According to Berkeley economics professor and recent Genius Award winner Matthew Rabin, procrastination is a significant impediment to successful long-term investing. Putting off 'til tomorrow what you can do today may result in never getting started. I'm afraid not, my Foolish friend. It's an insidious Procrastinator's Moment.
Most people procrastinate, especially when confronted with unenjoyable tasks.
Nobody changes bad habits on December 31. Tasks can wait. For the moment, pleasure rules. Matthew Rabin, the MacArthur Foundation's Genius Award recipient and an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, has studied the effects of procrastination, especially on an investor's preparation for retirement. His research shows that people have self-control problems that manifest as a need for immediate gratification.