Yet Joyce Marter, LCPC, licensed psychotherapist and author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life, points to some tell-tale behaviors of chronic procrastinators:
• perpetually feeling like you’re behind and often disappointing others
• having people in your life frustrated with you—which can lead to repeated job or relationships losses
• becoming defensive over your task avoidance, like blaming others or leaning on excuses
• struggling with feelings of inadequacy
• feeling overwhelmed by deadlines and responsibilities
• filling your time with minor, less important tasks
Chronic procrastinators may also have people in their lives enabling this behavior, either by completing tasks, constantly offering reminders, or trying to help them better manage their time. And to the procrastinator, this support is often unwelcome. “You may experience these people as controlling and resent them,” Marter explains.
