How to Stop Procrastinating

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Jun 1, 2025

Delve into the fascinating psychology of procrastination, exploring its roots from Plato to modern research. Discover why self-compassion trumps guilt and how perfectionism fuels delay. Unpack cultural influences on our perception of time and productivity. Learn practical strategies to combat procrastination, from understanding emotional triggers to redesigning your environment for success. This discussion demystifies the complex interplay between identity and procrastination, urging a kinder approach to personal growth.

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INSIGHT

Aristotle: Procrastination is Skill

Aristotle saw procrastination as a skill, not a moral flaw.
He believed anyone can improve their discipline through practice and habit formation.

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ADVICE

Use Self-Compassion

Treat yourself with kindness like a friend to overcome procrastination.
Self-compassion reduces shame and creates a mindset for approach, not avoidance.

insights

INSIGHT

Freud's Psychoanalytic Insight

Freud's pleasure vs. reality principle explains procrastination as choosing immediate pleasure over long-term goals.
The ego mediates between primal urges (id) and moral rules (superego) influencing procrastination behavior.

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Understanding and Overcoming Procrastination

01:42 • 5min

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Understanding the Complex Nature of Procrastination

06:21 • 5min

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Cultural Perspectives on Procrastination and Time Management

11:24 • 6min

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The Ambiguity of Philosophical Dialogues

17:22 • 2min

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Philosophical Perspectives on Procrastination

19:10 • 23min

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Shame, Self-Judgment, and Procrastination

42:31 • 12min

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The Renaissance of Aristotle: Bridging Philosophy and Theology

54:05 • 2min

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Understanding Procrastination Through Ego and Identity

56:31 • 26min

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Childhood Influences on Adult Behavior

01:22:32 • 10min

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Exploring Parenting Styles and Psychological Theories

01:32:16 • 2min

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The Evolution of Behaviorism and Procrastination

01:33:49 • 12min

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Debunking Procrastination Myths

01:45:43 • 23min

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Navigating Productivity in Knowledge Work

02:08:52 • 3min

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Mastering Productivity and Procrastination

02:11:35 • 22min

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Finding Purpose to Combat Procrastination

02:33:19 • 19min

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Finding Purpose and Overcoming Procrastination

02:52:17 • 2min

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Understanding Procrastination: The Temporal Motivation Theory

02:53:55 • 12min

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Conquering Procrastination: A Psychological Approach

03:05:39 • 24min

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Understanding Procrastination: Types and Strategies

03:29:15 • 12min

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Designing Your Environment to Beat Procrastination

03:41:30 • 28min

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Emotional Procrastination: Understanding and Overcoming

04:09:01 • 21min

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Letting Go of Defense Mechanisms and Bad Influences

04:29:50 • 3min

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Navigating Expectations and Procrastination

04:32:30 • 6min

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Harnessing Interpretation for Action and Growth

04:38:21 • 2min

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Man's Search for Meaning

Viktor Frankl

The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.

Everything is Fucked

A Book About Hope

Mark Manson

In this book, Mark Manson explores the crisis of hope in modern society, arguing that despite significant improvements in global health, wealth, and safety, people are experiencing a sense of hopelessness. He delves into the nature of human existence, the role of emotions, and the importance of pain in personal growth. Manson critiques the self-help industry and modern societal values, advocating for a more intrinsic and unconditional approach to living. He draws on philosophical ideas, particularly from Friedrich Nietzsche, and presents a unique perspective on how to find meaning and purpose in a seemingly meaningless world.

Confessions

Augustine

Written in Latin between AD 397 and 400, 'Confessions' is a blend of autobiography, philosophy, theology, and critical exegesis of the Christian Bible. The first nine books are autobiographical, tracing Augustine's life from his birth to his conversion to Catholicism. He recounts his sinful youth, his involvement with Manicheism and Neoplatonism, and his eventual conversion in a Milanese garden. The last four books focus on philosophical and theological issues, including memory, time, eternity, and the interpretation of the Book of Genesis. The work is structured as a series of prayers to God, reflecting Augustine's journey of redemption and his understanding of God's grace and providence.

Indistractable

How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

Nir Eyal

In 'Indistractable', Nir Eyal delves into the root causes of distraction, arguing that it starts from within and is driven by the desire to escape discomfort. The book offers a four-step, research-backed model to help readers master internal triggers, manage time effectively, hack back external triggers, and prevent distractions with pacts. Eyal also discusses how distraction affects various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and parenting, and provides novel techniques to overcome these challenges and live a more focused life.

4,000 Weeks

Time Management for Mortals

Oliver Burkeman

The 4 Hour Workweek

Timothy Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.

Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth.

Deep Work

Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill. These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'. Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.

In this second episode of Solved, Drew and I go deep into the psychology, history, and science of procrastination. From Plato and Aristotle to Freud and modern research, we break down why we delay the things that matter most—and how to actually stop.This isn't a “just set a timer” productivity talk. We’re diving deep into shame, identity, perfectionism, culture, and why procrastination is ultimately a *skill issue*, not a moral failure. We cover things like:- How humans have thought about putting things off for over 2000 years- The real reason you avoid the most important tasks in your life- Why “I work better under pressure” is (usually) BS- Why self-compassion is actually more motivating than guilt- Tons of practical, research-backed strategies you can start using todayAnd much, much, much more.

We also put together a free companion guide with all the takeaways, references, and tools to help you get your sh*t together once and for all. Download it here : https://solvedpodcast.com/procrastination

Ready to stop listening to podcasts and actually start taking action? Join Momentum, a community of like-minded people who are taking small steps every day to make big changes in their lives: https://findmomentum.com/procrastination

Sign up for my newsletter, Your Next Breakthrough. It will help make you a less awful person: https://markmanson.net/breakthrough

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:05 Episode Roadmap

08:20 What exactly is procrastination?

15:50 Plato's Thoughts on Procrastination

24:07 The Buddhist & Confucian Views on Procrastination

26:19 Aristotle's Take on Procrastination

33:50 Christianity and Procrastination

46:53 Self-Compassion and Procrastination

58:45 The Reformation and Procrastination

1:04:25 Freud's Influence on Psychology

1:06:40 Pleasure Principle and Reality Principle

1:08:13 Id, Ego, and Superego

1:10:26 Defense Mechanisms

1:17:20 Adopting Habits as Identity

1:23:05 The Influence of Childhood and Parenting on Procrastination

1:33:42 Behaviorism

1:41:21 Environmental Design

1:46:10 Thriving Under Pressure: A Critique

1:52:10 Expectation, Pressure, and Procrastination

1:54:06 Critique of Behaviorism

1:59:20 Time Management

2:07:33 Knowledge vs Emotion in Procrastination

2:16:43 Mark and Drew's Personal Productivity Systems

2:20:37 Deep Work and Task Management

2:23:12 Productivity System for ADHD

2:29:26 Productive Procrastination

2:34:22 Importance of Task Completion

2:36:51 Existentialism and Purpose

2:44:21 Purpose and Motivation

2:53:40 Temporal Motivation Theory

2:57:39 Limitations of Temporal Motivation Theory

2:59:22 The Role of Technology in Procrastination

3:07:10 The Dynamic Nature of Temporal Motivation Theory

3:10:59 Critique of Temporal Motivation Theory

3:16:41 Emotional Regulation Theory of Procrastination

3:20:27 Understanding Emotional Regulation

3:23:04 Managing Emotions and Environment

3:28:09 Introduction to the RAIN Method

3:31:07 The Six Types of Procrastinators

3:40:21 The 80-20 of Procrastination

3:46:21 Strategic Use of Friction

3:56:11 Gamifying Tasks to Make Them More Interesting

3:58:49 The Impact of Environment on Productivity

4:01:07 The Role of Purpose in Overcoming Procrastination

4:06:06 The Concept of "Minimum Viable Action"

4:11:26 Addressing Underlying Emotions to Overcome Procrastination

4:16:06 Leveraging Human Nature and Rewards

4:20:06 The Social Aspect of Overcoming Procrastination

4:21:19 Productive Procrastination: A Double-Edged Sword

4:22:32 The Hidden Costs of Overcoming Procrastination

4:39:12 Conclusion

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