Gauge Your Procrastination Habit With a Simple Quiz

Woman procrastinating at work with feet up on desk

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Just how bad is your procrastination habit? The fact is that the majority of people procrastinate at some time or another.﻿﻿ You might even be procrastinating right now by taking an online quiz instead of focusing on something else you really need to be doing. There are plenty of reasons why we procrastinate, but one of the first steps toward overcoming this often destructive tendency is to evaluate your own behavior.

Procrastination Quiz

Grab a pen and a piece of paper to jot down your responses for each statement and then score yourself at the bottom of the page. 

1. You have a major deadline approaching and lots of work to finish.

  • a. I usually find things to distract myself until the last minute and then finish just in time in a hair-raising frenzy.
  • b. I work on things here and there but still find myself rushing to finish at the last minute.
  • c. I set a schedule, work a little each day, and actually end up finishing early.

2. How do you feel about deadlines?

  • a. What's a deadline? Seriously, I just tend to ignore them.
  • b. They are annoying and I always feel like I'm struggling to get things done in time.
  • c. I enjoy them. They help me stay focused and on track.

3. Do you have a tough time getting started, particularly with things that you don't enjoy doing?

  • a. Yes! I sometimes spend hours just planning to get started.
  • b. Sometimes. Or I will start something and then stall out before I finish.
  • c. Never. The soon I get started, the sooner I'll be done.

4. How do you react when something is difficult or if you are not sure how to do it?

  • a. I usually just avoid doing it altogether.
  • b. I'll put it off until the last minute.
  • c. I'll do some research or ask for help and then get started. I'd rather tackle the difficult projects right away.

5. What approach do you use for staying on track?

  • a. I like to just wing it and I never make plans.
  • b. I hate feeling constrained by schedules so I like to leave things open.
  • c. I make to-do lists for each project and set deadlines for each step.

6. How often do you find yourself feeling stressed out because you waited until the last minute to finish a project?

  • a. Almost every day. I feel like I'm always behind on something.
  • b. Sometimes, especially if I'm dealing with a big project.
  • c. Rarely. I try to stay on top of things because I hate dealing with last-minute stress and anxiety.

7. How often do you wait until the last moment to pay bills?

  • a. All the time. Most of my payments are actually a couple of days late. Oops!
  • b. Sometimes I forget and barely make my payments on time.
  • c. Never. I carefully track all of my payments and utilize any automatic payment options that are available to help me stay on track.

8. Which motto sounds most like you? 

  • a. "Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow"
  • b. "It's easier to keep up than to catch up."
  • c. "The best way to get something done is to begin."

9. How often do you think about improving your time management skills?

  • a. Frequently, but it just seems like a lot of work.
  • b. There are times I think I could probably do better.
  • c. Rarely. I'm a time management maven.

10. What's your favorite way to waste time at work? 

  • a. I think I spend more time playing online games, checking my email, and scrolling through Facebook than I spend working.
  • b. Sometimes I wander into another cubicle to chat with a co-worker for a few minutes.
  • c. I sometimes switch to working on other work-related tasks just so I can stay on top of things.

Scoring Your Procrastination Quiz Results

Mostly A's: If you answered A on most of the questions, then you probably have a strong tendency to procrastinate. Your habit of putting things off might be having a negative impact on multiple areas of your life, including your personal life, work, and social life. It may be a good idea to review a few tips that can help you stop procrastinating as much.

Mostly B's: If you answered B on most of the questions, then you probably don't have much of a problem with procrastination. Sure, you might find yourself dawdling on certain things, but you have managed to avoid making a habit out of hesitating entirely. If you find that there are certain times of day or tasks that you procrastinate with more often, explore some tips on overcoming those challenges.

Mostly C's: If you answered C on most of the questions, then you are not much of a procrastinator. You are good at organizing your time. You enjoy tackling projects and crossing them off of your to-do list. Keep this up and don't let procrastination become a bad habit that holds you back in the future.

A Word From Verywell

We all tend to procrastinate every now and then and it's not the end of the world, while some people simply thrive on deadlines. It only tends to become a problem if it interferes with our work, social, and home life, or if it leads to a dangerous situation. Keep this quiz in mind and do your best to avoid putting things off too long. You might notice a significant reduction in stress when you do.﻿﻿

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Article Sources
  1. Novotney A. American Psychological Association. Procrastination or 'intentional delay'? 2010.

  2. Beutel ME, Klein EM, Aufenanger S, et al. Procrastination, Distress and Life Satisfaction across the Age Range - A German Representative Community Study. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(2):e0148054. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148054