What makes us procrastinate?

Procrastination is relatively hard to overcome since you can delude yourself about it so easily. The following is a list of things we often tell ourselves:

• Mañana — “I’ll do it tomorrow.”
• Contingent mañana — “I’ll do it tomorrow, if…”
• Grasshopperism — “I need to have some well-earned fun first.” (in Aesop’s fable, the grasshopper fiddled and played all summer while the ants stored up winter supplies. When winter came, the grasshopper suffered.)
• Escapism — “I’ve got to get out for awhile to clear my mind.”
• Impulsiveness — “My problem will be solved if I change my major, or attend a different college, or…”
• Music and reading — “I’ll relax awhile and then get started.”
• Cavalry to the Rescue — “The professor will get sick and cancel finals!”