Procrastination Survey

Directions:

  Each of the following statements concerns different aspects of procrastination.

The survey questions are presented in both positive and negative directions. 

Your

answer is on a four-point scale where 1 = definitely false, 2 = mostly false, 3 = somewhat

true, and 4 = definitely true.

 Circle the number that best describes where you stand on

each item.

1. I put off activities of daily living,

such as washing, cleaning, auto

maintenance, etc.

2. I efficiently fulfill responsibilities. 

3. When I am unsure of an outcome,

I'll put it off.

4. I have great ideas and plans that

stay on the "drawing board."

5. I show up late for appointments.

6. I look for guarantees before I act. 

7. I waste too much time. 

8. When faced with something

unpleasant, I tell myself I'll get to

it later.

9. I devise credible sounding explanations

to excuse my delays.

10. I know there are personal changes

I need to make.

11. I expect more of myself than I

deliver.

12. I stick to my priorities. 

13. I'm not adequate enough to perform

as I want.

14. I let work pile up. 

15. I meet my objective before the

deadline.

16. I promise myself I'll finish later,

then I break my promise.

17. I easily get side-tracked. 

18. I wait to feel inspired before acting. 

19. To be worthy, I must meet high

standards.

20. I often start assignments at the last

possible minute.

21. I am organized and directed in

how I achieve major goals.

22. I tell myself I'll begin tomorrow. 

23. I easily make decisions then stick

with them.

24. I pay bills on time.

25. Even when I procrastinate, I'm

very demanding of myself.

26. My delays hinder others.

27. I can't seem to get to places on

time.

28. I am ready to kick my procrastination

habit.

29. I daydream a lot.

30. I make great progress, then I slip

back.

31. When I say I'll do something, I get 1

it done quickly.

32. I second-guess myself.

33. I am more likely to finish when

others depend on me.

34. My goals are clear, measurable,

and achievable.

35. I find ways to extend deadlines.

36. My "to-do" list remains undone.

37. I'm afraid to make a mistake.

38. I feel overwhelmed with too many

things to do.

39. If it's frustrating, I'll avoid it.

40. Time seems to "slip away."

41. Procrastination comes easily to me. 

42. When faced with an unpleasant

task, I'll do something else first.

43. I have bad habits I should break.

44. I weigh more than I should.

45. I can't stand feeling hassled.

46. I don't exercise enough.

47. I make plans for getting things

done efficiently.

48. I quickly face my personal

problems.

49. I keep to my schedules and meet

my deadlines.

50. I'm drifting through life.

51. I keep things tidy and in their

place.

52. It may be important, but if I don't

feel like doing it, I'll put it off.

53. Pushy people deserve to wait. 

54. I defer making decisions.

55. I have the ability to stop 

procrastinating.

56. I procrastinate without forethought.

57. I get back at people by delaying

them.

58. I feel overly stressed. 

59. When it comes to procrastination, I

feel like I am on a yo-yo.

60. I worry about what others think.

61. I wait until the eleventh hour to

begin.

62. I meet my responsibilities

promptly.

63. I cram before exams.

64. I'm stressed by too much informa-

tion to assimilate.

65. I'm optimistic about my prospects

for beating procrastination.

66. I hesitate in making decisions.

67. I inconvenience others when I

delay.

68. I can't seem to get things done on

time.

69. People expect more from me than I

can deliver.

70. I think my future looks bright.

71. I fear failure.

72. People will accommodate me when

I turn things in late.

73. My moods govern what I do.

74. I have trouble making up my

mind.

75. I worry about what can go wrong.

76. I fall short of my standards.

Interpretation

This survey taps common procrastination patterns, such as deadline procrastination, and

common catalysts, such as self-doubts, that I'll explain throughout this workbook.

The scores on this survey are like golf scores. The higher scores show a potential

handicap condition. Where you scored 3 or 4 on the survey, this is a potential procrastination

hot spot.

In the "Questions" column, you'll find the question numbers for each hot-spot