Mark Twain once said, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well”, and it seems Irish people have really taken the famous wit’s advice to heart. This month, we surveyed 1,000 Irish adults about the main things they're putting off ‘til another day. From text messages to gym time, here are our favourite things to put on the long finger.

When you’ve just finished a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is to spend the evening surrounded by the Greek Gods at your local gym. Which might be why a whopping 41% of us admit to putting off exercise. But if you’re determined to avoid the gym, why not try incorporating some exercise routines into your workday? Try taking the stairs instead of the lift, doing some squats while you’re trying to figure out how the photocopier works, or just doing a jog around the office. Ok, your workmates might think you’re a bit of a weirdo, but you’ll be running marathons in no time.

We may be a phone-crazy society, but 26% of us say we’ve put off responding to a text or phone call. The workplace might be the ultimate arena for procrastination, with most of us admitting putting off returning phone calls, answering emails, and getting around to that big project that's due...oh sometime next week. Take heart though - possibly the worst ever example of ignoring a message happened on board the Titanic. Jack Phillips was the radio operator on the doomed ship on the night it sank in 1912. When a nearby ship sent a message that they were surrounded by ice, the under pressure operator shouted "Shut up, shut up! I am busy!" and missed a fateful piece of information that could have saved the ship from disaster. Think about that next time you fail to respond to your mate's text about their barbecue on Sunday.

What do you mean chips don't count towards our five-a-day? According to our survey, 37% of us lack the appetite for healthy eating - which is understandable as unhealthy things tend to be utterly delicious. Adopting a healthy eating routine doesn’t have to mean hopping on-board a crazy celebrity diet, though. You just need to find the happy medium between living on bacon sandwiches and subsisting for weeks at a time on nothing but lemon wedges in water. So, you're starting tomorrow, right? Ok, just one cheeky takeaway tonight. Tomorrow it's all kale all the way. Yum.

From the dreaded reunion to weddings and funerals, family occasions are another thing we're definitely fond of putting off. Take weddings, for instance, the problem is all the difficult questions you have to ask: What font should we use on the wedding invites? Are cupcakes still in or not? And do we really have to invite that weird aunt who knows all the moves to the Macarena? Still, it could be worse. The world record holders for putting off a wedding are Mexican couple Octavio Guillen and Adriana Martinez.This tardy pair, who clearly lived the phrase "Marry in haste, repent at leisure" were engaged in 1902. In an epic display of putting things on the long finger, they then managed to avoid getting married until 1969 -when the blushing bride was a sprightly 82 years old. Now that's some serious commitment to avoiding your annoying relatives.

When it comes to financial planning, we obviously have good intentions. 1 in 5 of us say we’re going to get around to it eventually, but a whopping 59% are putting it off until sometime in the future. It’s not like we don’t have any financial plans, although they’re not the kind your accountant would approve of. In fact, 41% of us say we’re banking on winning the Lotto and 15% say we’re hoping to unearth a valuable antique that’ll leave us quids in. But if you’re not going to be appearing on the Antiques Roadshow anytime soon, it might be best to have a back-up plan which is why AIB’s Financial Planning service - that has no obligation or cost - is ideal for procrastinators everywhere.

Need Help With Financial Planning?

There’s no need to put it off any longer. Make use of AIB’s financial planning service today. It’s available through our branch network or over the phone and appointments can be made online.

Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is tied to Irish Life Assurance plc for life and pensions business. Irish Life Assurance plc is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.