If you're someone who likes to put off till tomorrow what they can get done today, it's not because you're lazy or lacking drive. It's either your parent's fault or just bad genes.
That's the reveal on new research exploring genetics and the "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome millions of people have.
The study claims procrastination, as well as a person's impulsiveness, a tied to genetics and traits that stem from evolutionary places.
"Everyone procrastinates at least sometimes, but we wanted to explore why some people procrastinate more than others and why procrastinators seem more likely to make rash actions and act without thinking," explains psychological scientist and study author Daniel Gustavson of the University of Colorado Boulder.
"Answering why that's the case would give us some interesting insights into what procrastination is, why it occurs, and how to minimize it."
Most people abhor the idea of procrastination as it just keeps the problem or task from being solved. Others live their lives by procrastination in the hopeful belief the issue or task will somehow disappear.
In making their findings the researchers studied 181 identical-twin pairs and 166 fraternal-twin pairs on their impulse level and procrastination inclination.
They claim that not only does procrastination appear to be a common family trait there's even a connection between impulse and procrastination.
"First, both procrastination and impulsivity were moderately heritable. Second, they were not separable at the genetic level," states the study's abstract. "These results suggest that procrastination and impulsivity are linked primarily through genetic influences on the ability to use high-priority goals to effectively regulate actions."
