Intrinsic motivation and procrastination
Understanding the key components of internal motivation is a good step to find the source of your procrastination.
A study showed that participants with higher self-esteem and a higher resistance to peer pressure tended to show lower levels of procrastination. The finding suggests that intrinsic motivation works better against procrastination.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
Leaving a task to the last minute may makes us feel like we are working faster to complete the task. However, it does not mean we work better.
Time pressure generally impairs performance because it limits thought and action. Parkinson's law suggests that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." The key is to find the right balance between productivity and performance.
RELATED IDEAS
A common misconception is that stress is bad and should be minimized at all cost.
However, depending on the particular stressors and your reaction, stress can be harmful (distress) or beneficial (eustress).
Procrastination is something you do, not someone you are. When you stop making procrastination part of your identity, you free yourself up to change.
Don't judge yourself for how you feel. Instead, analyze the problem and see how you can move forward.
Most people see "pressure situations" as threatening, and that makes them perform even less well.Â
But, "when you see the pressure as a challenge, you are stimulated to give the attention and energy needed to make your best effort."Â
To practice, build "challenge thinking" into your daily life.