Procrastination
How to Get Yourself to Do the Thing.
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 is not 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 today
And much, much, much more.
- 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
Episode Guide
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References
- Piers Steel
- Cultural dimensions theory (Geert Hofstede)
- Plato
- Protagoras (Plato dialogue)
- Socrates
- The Republic (Plato)
- Akrasia
- Tripartite Soul (Plato)
- Buddhism
- Confucianism
- Aristotle
- Nicomachean Ethics
- Stoicism
- Augustine of Hippo
- Confessions (Augustine)
- Thomas Aquinas
- Summa Theologica
- Self-efficacy
- Martin Luther
- 95 Theses
- Protestant work ethic
- Calvinism
- Sigmund Freud
- Pleasure principle
- Reality principle
- Id, Ego and Super-ego
- Defense mechanisms
- Atomic Habits (book)
- The Procrastination Equation (book)
- Solving the Procrastination Puzzle (book)
- Procrastination: What It Is, Why It’s a Problem, and What You Can Do About It (book)
- Getting Things Done (GTD) method
- B.F. Skinner
- Operant conditioning
- Behavioral economics
- Temporal motivation theory
- Hyperbolic discounting
- Self-Determination Theory (SDT)
- Ego depletion
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
