that sometimes procrastinating is a positive thing to do. There are times when you just need to reset your brain, forget about the problem for a moment doing what you like and just not feeling guilty that you need to get something done. Afterwards you just might get the needed motivation and energy to complete the task. Procrastinating something which deadline is really soon wouldn't be smart option however.
2.I think people procrastinate because they expect to feel tired, angry and overwhelmed by the task they are about to do. Another reason might be that they start to think about other things they could be doing in that specific moment.
3.It's bad to procrastinate when we delay something that is really crucial. In situations when other people depend on our work or when we have taken on a job from someone else. Also big task shouldn't be procrastinated because we may end up in a situation when there is no more chance to finish on time.
It's also
2. I procrastinate for example because of things You wrote about. I build up a pile of negative emotions towards work to do in my head and i developed an otherworldly ability to just miraculously turn of my mind from thinking about something i should think off and simply forget about it until it literally hit me. Procrastinating seems to be an easy way to avoid responsibility, maybe thats why its common. In fact it makes Your life uneasy in a long run.
3. Its bad to procrastinate almost every time. I also think it is bad to think that so many people are doing it, because it enforces the feeling that its something normal. Instead of "normal" I'd call it mediocre, and mediocrity maybe isn't very bad but its nothing really good.
It can occur that when we finally start to do the work and its a lot of work to do in very little time, and we really have to do it, so we push our selfs to the limits that we didn't except to endure, to the productivity and efficiency that is really of the charts and if we manage to accomplish the task, although along with even serious physical and mental health loss, when You did it against all odds, You feel truly alive and start to wonder where You would be and what You could already achieve if You were just half as efficient on the everyday basis as You were that one day before deadline or that one week before 7 deadlines because of Your damn procrastinating self.
I try not to, usually i cheat my brain with something valuable, like after doing the job i will play some video game and if i won't start working there will be no reward at all. Sometimes this works.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
They try to run from difficult tasks.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
I would say it's always bad, there is no sense or little value in it based on particular factors. It is always to finish something fast and then reward ourselfes.
1. I think sometimes I'm a procrastinator because I like to delay some things in time. For example, when I have something to do on a given date, and this is not urgent, I usually do it in recent days. My strategy to avoid it? I do not think I have one.
2. I think it's mainly because of too much free time. And sometimes they think that the tasks assigned to them are not important, not urgent.
3. I think that it is not worth delaying when it is a matter of life and death, e.g. during surgery.
1. Yes, I tend to procrastinate a lot. Leaving things to the last moment is a favourite thing to do for a lot of people, including myself :).
2. I think it would be due to simple lack of motivation. A lot of things can be done later. People usually have a lot of things to do, so putting some things off may help to find some sort of ballance.
3. When there are some important things to do. For example project for work. It often happens that doing something takes longer than expected and the deadline might not be met.
Of course, I'm an ordinary mortal. I don't usually put a real deadline in my head or on my phone, but the one I would like to have this task done: for example, I want to go for a walk at the weekend, so I have to comment on friends' articles before Friday night. Basically, it's a distribution of time.
2.
-Laziness.
-Wrong organization of time, therefore, it happens because of lack of time.
-Setting priorities.
3.
When it comes to health. Or a relationship with people who are important and close to you (postpone meetings or phone calls).
Guilty, unfortunately I’m such a person there is saying “if you must do something do it day after tomorrow you will have 1 day free”
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
I think that some of this is a habit from childhood some other is that you don’t want to do this, but you are forced, and this is your form of resistance or you are simply lazy.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
No, but only if you do not procrastinate for too long
2. I think people think they can do their job in a few hours. Even if they can do it, there is so many things that can distract them from doing job like Facebook or Netflix etc. and you need to be very self organised to do it
3. When we are talking about very important job like project for our boss or some project which we had few weeks to do
2. I would guess it has something to do with the person's ability to concentrate on the task at hand. Having a lot of distractions like smartphones, media, video games, alcohol, drugs, and pretty women only make this task much harder.
3. There is never a good time to it, but the absolute worst is when it makes you neglect your duties, especially when your future may very well be dependent on how well you would deal with them. Job is a good example of that.
1- Do you always procrastinate just like so many? If no, what is your strategy to avoid it?
I do procrastinate, but not always. In my opinion it depends on piece of work you have to complete. It's easier to complete a task that you've completed before than learn new things that seems too difficult at first glance. That's why being self-motivated is so important, doing new things is the only way to progress and doing the same things every single day is just a vicious cycle.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
People don't like to go out their comfort zone. That's the most accurate reason I can think of. it's always easier to listen than make a speech, but crossing over your barrier is the only practical way to improve yourself.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
We should always try to minimize procrastination in our life. The worst situation I can imagine is parenting.
Charge myself with relief, doing something relieving. Only after that can I start doing at least something related to work.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
Because doing work naturally makes people upset. And unhappy. Forcing one to making unwanted tasks drives to bad mood.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Always, that is.
2. Because they often have to do something they don’t want to and they try to postpone their duties as much as possible. The other reason is that people have so many duties they just start panicking and don’t know what to deal with firstly so as a result they do nothing at all.
3. Well, always. While procrastinating you spend your time on things that are not important therefore you will have less time to deal with your duties later. Moreover, procrastination is not a rest because while doing “something and nothing” you constantly have this pulsating thought “You have things to do” in your head so you don’t feel comfortable – on the contrary, you become more stressed.
2.I think that people delay for various reasons, sometimes they have more interesting things to do, they forget, most often in the candle and they do not want to.
3.I think that postponing everything at the last moment is bad in every case, sometimes they are consistently negligible but there are situations when we bear big consequences for it.
2. I think that people postpone things because of general reluctance to perform duties. The human mentality is that they always choose things more pleasant than duties. And this is how we always do everything around deadlines.
3. It really bad to procrastinate when we overestimate our capabilities. For example, around the session when we postpone the exam to all exams at the last minute. There may be various random cases such as illness or family matters, or we will just have a bad day and we will not absorb all the material. Then the exams moves to the retake session. And instead of spending a few days studying, we lose our entire vacation.
2. There is this thing in people nowadays that makes them think that if something is delayed it might never happen. "If I will wait long enough my problems should disappear by themselves." Unfortunately it does not work like this. Years ago people used to think: "I will have to do it later.". Now it goes more like: "I don't have to do it now". And of course when time goes by this "now" state changes as well and we find ourselves with nothing done at the end of the day and this is just sad.
3. Procrastination is not equaly harmful to everyone. Some people might be in this very comfortable situation where they are taken care of and by that not doing anything or delaying everything is bad just for them. Some people however have those procrastinational tendencies while being for example a father of the family. Then their lack of discipline and responsibility might become a whole family's problem. There is this connection between procrastination and not being responsible, so the more responsible job or role someone have the more damage can be caused by that way of living.
2. I think it is because the try to avoid something or aut of lazyness. I procrastinate when I have to do something I do not necesarily like.
3. I think it can be a good thing. I think when procrastinating people can have the most ingenious ideas and the best.
2. People are lazy. The impending deadline forces them to work.
3. If there is a lot to be done and time is short, procrastination is a very bad idea.
2. I think that people procrastinate because they don't like to take an effort or they want to just have fun without hard or unpleasant work. Maybe they are thinking that if they wait for long enough that this certain thing will do it by itself or by somebody else?
3. I think it is really bad to procrastinate when there is a high possibility that something different will pop up or when somebody knows that later they will have other responsibilities/deadlines
Often things we have to do are arduous and tiring or requiring a lot of time so people prefer to do them later because of laziness. Moreover, there are always more interesting and fun alternatives like watching another episode of the series or meeting with friends which are more tempting than for example doing homework.
We shouldn’t procrastinate things that are very important because some of them can be irreversible, like loss of health or loss of friends. Procrastinating tasks connected with our work also can be risky because if we fail, we don’t know if we will get another chance. Moreover, I think that it’s bad to procrastinate things when we are working in a team and other people are in some way dependent on us.
2. It is hard to not procrastinate thanks to todays technology, we are bombarded with information, it's much harder to focus on something and easier to get distracted. People tend to procrastinate when they are doing something they don't like or don't want to do.
3. It's bad to procrastinate when this means that we won't deliver something on time like for example You promise to your friend that you will finish your part of assignment on time but you don't'. Because of that you are not the only person that might face the consequences.
2.People always tend to figure "there is always tomorrow." or, maybe you always find yourself to be too busy to start that hobby that you have been interested in doing. Everyone procrastinates at some point, but some people avoid their unwanted obligations so much that it results in a downward spiral of emotions
3.Nobody is immune to making procrastination excuses. No matter how successful you are, at some point, you’ll come up with a reason to not take action. That’s why it’s important to form habits that specifically prevent and overcome the excuses that sweep the reasons why people procrastinate right out the door.
2. I believe it is a natural brain mechanism to protect us from getting tired and bored.
3. It is really bad to procrastinate when one is working on something large, because it is very difficult to finish the task on time then.
2. It much more fun and easier to do what you like and want to do, instead of what you really need to do. And if procrastinator know that some tasks can be done later, he will postpone it to the deadline.
3. It’s always a bad idea to procrastinate in work and at study.
2. People are usually lazy. It all depends on the character of the person, if someone is energetic and very emotional, likes to stick to the activities, then they don't have to procrastinate. If someone doesn't like to hurry, then they can postpone their duties and finally do them on time anyway.
3. The worst idea for procrastination is to postpone urgent or very important things. For example: not paying attention to the deadline of a project at work or late start writing a BA thesis. If you leave too little time for yourself, then you will certainly not be able to complete the task.
2. I think because people are lazy. It's much easier to do what we want, not what we need to do. Another reason may be that people try to put off work they don't want to do for as long as possible.
3. I don't think it's good to put off very important things. Especially those on which other people depend.
Yes, I do. I know myself very well, and procrastination is the only way to realize something. I`ll explain, when should to do something, I think in such way – “Ooookay, if I should to – I also shouldn`t to” (I mean: I can do it, but I may not do it now). When I hear “must”, I know that I have no any possibilities not to do something, and I just do it.
Simple strategy to avoid procrastination is to do what you really love to do, you`ll just want to do it, and if you want to, you will do.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
It is well known fact – the time goes faster, when you become older. Maybe people just don’t have time for everything, and they should to move some tasks on the next day.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
As it already was mentioned, when it concerns someone else.
I wouldn't say always but it happens to me rarely, when it happens I'm really mad at myself that I let it happen. I try to organize my time so I know when I have to do certain things.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
I think it's obvious, people want to have more free time to do what they want instead of things they should.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
I think always is a bad time to procrastinate because when u do things in a hurry they never will be your max potentian. This can lead you to worse life than you deserve.
Mostly they think that there is time and then they do it and they can't do it or they have to finish everything at the last minute. I guess people are lazy.. So I'm lazy :)
It's always a bad thing, but sometimes when it's too busy, putting things off gives you time to relax or do something.
Unfortunately, I always procrastinate and cannot do with myself anything. I think that this is one of the biggest problems in mankind history.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
I think it is because we need some rest and because we are lazy. For me, it is much easier to simply procrastinate, than do some work. On the other hand, after some time of procrastinating, my productivity is boosted and can do a lot of task in a short period.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
When you are in a hurry and things should be done fast. When someone is depending on your work result, or it is important for people's life safeness.
2. I think there can be many reasons, for me the biggest problem is the lack of proper motivation.
3. I my opinion the worst moment for procrastination are matters related to our health. The consequence of our laziness in this regard can be really far-reaching
There are a lot of reasons why people procrastinating. Even though there is a great book wrote by Jane B. Burka which reveals this problem from different angels, where to look and also how to solve them.
Sometimes, this is not so bad to procrastinate if you start do something to calm down your conscience and this something is really what you are passionate about. So you can achieve success in this field. But sometimes, it's bad when you procrastinate all your life. It's never returns.
No I don't procrastinate, aaaand my secret is: i've set my own goals on which i'm one hundered percent focused and procrastination wouldn't get me any closer to cheving this goal so i just don't have time to procrastinate :-)
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
Because they are lazy or don't care about their future :-D but if i were to be serious there is a process in our brain which expects from us retaining maximal comfort at all cost at all times, of course there is alot more science behind it.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Always
People procrastinate because they are lazy or not interested in subject. And it's ok. Laziness is the mother of progress. Only because humans didn't want to do something they have automated or replaced such things. In a such manner many inventions were made, a lot of problems solved and etc.
Procrastination is bad when it influences people around you, or yourself in a bad way. For example laziness to go to the doctor to check your health, or not calling your grandparents for a long time. You should not avoid such things, because in future you will meet their consequences when you're not prepared
2. People do this because they are not interested and lack some good habits that overcome procrastination.
3. It’s bad when you feel like you had enough of rest and still you don’t engage in any useful activity.
2. As I mentioned before In my opinion it is mostly disorganisation of life, laziness, waiting until last minute of the deadline. There are also perfectionists that believe the things has to be done ideally and the result is nothing gets done at all. Another type of procrastinator is a person that fears the outcome, which leads to similar situation as with perfectionist.
3. It is bad in most cases I would say. I would list so many tasks that have more priority than another, but it should not matter. Procrastinating is bad and we shouldn't do that. I will be better in every case to finish the task earlier and after that we will be rewarded.
I procastinate a lot of things. Almost everything. But my thinking is the best in the last moment. I can concentrate on the target and reach to achive it.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
It's easier to 'do' something later than at the very monent. Thinking that later they will feel like doing it.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
Procastinating isn't a good thing in general. But the worst case scanario is some sort of procastinating in things that your life depend on it.
Yes, I am very often a procastinate (as in this case). It used to be like this. I always started doing something at the very beginning. Now I have so many responsibilities that I don't do many things. My strategy is to save everything on the calendar.
2- Why do you think people procrastinate?
Sometimes it is laziness. However, not always. People just have a lot of responsibilities, like me, and they don't do it. They set priorities for different tasks, and sometimes just want to relax. How much can you work? This is not due to poor time management, but ambition.
3- When is it really bad to procrastinate?
It is not worth delaying when you know that something is really important and many things depend on it. It is not worth delaying when you can disappoint someone important in your life.
2- I think it happens because people do things they don't like. When you make yourself do something and don't enjoy the process, it's easier for you to postpone it.
3- When you need to do things that will affect your future life (a work assignment or something like that) - and instead of doing it you procrastinate and postpone.