Procrastination, Solved
About the Episode
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.
Episode Notes
Referenced in This Episode
- 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)
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