Procrastination. (Craig Miles/Flickr)

Behavioral scientists at the University of Colorado recently revealed the results of a research study indicating procrastination is linked with genetics.

"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 author Daniel Gustavson in a statement. 

To search for these answers, the researchers surveyed 181 identical twin pairs and 166 fraternal twin pairs aiming to establish a correlation between procrastination and genetic makeup. 

The twin pairs were surveyed on their ability to self-regulate and sustain goals, as well as their tendencies to procrastinate and be impulsive.

The logic behind this methodology is simple. Identical twin pairs share 100% of their genetics, while fraternal twin pairs only share 50%, just like separately born siblings. If the identical twin pairs show more behavioral similarities than fraternal twin pairs in terms of impulsivity, and self-regulation, that statistically proves a person's tendency to procrastinate is strongly influenced by genetics.

Results strongly indicate that procrastination is in fact inherited. However, the researchers also found that there is not a unique gene related to procrastination - the results showed a genetic overlap between impulsivity, procrastination, and goal management.

The findings suggest that poorly thought-out decisions, task delay, and failure to achieve long-term goals may all stem from a shared gene.

Researchers claimed that, in a long-run evolutionary perspective, impulsivity was a desirable quality for surviving harsh or dangerous environments. After humans evolved into agricultural and industrial environments, the impulsive qualities that kept us alive during our nomadic days are now distracting us from important long-term goals.

The moral of the story: the inability to control one's impulses is directly related to levels of procrastination, which negatively affects our ability to achieve higher goals.

We're not living in the Stone Age anymore. Stop following ancient instincts that are no longer applicable in today's society. 

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