I can simplify that and say that psychologists recognize we all have a 6-year-old running the ship. And the 6-year-old is saying, "I don't want to! I don't feel like it!" SL: What are you discovering about how procrastinators' brains work? TP: Recently we've been doing research that relates to the work on "present self"/"future self" because what's happening with procrastination is that "present self" is always trumping "future self." <a href="http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/marketing/faculty/hershfield">Hal Hershfield </a>has done some really great research on looking at how we think about <a href="http://nautil.us/issue/9/time/why-we-procrastinate">"future self." </a>He's shown that in experimental settings if someone sees their own picture digitally aged, they're more likely to allocate funds to retirement. When [the researchers] did the fMRI studies, they found our brain processes present self and future self differently. We think of future self more like a stranger.

Tax Day is a horror for many procrastinators. For many people, a little procrastination isn't harmful - like 15 minutes lost in Facebook or putting off doing the laundry for a few days. But then there are things like taxes. And all the people who keep meaning to start saving for retirement, but never do.

productivity

Productivity

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

mindfulness

Mindfulness

timemanagement

Time Management

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Why your brain loves procrastination

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

habits

Habits

Why your brain loves procrastination

JC Van Ceu Lian