150+ Best Procrastination Quotes (2024)

Updated on: December 2, 2024

This list of procrastination quotes will help you when you find yourself saying “I’ll do it tomorrow” a little too often or putting off important tasks you know you should start but have no motivation or energy to do so. We’ve all been there, so we know the feeling of dread, worry, and lack of action.

That looming deadline, the never-ending to-do list, the distractions of social media messages and apps that all fight for your attention at the same time – sometimes allowing procrastination to win the battle. These quotes will help you get over that hump of inaction. Or, at the very least, make you feel better about your situation!

In This Article

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In this blog, we’ll delve into the wisdom of those who’ve grappled with this very common universal struggle. We’ll arm you with funny, insightful, and inspirational quotes from famous procrastinators, productivity gurus, and maybe even a philosopher or two. So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, settle in, and get ready to be motivated, encouraged and entertained with some epic procrastination quotes. After all, sometimes a little laughter and shared experience is the first step to conquering that ever-present urge to put things off

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50 Procrastination quotes for you

“I never worry about action, but only inaction.”- Winston Churchill

“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.” – Victor Kiam

“Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow.” – Gerald Vaughan

“My advice is to never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.” – Charles Dickens

“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard and putting off a hard one makes it impossible.” – George H. Lorimer

“The secret of success in life is time rightly used.” – Sivananda Saraswat

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer

“The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” – Amelia Earhart

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”- Peter Drucker

“You may delay, but time will not.” – Benjamin Franklin

“The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up.” – Anonymous

“Procrastination feeds on fear, but action starves it. Take the first step, even if it’s small, and watch the fear fade away.” – Joel Brown

“Procrastination is the thief of time.” – Edward Young

“Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder.” – Mason Cooley

“To wish for change will change nothing. To make the decision to take action right now will change everything.” – Nick Vujicic

“Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.” – Unknown

“Procrastination is the lazy cousin of fear. When we feel anxiety around an activity, we postpone it.” – Noelle Hancock

“The best way to get something done is to begin.” – Unknown

“Procrastination is reading all the quotes on this page when you have a huge report due tomorrow.” – R. T. A. Birektt

“Don’t pass up something that’s attractive today because you think you will find something better tomorrow.” – Warren Buffet

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“Anyone can do any amount of work providing it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” – Robert Benchley

“Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

“How soon, not now, becomes never.” – Martin Luther King

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Someday is not a day of the week.” – Janet Dailey

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

“Nothing in the world is as urgent, that it couldn’t become even more urgent tomorrow.” – Unknown

“The trouble is that you think you have time.” – Jack Kornfield

“Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don’t count.” – Robert Anthony

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” – Unknown

“A year from now you may wish you had started today.” – Karen Lamb

“What can be done at any time is never done at all.” – English Proverb

“If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.” – Olin Miller

“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.” – David Allen

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill

“It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in.” – Lord Chesterfield

“Procrastination has robbed us of too many opportunities.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Procrastination is the seed of self destruction.” – Matthew Burton

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

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50 funny quotes about procrastination

So, how many procrastination quotes did you scroll through before deciding to actually get some work done? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. But hey, at least you’re here now! Bookmark this post for the next time you need a little nudge of motivation to take action and keep on reading.

“I have not yet begun to procrastinate.” – Unknown

“I’m not lazy, I’m just highly motivated to do nothing.”- Garfield

“You know you’re getting old when it takes too much effort to procrastinate.” – Unknown

“I’m in a constant battle between my desire to do absolutely nothing and my fear of getting fired.” – Unknown

“Procrastinate now, don’t put it off.”- Ellen DeGeneres

“Ew, David! Put that phone away! We have important things to procrastinate on!” – Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek

“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.” – Wayne Dyer

“One of the greatest labor-saving inventions of today is tomorrow.” -Vincent T. Foss

“I’m going to stop putting things off, starting tomorrow!“ – Sam Levenson

“Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow.” – Mark Twain

“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” – Christopher Parker

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” – Pablo Picasso

“To-do lists are like motivational glitter. They sparkle and shine, then you realize you just wasted 20 minutes arranging them by color instead of doing anything on them.” – Unknown

“It’s a job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish.“ – J. R. R. Tolkien

“One of these days is none of these days.” – Henri Tubach

“Do or do not do. There is no try.” – Master Yoda

“The next day is never as good as the day before.” – Syrus

“I’m so good at procrastinating, I could put things off until they’re irrelevant.”- Unknown

“My therapist says I should break down my goals into smaller steps. So, my first goal is to break down my therapist’s door.“ – Steven Wright

“I’m searching Google for more ways to procrastinate from doing actual work.” – Unknown

“The future me problem isn’t real, but the future me’s disappointment in me is very real.” – Unknown

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing noise they make as they fly by.” – Douglas Adams

“You can’t buy time, but you can waste it efficiently.” – Whistler

“Last night, I dreamt I had to solve a problem. I woke up in a sweat, relieved that it was just a dream. Then it hit me… I hadn’t solved the problem.” – Steven Wright

“Slaying the dragon of delay is no sport for the short-winded.” – Sandra Day O’Connor

“If it weren’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done.” – Unknown

“Procrastination always gives you something to look forward to.” – Joan Konner

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.” – Spanish Proverb

“If something’s hard to do, then what’s the point?!” – Homer Simpson

“Procrastination taught me how to do 30 minutes of work in 8 hours and 8 hours of work in 30 minutes.” – Unknown

“Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” – Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

“I never procrastinate. I put things off until the very last minute. That’s my style.” – Woody Allen

“Fifty-two Mondays a year. Fifty-two new beginnings. That’s why it’s never too late to kick the procrastination habit and get started on your goals.” – Mel Robbins

“Procrastination is the thief of time, but humor can be the key to unlocking productivity.” – Unknown

“Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow!” – Don Herold

“… I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. I love to keep it by me: the idea of getting rid of it nearly breaks my heart.” – Jerome K. Jerome

“The only reason for doing great work is to ship it. And the only way to ship it is to start.”-Unknown

“Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!” – Donald Gardner

“I’ve been looking over the list of spring chores I made up last fall, and darned if they aren’t fall chores, after all.” – Robert Brault

“After all is said and done, more is said than done.” – Anonymous

“There’s nothing to match curling up with a good book when there’s a repair job to be done around the house.” – Joe Ryan

“A perfect method for adding drama to life is to wait until the deadline looms large.” – Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

“An alarm clock is a device that wakes you up just in time to go back to sleep.” – Unknown

“Don’t wait for inspiration. It comes while you work.” – Marie Forleo

“Procrastination isn’t the problem. It’s the solution. It’s the universe’s way of saying: Stop, slow down, you move too fast.” – Ellen DeGeneres

“Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy.” – Unknown

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” -William James

“Procrastination is the art of killing time without actually enjoying it.” – Criss Jami

“Even the gods, with their superior knowledge, cannot change a thing that has never been attempted.” – Victor Hugo

“The best part about procrastination is that you are never bored, because you have all kinds of things that you should be doing.” – Anonymous

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20 Wasting Time Quotes

The clock ticks on, relentless and precious. We all grapple with how to spend our hours. Here are some quotes to ponder about the value of time, and the pitfalls of letting it slip away, so use your time wisely and Carpe Diem – Seize the day and don’t waste any more of your precious time.

“Time is what we want most but what we use worst.“ – William Penn

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.“ – Eckhart Tolle

“Know the difference between being patient and wasting your time.“ – Unknown

“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.“ – Mason Cooley

“There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time.“ – Napoleon I

“Wasting time is robbing oneself.“ – Estonian Proverb

“Procrastination is the thief of time.“ – Edward Young

“Lost time is never found again.“ – Benjamin Franklin

“Don’t spend your precious time asking, “Why isn’t the world a better place?” It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is, “How can I make it better?” To that, there is an answer.” – Leo Buscaglia

“You have plenty of time, but you don’t have much left.“ – Joe Strummer

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.“ – Bruce Lee

“If you don’t invest your life in what you really care for, your life will be wasted. You will not fly – you will just drag yourself through life.“ – Jaggi Vasudev

“Don’t spend time beating on a wall hoping to transform it into a door.“ – Coco Chanel

“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.“ – William Shakespeare

“If you worry about something that you have no control over, or can absolutely do nothing about, then you are wasting your time, energy, and emotion.“ – Byron Pulsifer

“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.“ – Roberto Clement

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.“ – Pablo Picasso

“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time getting started.“ – Dawson Trotman

“Never waste a minute thinking about people you don’t like.“ – Dwight D. Eisenhowe

“It’s such a shame to waste time. We always think we have so much of it.“ ― Mitch Albom

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20 Relatable quotes about procrastination

Procrastination is a complex human behavior. These quotes offer a glimpse into why we put things off, but also the potential we have to overcome it. What resonates most with you? Save the ones you like the most or download all of the quotes using the PDF material prepared for you below.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he handles waiting.” – Joey Rao

“I’ll start tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that.” – Unknown Proverb

“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.” – George S. Patton

“The magic thing about home is that it feels like there is always more time tomorrow.” – Jeannette Walls

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

“The only difference between me and you is I get up and do something about it.” – Woody Allen

“The man who waits to know everything is the man who never does anything.”― Craig D. Lounsbrough

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar

“There will always be laundry to do, emails to send, and dishes to wash. Don’t let the mundane stop you from getting to the things that matter.” – Unknown

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha

“Perpetual motion is better than a still perfection.” – Voltaire

“Never confuse movement with progress.” – John Maxwell

“I’m not lazy, I’m just very good at prioritizing relaxation.” – Unknown

“Done is better than perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

“Cleaning my desk is a metaphor for my life. It looks productive on the surface, but I’m just moving things around to avoid what I really need to tackle.” – Austin Avoider

“The only time I truly focus is when Netflix asks if I’m still watching. Suddenly, a surge of productivity takes over and I can accomplish anything in 2 minutes.” – Bella Bingewatcher

“The struggle between starting a task and researching exactly the perfect pen to complete it is a battle I fight daily.” – Penny Pencilcase

“Deadlines are like ninjas. They appear out of nowhere, strike fear into your heart, and then vanish just as quickly, leaving you with a mountain of work to do.” – Russell Rusher

10 Quotes about beating procrastination

In this chapter, we’ll arm ourselves with the wisdom of those who’ve battled the procrastination beast before us. These quotes, sharp and insightful, will pierce through the fog of indecision and propel you towards action.

“Watch less TV and spend less time surfing the web. Cut down on these time-wasting activities and replace them with productive activities which will help you realize your financial goals.” – C.J. Carlsen

“Don’t make the same decision twice. Spend time and thought to make a solid decision the first time so that you don’t revisit the issue unnecessarily. If you’re too willing to reopen issues, it interferes not only with your execution but also with your motivation to make a decision in the first place. After all, why bother deciding an issue if it isn’t really decided?” — Bill Gates

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” ― Mother Theresa

“Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.” – Henry David Thoreau

“If you don’t have time for the small things, you won’t have time for the big things.” — Richard Branson

“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”― Leonardo da Vinci

“You can only do so much. There are five more projects you want to do, but you pick the three that are really going to matter…don’t even try to do the others.” — Sheryl Sandberg

“If you want to get ahead in life, I’ve found that perhaps the most useless word in the world is “tomorrow.”― José N. Harris

“If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem. But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.”― Hilary Mantel

To Sum Up

Procrastination quotes come in two flavors as relatable humor and stern warnings. Funny quotes capture the experience of getting sidetracked, overwhelmed by to-do lists, or resorting to outrageous tactics to avoid doing something. More serious quotes emphasize the dangers of procrastination, calling it a thief of time and a barrier to success.

We hope that you will use these quotes as motivational guides to take action and conquer the desire of procrastination that is always looming around the corner of your never ending pile of tasks in life and work. Now that you’ve got some inspiration to conquer your procrastination, what will you tackle first? Remember, progress over perfection!

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Get Your 100+ Procrastination Quotes PDF Download

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Get Your 100+ Procrastination Quotes PDF Download

download pdf now

What is procrastination?

Procrastination is the act of voluntarily delaying or postponing a task despite knowing there could be negative consequences for doing so. It's essentially the act of putting things off, often prioritizing less important tasks or engaging in leisure activities instead.

Why are there so many quotes about procrastination?

Procrastination is a common human experience! These quotes offer insights, humor, and motivation to help us overcome the urge to put things off

How can I use these quotes to help me beat procrastination?

Inspirational quotes can provide a mental boost when you're feeling tempted to delay a task. Keep your favorite quotes handy, or write them down where you'll see them often. Procrastination can affect various aspects of life, from work and school deadlines to personal goals and chores. These quotes can be a source of encouragement no matter what you're putting off.

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