SOLVED with Mark Manson

How to Stop Procrastinating


Listen Later

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

- Get clarity on what actually matters. Try Purpose, Mark's AI mentor app that learns your patterns, challenges your blind spots, and helps you take action. Get 7 days free at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.purpose.app⁠⁠⁠


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 ...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

SOLVED with Mark MansonBy Mark Manson

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

3,555 ratings


More shows like SOLVED with Mark Manson

View all
The Tim Ferriss Show by Tim Ferriss: Bestselling Author, Human Guinea Pig

The Tim Ferriss Show

16,142 Listeners

The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

The Rich Roll Podcast

11,915 Listeners

The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes

The School of Greatness

21,214 Listeners

ManTalks Podcast by Connor Beaton

ManTalks Podcast

573 Listeners

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

33,211 Listeners

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett by DOAC

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

8,852 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

4,009 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

4,077 Listeners

The Daily Stoic by Daily Stoic | Backyard Ventures

The Daily Stoic

4,929 Listeners

On Purpose with Jay Shetty by iHeartPodcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

27,666 Listeners

A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek

A Bit of Optimism

2,226 Listeners

Deep Questions with Cal Newport by Cal Newport

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

1,337 Listeners

The Art of Accomplishment by Joe Hudson and Brett Kistler

The Art of Accomplishment

221 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

29,350 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,773 Listeners