The Real Cost of Procrastination (and it's Staggering)

I fully own the irony of this post. So, in the spirit of self-disclosure, I freely admit that I engaged in some fear-based procrastination.

How is that ironic? Because I procrastinated the final piece of a Free Video Training Series on:

Time Management Systems & Tools

The Secrets to Prioritizing

And...you guessed it...How to Stop Procrastinating.

Sure, there a million reasons (excuses) why I waited:

My life was insanely busy between clients , LMSW training & clinical hours, and a heartfelt attempt as a social life.

I wanted more time and energy to put toward creating the most valuable training for my readers and clients that I possibly could.

I was terrified. What if things didn't turn out how I planned? What if there were tech glitches? What if people saw how awkward, nervous, and human I really am?

As my thoughts spiraled, I took a deep breath and asked myself: "What would I tell a client in this situation to do?"

Thankfully, I didn't have to stretch my imagination too far. I'm lucky enough to work with smart, motivated, and incredibly talented people. And since I created this training to help them take back their time, shift their mindset, and bust through their roadblocks, I took my own advice and recommitted to the tools and systems that helped me manage my ADD, deal with Depression, overcome obstacles, and ultimately, create a life I love.

Sometimes, we all get off track. And seeing how these systems helped me to overcome my fears and excuses in such a short time, I became even more excited to stop procrastinating so I could share this training with you.

So last week, after Mark graciously (and patiently) spent 10.5 hours recording/rerecording/assuring me that I don't have lipstick on my teeth, I wondered why on earth I waited so long.

It felt amazing to create something I love. So why did I wait? And what did all that waiting cost me?

Time is a commodity much like money. And that got me thinking: "How much money do we lose by not living and working to our full potential?

I started doing some digging and number-crunching to figure out the cost of my procrastination. The results were astounding.

The average person admits to wasting 2.09 hours each workday on non-job-related activities (according to CNBC). Even with a boss, even in the structure of a work environment, that’s close to 30% of the workday gone! And, if you work from home or you're an entrepreneur you can double or triple that.

So let's be honest, how much time and money do you waste each day?

Let’s say you’re an office worker who earns $60K per year. Let’s also assume you're like most people and your procrastination, Facebook addiction, and general socializing add up to the average 2.09 hours per day:

THE COST OF YOUR PROCRASTINATION IS $15,642.40!

Now let’s say you work for yourself and you don’t have the structure of a boss and work environment:

THE COST TO YOUR BUSINESS: $31,284.80 (DOUBLE)

OR EVEN $46,927.20 (TRIPLE!)

The solution is that none of us can do it on our own. We need the tools, systems, and structure to ensure that we're spending our time doing the things we need to do and want to do (It doesn't have to be a sacrifice!)