The Science Behind Why You Procrastinate

Summary

This video explores the science behind procrastination, examining why even geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci struggled with it. It introduces Temporal Motivation Theory, which quantifies motivation through expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay. Critiques of oversimplification are discussed, highlighting the role of emotional regulation in procrastination. The video promises to delve into overcoming procrastination in subsequent episodes, emphasizing the complexity of human behavior beyond rational decision-making.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Procrastination is common among geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Margaret Atwood, and Frank Lloyd Wright, suggesting it's not a barrier to greatness.
• 🕒 Temporal Motivation Theory, by Dr. Piers Steel, proposes a formula to understand procrastination based on expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay.
• 🔍 Raising expectancy and value, and lowering impulsiveness and delay can potentially reduce procrastination.
• 🤔 Critics argue that Temporal Motivation Theory oversimplifies complex human behaviors and may make too many assumptions.
• 🧠 Procrastination is linked to emotional regulation difficulties, with studies showing a connection between mood, gratification seeking, and the tendency to delay tasks.
• 🧐 Procrastinators often rationalize their behavior, focusing on short-term mood improvement rather than long-term consequences.
• 🧠🔧 Executive functioning problems, such as self-monitoring and emotional control, are associated with procrastination.
• 🧬 Biological factors, like the volume of the amygdala, may influence the tendency to procrastinate, but the brain is adaptable and can change with training.
• 🚫 The advice to 'follow your passion' to overcome procrastination is flawed, as even passionate work has elements that can be procrastinated on.
• 📚 Learning from experts and exploring interests can help develop skills and potentially turn passions into careers, without abandoning rational decision-making.
• 🌟 Skillshare offers a wide range of classes that can accelerate skill development in various areas, including content creation for aspiring YouTubers.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is the exploration of procrastination, its causes, and how it affects various individuals, including historical figures and modern-day students and professionals.

Why is the Temporal Motivation Theory mentioned in the script?

The Temporal Motivation Theory is mentioned as a popular theory that attempts to explain procrastination through a formula, taking into account factors like expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay.

What is the Temporal Motivation Theory's formula for calculating motivation?

The Temporal Motivation Theory's formula for motivation, or utility, is not explicitly stated in the script, but it is implied that it involves manipulating elements such as expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay.

What are some historical figures mentioned as procrastinators in the script?

Leonardo da Vinci, Margaret Atwood, and Frank Lloyd Wright are mentioned as historical figures who were known to procrastinate.

How does the script relate Leonardo da Vinci's procrastination to his work on the Mona Lisa?

The script mentions that Leonardo da Vinci took 16 years to finish the Mona Lisa, starting it and dying 16 years later, indicating his procrastination habits.

What is the criticism of the Temporal Motivation Theory presented by Dr. Timothy Pychyl?

Dr. Timothy Pychyl criticizes the Temporal Motivation Theory for making too many assumptions and oversimplifying complex human behaviors by trying to unify everything under a utility-based equation.

What role does the script suggest that emotions play in the act of procrastination?

The script suggests that emotions play a significant role in procrastination, as individuals tend to seek instant gratification or emotional relief rather than facing tasks that are boring, difficult, or cause anxiety.

What is the connection between procrastination and executive functioning according to the script?

The script mentions a study that found a significant link between procrastination problems and problems with executive functioning, which includes higher cognitive functions that control behavior.

What advice does the script provide against the common notion of 'following your passion' to overcome procrastination?

The script advises against the idea of simply following one's passion as a solution to procrastination, stating that even those who are 'following their passion' may procrastinate and that a more balanced approach is needed.

What is the alternative approach to overcoming procrastination suggested by the script?

The script suggests understanding and combating the triggers of procrastination, dedicating free time to explore interests and passions, and learning from expert teachers to accelerate skill development.

How does the script address the idea of distractions and their impact on procrastination?

The script acknowledges that distractions are specifically engineered to keep us engaged and that our proximity to these distractions and our addiction to them can contribute to procrastination.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Procrastination Amongst Geniuses

This paragraph delves into the common trait of procrastination among historical geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Margaret Atwood, and Frank Lloyd Wright. It highlights how even these accomplished individuals struggled with completing projects on time, often leaving tasks unfinished or starting them at the last minute. The paragraph also introduces the concept of procrastination as a widespread issue affecting people from various walks of life, including students and content creators. The speaker sets the stage for a series of videos that will explore the reasons behind procrastination and offer strategies to overcome it. The focus of this video is on understanding the science behind procrastination, referencing Temporal Motivation Theory by Dr. Piers Steel, which is explained through a formula that calculates the utility or motivation to undertake a task, taking into account expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay.

05:00

🤔 The Emotional Side of Procrastination

The second paragraph critiques the Temporal Motivation Theory, suggesting that it oversimplifies human behavior by assuming people are rational decision-makers. It emphasizes the role of emotions in procrastination, citing research that shows individuals who believe their mood is fixed are less likely to procrastinate. The paragraph discusses how procrastinators often rationalize their behavior to improve their short-term mood, using downward counterfactuals, instead of learning from their mistakes through upward counterfactuals. It also touches on the link between procrastination and executive functioning, as well as a biological connection found in brain scans that associate difficulties in initiating tasks with a larger amygdala. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the adaptability of the brain and the potential for change through practices like mindfulness meditation.

10:01

🛠 Tackling Procrastination with Practical Advice

The final paragraph of the script addresses the common advice to 'just do what you love' as a solution to procrastination, arguing that it is not only impractical but also potentially harmful. It points out that even those who are passionate about their work can still procrastinate. The paragraph advocates for a balanced approach, where individuals explore their interests while also addressing the triggers of procrastination in their main work. It promotes Skillshare as a platform for skill development, mentioning a specific course by Evan from Poly Matter that teaches the process of creating animated YouTube videos. The paragraph ends with a call to action for viewers to subscribe for updates on the series and to take advantage of a free offer to access Skillshare's library of classes.

Keywords

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions, often due to a lack of motivation or a preference for immediate gratification over long-term goals. In the video's context, it is the central theme, with various examples illustrating the tendency of even geniuses to procrastinate. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci took 16 years to finish the Mona Lisa, and Margaret Atwood admits to procrastinating every morning.

💡Temporal Motivation Theory

Temporal Motivation Theory, developed by Dr. Piers Steel, is a psychological theory that attempts to quantify the motivation to complete tasks by considering factors like expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay. The theory is integral to the video's exploration of why people procrastinate, suggesting that higher utility or motivation, as calculated by the theory's formula, reduces the likelihood of delaying tasks.

💡Expectancy

In the context of the video, expectancy refers to an individual's belief in their ability to complete a task. It is one of the components of the Temporal Motivation Theory and plays a role in determining motivation levels. The script mentions raising expectancy by clarifying task details or breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable sub-tasks.

💡Value

Value, as discussed in the script, pertains to the perceived worth or reward that a task will provide to an individual. It is another element of the Temporal Motivation Theory equation. The video suggests increasing a task's value by setting up additional rewards, such as taking a break after completion, to motivate oneself to avoid procrastination.

💡Impulsiveness

Impulsiveness is the tendency to act on sudden desires or urges, often leading to distractions from tasks at hand. The video script describes impulsiveness as a factor in the Temporal Motivation Theory that can be managed by strategies like disconnecting from the internet or working on self-discipline to reduce the likelihood of procrastination.

💡Delay

Delay, within the Temporal Motivation Theory, refers to the time one must wait to receive the reward for completing a task. The video script notes that delay is a challenging element to manipulate, as many tasks have fixed due dates, but suggests that understanding and managing delay can influence motivation and procrastination behaviors.

💡Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and control one's emotions effectively. The video posits that an inability to self-regulate emotions is a primary cause of procrastination. It is suggested that individuals who struggle with emotional regulation are more likely to seek immediate gratification or mood enhancement, leading to procrastination.

💡Executive Functioning

Executive functioning encompasses higher cognitive processes that control behavior, including self-monitoring and emotional control. The video cites a study linking problems with procrastination to difficulties in executive functioning, indicating that individuals with poor executive functioning may struggle more with initiating actions and completing tasks.

💡Amygdala

The amygdala is an almond-shaped region of the brain involved in the fight-or-flight response and emotional processing. The video script mentions a study that found a link between a higher volume of gray matter in the amygdala and difficulties in initiating actions on tasks, suggesting a biological component to procrastination.

💡Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation that focuses on being present and aware of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. The video script refers to a study showing that mindfulness meditation can reduce the volume of the amygdala and improve higher-order brain functions, which may help in managing procrastination.

💡Counterfactual Thinking

Counterfactual thinking involves contemplating alternative outcomes to past events. The video discusses two types: downward counterfactuals, which aim to improve one's mood in the short term, and upward counterfactuals, which embrace difficulties to learn for the future. Procrastinators are said to often engage in downward counterfactual thinking, rationalizing their behavior.

Highlights

Leonardo da Vinci, Margaret Atwood, and Frank Lloyd Wright were known procrastinators, suggesting that geniuses can also struggle with task completion.

Procrastination is linked to poor study habits, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, indicating its wide-ranging negative impacts.

Temporal Motivation Theory, formulated by Dr. Piers Steel, offers a formula to understand procrastination based on expectancy, value, impulsiveness, and delay.

Raising expectancy, value, and lowering impulsiveness can help reduce procrastination, according to the Temporal Motivation Theory.

Dr. Timothy Pychyl critiques the Temporal Motivation Theory for oversimplifying complex human behaviors with a utility-based equation.

Procrastination is often an emotional regulation issue, with studies showing a link between mood regulation and the tendency to seek instant gratification.

Chronic procrastinators tend to rationalize their behavior to improve short-term mood, rather than learning from their mistakes.

A study from Brooklyn College found a significant link between procrastination and problems with executive functioning.

German researchers discovered a biological link between procrastination and the volume of gray matter in the amygdala.

The brain's structure is adaptable, with mindfulness meditation shown to reduce the volume of the amygdala and improve higher cognitive functions.

Chronic procrastination is primarily an emotional self-regulation issue, often leading to feelings of guilt and rationalization.

Walter Isaacson's biography on Leonardo da Vinci reveals even geniuses struggled with procrastination and left projects unfinished.

The advice to 'follow your passion' to avoid procrastination is flawed, as even passionate individuals procrastinate on certain tasks.

Barbara Oakley suggests coupling passion with rationality for career choices, rather than blindly following passion alone.

Skillshare offers a wide range of classes to accelerate skill development in various areas, including content creation for YouTube.

A free two-month membership to Skillshare is offered to viewers, providing unlimited access to their course library.

Transcripts

- If you've ever wanted to count yourself

among the ranks of geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci,

Margaret Atwood and Frank Lloyd Wright,

then you're in luck because there

is at least on dimension in which you,

me and probably everyone watching this video

is already like them and that's because

each one of these geniuses is

or was a massive procrastinator.

da Vinci took 16 years to finish the Mona Lisa

which is to say that he died 16 years after he started it,

and over the course of his life

he only finished a handful of projects

often leaving angry patrons scrambling to hire

other people to finish the projects

that eventually slipped from his attention.

Likewise the author Margaret Atwood

is pretty open about the fact that she spends

every morning procrastinating only

getting to work around three in the afternoon.

And as the story goes, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright

drew up the initial plans for

the famous Falling Water House just hours

before a scheduled meeting with

the man who had commissioned it.

Procrastination is a problem that plagues

most of us to some degree.

From famous polymaths and artists throughout history

to YouTubers ironically making videos about procrastination,

to students just trying to get their homework done,

almost all of us deal with it along

with its consequences of which there are many.

Despite the justifications that procrastinators

love to make like I work well under pressure man, it's fine,

research has shown that procrastination

is significantly correlated with poor study habits,

with depression, anxiety, lycanthropy,

low self esteem, and yes I may have made one of those up,

but the fact remains that procrastination

is a damaging habit to be in.

So, over the course of the next three videos

we are going to dig deep into both

the causes of procrastination

and how we can finally over come it.

This video in particular will focus

on the science of procrastination

and we're gonna pull from a wide body

of research to find out exactly

why we tend to put off our work.

As the ancient proverb goes, know thy enemy.

Then in the next video we're gonna go over

several tactics you can use to stop procrastinating

in the moment once you catch yourself doing it

and the final video will wrap things up

by looking at how each of us can once and for all

shed the label of procrastinator from our identities

and permanently reduce our tendency to put things off.

For now though we are focused on the question of why?

Why do we procrastinate?

One of the most popular theories

that attempts to gather and integrate

the many potential answers to this question

is called Temporal Motivation Theory

which was created by Doctor Piers Steel

which was most thoroughly explained

in his book The Procrastination Equation.

As the book title implies,

Temporal Motivation Theory attempts

to explain procrastination in terms

of a formula which aims to solve our tasks utility

or the general motivation to do it.

The higher the utility or the higher the motivation,

the less likely someone is going to be

to procrastinate on that particular task.

And the elements of that equation include number one,

expectancy which is your belief

that you can complete the task.

Number two, value which is how valuable

the reward the task will give you is to you.

Number three, impulsiveness which is

the likelihood that you're gonna

be distracted by something that would

give you instant gratification now

and finally number four there's delay

which is how long you're gonna

have to wait to get the reward.

So to solve for motivation or utility,

you simply set the equation up like this

and then if you want to raise your motivation

and stop procrastinating you just need

to figure out how to manipulate

one or more of the equations elements.

For example you could raise expectancy

by getting clear on the details of your task

or by breaking it down into little sub tasks

each to which feels more actionable.

Likewise you could raise a tasks value

by setting up additional rewards for completing it

like giving yourself a preplanned break once you finish it.

And of course you could lower impulsiveness

by disconnecting from the internet or working

on self discipline exercises to make yourself

less vulnerable to distractions or by changing

your study location to increase the distance

between you and your VR headset.

And finally there is delay which is probably

the hardest element in the equation to manipulate

since a lot of tasks have a set in stone due date

meaning there is a set in stone reward.

Now Temporal Motivation Theory

has its routes in behavioral economics

proposing that the reason we procrastinate

is purely due to our current perceived utility of the task.

And to be fair it is a model that does

a pretty good job at collecting many

of the reasons we do tend to put things off.

The expectancy piece accurately reflects

the fact that we tend to be more resistant

to starting a task when we know that it's difficult.

Likewise the value and delay variables reflect

how we tend to offer instant gratification

over rewards who's value we don't much care about

or that we've discounted because it's far off in the future.

But it's worth mentioning that this theory

does have its critics including Doctor Timothy Pychyl

who heads up the procrastination

research group at Carleton University.

In a critique that he wrote

for the website Psychology Today,

Pychyl points out that in the attempt

to unify everything under this utility based equation,

this theory ends up making too many assumptions.

For one, it assumes that some tasks

like socializing with friends have

a fixed utility that isn't sensitive to delay

while others like writing an essay

definitely are sensitive to that delay.

And in fact these two tasks are used together

to form an example on Dr. Steel's website.

According to the graph there,

the utility of socializing remains

higher than that of writing the essay

until right near the due date at which point

the lines intersect and now it's time

to start chuggin' Red Bull's

and scrambling to finish that essay.

But Pychyl's article asks what

would happen if a party scheduled for

this Friday were postponed to next week.

Since this increases delay, the overall utility

of socializing should be decreased

and now the utility of writing the essay

should be higher which means that you

should choose to do it right?

Of course in the real world most students

wouldn't decide to work on an essay

far in advance of the deadline just

because a party got postponed.

Now for my part I feel like Pychyl's

critique in this one example isn't

a perfect take down because it kind

of frames things as a binary choice

and in reality I'm gonna be considering more options.

If a party gets postponed,

I'm probably still gonna consider playing Overwatch

all night rather than just choosing to do the essay.

Still, I do agree with his overall conclusion where he says,

"The point is that complex human behaviors

"are not best understood by simple equations or formuli.

"Although the theories that these formuli represent

"can be useful in our discussion of behavior."

And I especially agree with this view

that Temporal Motivation is just a little

too focused on this idea of people

as rational decision makers,

carefully weighing different actions like ingots on a scale

because that isn't how it works.

We humans with our squishy multi layer brains

are a lot more irrational then

economic theories would like to paint us.

At all times the rational part of your brain

is locked in an eternal struggle with

the more instinctual, emotional side.

And it's this emotional side that plays

the biggest role in our tendency to procrastinate

especially for people that have a hard time regulating it.

In a study that was published back in 2001,

the researcher Dianne Tice found that students

who were primed to believe their mood was fixed

or frozen were less likely to seek

instant gratification or to procrastinate,

while students who were lead to believe

that their moods could be changed

were much more likely to do both.

And even though procrastinators tend

to feel guilt when they do this,

they or we I should say actually because I do this too,

we tend to rationalize it and we convince ourselves

that it's really not a big deal.

For an example of this, a study done at Bishop University

had students react to scenarios where procrastination

had actually caused a problem or at least exasperated it,

including a scenario where somebody

had come back from a sunny vacation

with a suspicious mole but then

put off going to the doctor to have

it checked out for quite a long time.

And in reaction to that scenario

the chronic procrastinators in the group

tended to say things like at least I went

to the doctor before it got really really bad

instead of saying things like if only

I'd gone to the doctor sooner.

All their statements tended to be what

are called downward counterfactuals

which are responses that reflect

the desire to improve one's mood in the short term.

And these are in contrast to, you guessed it,

upward counterfactuals which are responses

that tend to embrace difficulties now

in an attempt to learn something new about the future.

As the head researcher for the study put it,

"Procrastinators focused on how to make themselves

"feel better at the expense of drawing insight

"from what made them feel bad."

Despite the guilt that we feel,

this habitual urge to seek an emotional

pick me up in response to a task that's boring or difficult

or in response to anxiety causes us

to construct arguments that rationalize

our procrastination and keep us in

a never ending cycle of doing it.

And those studies are just the start

because there is even more evidence

to support this idea of procrastination

as primarily an issue of emotional regulation.

For instance, a study from Brooklyn College

back in 2010 found a significant link

between procrastination problems and problems

with executive functioning which is

an umbrella term for all the higher cognitive

functions that control our behavior.

When the researchers first tested students

on procrastination and then

on nine scales of executive functioning,

such as self monitoring

and emotional control and organization,

they found a significant link between

problems with procrastination and all nine of these scales.

And another study even found a biological link.

When a research team over in Germany did FMRI brain scans

on 264 adults they found a link

between difficulties in initiating actions on tasks

and a greater volume of gray matter in the amygdala

which is the brains fight or flight center.

Though it is worth mentioning just

a couple of things about this study.

The first of which being that the results merely

show an association rather than claiming

a direct causal link and the second being

a reminder that the physical structure

of the brain is in fact quite adaptable.

In fact a study done back in 2013 showed

how just eight weeks of training and mindfulness meditation

can actually shrink the volume of the amygdala

and as the study notes, "As the amygdala shrinks,

"the prefrontal cortex associated

"with higher order brain functions

"such as awareness, concentration

"and decision making becomes thicker."

And I think that this is very important to include

because while all of us are born with different brains,

we're also born with brains that

can in fact change, adapt and improve.

So, to sum things up the current body

of procrastination research seems

to point the finger primarily at an inability

to self regulate emotions and mood as the cause.

When you're a chronic procrastinator

you consistently give in to feel good,

even though you are keenly aware of the hard you're causing

and even though you feel guilty about it.

And make no mistake, even the greats felt guilty about it.

In fact, Walter Issacson's biography

on Leonardo da Vinci makes this pretty clear stating,

"The most obvious evidence that he was human

"rather than super human is the trail

"of projects he left unfinished.

"Tell me if anything was ever done.

"He repeatedly scribbled in notebook after notebook.

"Tell me.

"Tell me.

"Tell me if I ever did a thing.

"Tell me if anything was ever made."

Of course this primary reason is connected

to other causes as well such as those problems

with executive functioning and the expectancy value

and delay issues laid out by Temporal Motivation Theory

and by how close we are to our distractions

as well as how addicted we are to them

which I think is an important point to note

since now more than ever our distractions

are specifically engineered to keep

us coming back again and again.

Now, in the next video in this series

we're gonna dig into some specific tactics

that you can use to stop procrastinating

in the moment when you notice yourself doing it.

But before we end this video I do

want to address one of the most common fixes

for procrastination that I see being touted on the internet

which is to simply go and do the work that you love,

to follow your passion because if you're procrastinating

right now it means you're doing

the wrong work and you need to quit.

(sighs)

If only it were that easy.

But alas even people who are

quote unquote "following their passion" have elements

of their work that they tend to procrastinate on.

I mean, most of these people would probably

feel pretty silly telling Margaret Atwood

that the work she spent her life doing

is in fact the wrong work for her

because she procrastinates on it.

More importantly though this is just dangerous advice.

Sure, occasionally you're gonna see somebody

who quit everything, dropped out of school

and went all in under water game development

and they made millions of dollars

and became an inspiration to us all.

Those are the stories that get told

but they are the exception to the rule.

And as the author Barbara Oakley wisely

points out in her book A Mind for Numbers,

"Over the past decades students who

"have blindly follower their passion

"without rational analysis of whether

"their career choice truly was wise

"have been more unhappy with their job choices

"then those who coupled passion with rationality."

A better path is to dedicate your free time

to exploring your interests and passions

and to double down on the ones that you

seem especially interested in.

And by deliberately learning what triggers

your procrastination with your main work

and then by learning to combat those triggers

which is what the other two videos

in this series will be about,

you're gonna find yourself with more of that free time

then you would've otherwise had.

Of course another way to start moving something

that you're passionate about from being

just a side project to becoming something

that eventually maybe something

you could turn into a career is

to accelerate your skill development in that area

by learning from expert teachers.

For example, if you eventually wanted to build

your own successful YouTube channel

then you might want to learn about content creation

from somebody who already does that for a living.

And fortunately my friend Evan

who runs the excellent channel Poly Matter

recently released a course over on Skillshare

that talks all about how to do that.

Evan's course covers the entire creation process

for making an animated YouTube video

starting from topic selection and research,

then moving on into story crafting

and finally heading on into a section

about how to actually make the animations

and one thing that I was really surprised

to learn especially given how smooth

and awesomely animated Evan's videos are is how simple

his process for making those animations actually is.

And beyond Evan's course you're also

going to find over 24,000 different classes

in Skillshare's library covering UX, InDesign, productivity,

entrepreneurship and tons of other topic areas.

Plus classes are hands on.

All of them feature projects and many

have downloadable example files

so you can immediately start using

what you're learning and learn actively.

A membership with Skillshare is also really affordable

costing about as much as your Netflix subscription

but of course being a lot more

useful to your future skill development.

And what's best if you use the link

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