Lead researcher Daphna Oyserman from University Of Southern California said that the simplified message that they learned in these studies is if the future doesn't feel imminent, then, even if it's important, people won't start working on their goals.

Through a series of scenarios, Oyserman and co-author Neil Lewis Jr. of the University of Michigan found that study participants perceived that the future was much more imminent if they thought of their goals and deadlines in days, instead of months or years.

Oyserman said that through this shift in time metrics, people can motivate themselves to accomplish their goals.

Read the full article "Mind tricks to stop procrastination" at Times of India.