0:00:06.408,0:00:12.020
About two decades ago,[br]when I was a PhD student at UC Berkeley,

0:00:12.020,0:00:16.215
I found myself in a seminar[br]taught by a psychology professor

0:00:16.215,0:00:20.087
who was renowned for his research[br]on self-worth theory,

0:00:20.087,0:00:23.876
on motivation, teaching and learning.

0:00:23.876,0:00:25.217
I'd no business being there;

0:00:25.217,0:00:27.477
it had nothing to do[br]with my research interests,

0:00:27.477,0:00:31.120
but I found it had everything to do[br]with my academic life.

0:00:32.050,0:00:34.168
What I learned in that seminar

0:00:34.168,0:00:39.732
and in the myriad of discussions[br]over the last two decades with Marty

0:00:39.732,0:00:41.352
has been a real gift to me.

0:00:41.352,0:00:44.537
It changed my understanding[br]of the human condition.

0:00:44.537,0:00:47.618
It made me think back [br]to those 20 years before that in school

0:00:47.618,0:00:52.314
where I'd mastered the craft[br]and art of procrastination:

0:00:52.314,0:00:53.564
the mind games,

0:00:53.564,0:00:56.211
the rationalizations, the justifications -

0:00:56.211,0:00:57.817
anybody know about these?

0:00:57.817,0:00:59.948
Oh, some experts in the room.

0:00:59.948,0:01:04.082
And so that gift is something[br]that I'd like to share with you today,

0:01:04.082,0:01:06.121
at least some of that.

0:01:07.371,0:01:11.562
This quote captures a certain perspective,[br]a way of thinking about procrastination,

0:01:11.562,0:01:13.015
lots of ways to approach it.

0:01:13.015,0:01:15.278
We can think of it[br]as a bad habit, for instance,

0:01:15.278,0:01:20.264
but I want to ask you to consider[br]more deeply, to introspect, look inside,

0:01:20.264,0:01:24.133
and look for the deep[br]motivational roots of procrastination

0:01:24.133,0:01:30.151
so that we can overcome that[br]and flourish and truly thrive

0:01:30.151,0:01:34.847
in our lives and in our work[br]as teachers and as learners.

0:01:35.367,0:01:38.640
So my hope for you is[br]that you'll take away from this talk

0:01:38.640,0:01:42.030
a very different understanding[br]of what procrastination is.

0:01:42.030,0:01:43.094
And this is important;

0:01:43.094,0:01:45.421
it's not just how we think about it

0:01:45.421,0:01:49.148
in terms of conceptual[br]frameworks and theories,

0:01:49.148,0:01:50.531
which I'm going to teach you,

0:01:50.531,0:01:54.283
but also to understand it[br]in a different ethical or moral sense.

0:01:54.283,0:01:57.345
I want you to think[br]that procrastination isn't shameful.

0:01:57.345,0:01:59.260
It's not a sign of weakness.

0:01:59.260,0:02:00.650
It's not a flaw.

0:02:00.650,0:02:02.839
It's actually pretty predictable.

0:02:02.839,0:02:04.529
It's something we can really expect

0:02:04.529,0:02:07.664
if we understand[br]the dynamics of motivation

0:02:07.664,0:02:10.965
and the circumstances[br]under which it arises.

0:02:10.965,0:02:15.124
It's not surprising that we see[br]procrastination a lot at Princeton

0:02:16.064,0:02:20.570
because you can't spell procrastination[br]without P-R-I-N-C-T-O-N.

0:02:20.570,0:02:22.871
Anybody notice that before?

0:02:24.811,0:02:26.360
So what is about a circumstance,

0:02:26.360,0:02:31.194
a place like Princeton[br]or colleges in similar circumstances,

0:02:31.194,0:02:33.209
that leads to procrastination?

0:02:33.209,0:02:37.842
Well, one is that we're highly selective.

0:02:37.842,0:02:39.864
And schools, all schools, evaluate us.

0:02:39.864,0:02:42.682
So it's an evaluative environment[br]where it's competitive.

0:02:42.682,0:02:45.552
We're often competing with one another.

0:02:46.142,0:02:49.733
Often, there's limited rewards[br]and recognition.

0:02:49.733,0:02:53.961
More people want A's[br]than can reasonably expect to get them.

0:02:54.371,0:02:55.973
In those circumstances,

0:02:55.973,0:03:00.921
we can fully expect that people[br]will seek to protect themselves,

0:03:00.921,0:03:03.252
the meaning of not getting that reward,

0:03:03.252,0:03:05.469
the meaning of not getting[br]that recognition

0:03:05.469,0:03:08.818
for their self-concept[br]and their self-worth.

0:03:08.818,0:03:11.857
It's not just the grade[br]that's on the line.

0:03:11.857,0:03:15.629
It's more than that, and I think[br]as we introspect, we realize that.

0:03:15.629,0:03:17.997
So today I want to explain that,

0:03:17.997,0:03:20.488
and, again, I want that[br]so you have an idea,

0:03:20.488,0:03:22.533
but I want you to apply it[br]to your own life

0:03:22.533,0:03:24.240
as I've applied it to my own.

0:03:24.240,0:03:28.432
Whether you're a teacher[br]or a student or a parent -

0:03:28.432,0:03:29.700
all of this can be helpful

0:03:29.700,0:03:33.516
in understanding the dynamics[br]that happen in schools and around schools.

0:03:33.516,0:03:35.420
So I want to tell a little story,

0:03:35.420,0:03:39.861
and if you procrastinate,[br]this will be a familiar scenario for you.

0:03:39.861,0:03:41.348
So here's the setting.

0:03:41.914,0:03:46.930
It's 11:00, you're in your dorm room,[br]and you have a paper due in a day or so.

0:03:46.930,0:03:49.819
And so, it's been[br]a kind of long, busy day,

0:03:49.819,0:03:52.217
maybe not too productive.

0:03:52.217,0:03:54.698
So you sit down at your desk,[br]you open up your laptop

0:03:54.698,0:03:57.183
to get started to tackle this paper,

0:03:57.183,0:03:58.503
and then you think,

0:03:58.503,0:04:01.444
"I'm going to check my email,[br]just for a minute,

0:04:01.444,0:04:02.658
get that out of the way."

0:04:02.658,0:04:04.030
Anybody ever done that?

0:04:04.490,0:04:08.717
So 45 minutes later,[br]you've checked a lot of email.

0:04:08.717,0:04:11.319
You've done a really good job of that.

0:04:11.319,0:04:13.966
But now you realize,[br]"You know what? I'm pretty tired.

0:04:13.966,0:04:16.096
I'm kind of exhausted,[br]as a matter of fact.

0:04:16.096,0:04:21.209
You know, tired, exhausted -[br]not conducive to writing a good paper.

0:04:21.209,0:04:22.686
What do I need?

0:04:23.066,0:04:24.757
I need to go to sleep.

0:04:25.367,0:04:26.627
Yeah, that's what I'll do.

0:04:26.627,0:04:31.092
I'll go to sleep, get rested,[br]wake up tomorrow refreshed,

0:04:31.092,0:04:34.035
tackle that paper, ready to go."

0:04:35.145,0:04:36.935
So what do I do? I set my alarm.

0:04:36.935,0:04:42.080
I feel kind of bad, so I overcompensate:[br]I set it especially early, right?

0:04:42.080,0:04:43.377
to make up -

0:04:43.377,0:04:44.388
(Laughter)

0:04:44.388,0:04:45.644
You're thinking right now,

0:04:45.644,0:04:48.328
"How did he know? Does he[br]have a camera in my dorm room?"

0:04:48.328,0:04:49.338
(Laughter)

0:04:49.338,0:04:51.871
This story's about me. That's how I know.

0:04:51.871,0:04:53.462
And so I wake up extra early -

0:04:53.462,0:04:58.077
or I shouldn't say I wake up extra early -[br]the alarm goes off extra early,

0:04:58.747,0:05:01.669
I hit the snooze,[br]and while I'm laying there,

0:05:01.669,0:05:08.488
I think, "You know, the whole point[br]was to be refreshed, and I'm not.

0:05:09.048,0:05:10.734
I'm tired."

0:05:10.734,0:05:12.438
Not only do I hit the snooze again,

0:05:12.438,0:05:15.775
I turn off the alarm[br]because I need some sleep.

0:05:15.775,0:05:18.403
Because if I'm going[br]to be productive, I need my rest.

0:05:18.403,0:05:20.310
And so time passes.

0:05:20.310,0:05:23.400
I wake up an hour before my first class,

0:05:23.400,0:05:26.298
and I think, "You know what?

0:05:26.298,0:05:29.755
That's not quite enough time[br]to get started on this paper.

0:05:29.755,0:05:31.883
What can you get done in an hour?"

0:05:32.423,0:05:34.416
So what I start to do, I think to myself,

0:05:34.416,0:05:37.166
"You know, I have that thing to do;[br]it's really important.

0:05:37.166,0:05:38.373
I need to do it now.

0:05:38.373,0:05:43.149
And I really just need something[br]to cross off on my to-do list

0:05:43.149,0:05:45.346
so I can feel that satisfaction."

0:05:46.376,0:05:47.922
Sound familiar?

0:05:48.602,0:05:51.928
So I knock that off my list[br]just in time to get to class.

0:05:51.928,0:05:55.680
I have a full day, maybe[br]a little longer lunch than I should have.

0:05:55.920,0:05:58.302
That conversation[br]in the hallway goes a bit longer,

0:05:58.302,0:06:02.541
and I find myself back[br]in the same spot, at the same time:

0:06:02.541,0:06:07.908
it's 11:00, and I haven't done[br]anything toward my paper.

0:06:07.908,0:06:11.111
So now, not only have I not made progress,

0:06:11.111,0:06:14.926
I'm behind, and I feel[br]pretty bad about myself.

0:06:14.926,0:06:17.120
But nonetheless, I know what I have to do:

0:06:17.120,0:06:19.402
make that sprint[br]into the wee hours of the night

0:06:19.402,0:06:20.805
to finish this paper.

0:06:20.805,0:06:22.741
And at some point, I just say to myself,

0:06:22.741,0:06:26.649
"You know what? I just[br]have got to get this done

0:06:26.649,0:06:29.420
because if I don't, that's bad.

0:06:29.420,0:06:31.686
The humiliation of not completing it

0:06:31.686,0:06:37.576
is worse than not writing the best paper[br]my professor has ever read."

0:06:38.116,0:06:39.656
So what leads to these dynamics?

0:06:39.656,0:06:41.323
We could look at the surface level,

0:06:41.323,0:06:44.151
but I want to look more deeply,[br]what's going on underneath.

0:06:44.151,0:06:46.762
And self-worth theory[br]of achievement motivation

0:06:46.762,0:06:49.657
gives us a tool for doing that.

0:06:49.657,0:06:53.683
So self-worth theory asserts,[br]or posits, first and foremost

0:06:53.683,0:06:57.409
that the paramount psychological need[br]that all of us have

0:06:57.409,0:07:03.266
is to be seen by ourselves and others[br]as capable and competent and able.

0:07:03.266,0:07:06.841
So in a school environment, that means[br]we need to be thought of as smart:

0:07:06.841,0:07:09.096
as good at math if that's our identity,

0:07:09.236,0:07:11.095
as the excellent writer,

0:07:11.515,0:07:12.711
bound for science.

0:07:12.711,0:07:16.497
If we're a valedictorian,[br]we come to expect that.

0:07:16.497,0:07:18.109
So self-worth theory says

0:07:18.109,0:07:22.199
we need to be seen[br]as capable and able and competent.

0:07:22.199,0:07:24.141
That's what we need to do.

0:07:24.721,0:07:28.140
And because it's the primary[br]paramount need,

0:07:28.140,0:07:31.022
we will actually sacrifice[br]or trade off other needs

0:07:31.022,0:07:34.321
to realize or achieve or meet that need.

0:07:34.321,0:07:36.730
And that's where procrastination comes in.

0:07:37.130,0:07:39.145
So here's a way of thinking about it

0:07:39.145,0:07:41.180
that kind of captures[br]some of the dynamics,

0:07:41.180,0:07:42.919
a simple model.

0:07:42.919,0:07:46.831
Now, first I want to say[br]that this is a model of people's beliefs

0:07:46.831,0:07:51.785
about performance and ability,[br]self-worth, achievements.

0:07:51.785,0:07:54.509
I'm not saying that this[br]is how we should be;

0:07:54.509,0:07:57.744
I'm saying that this is what[br]we've discovered through research.

0:07:57.744,0:08:00.913
Basically, we have[br]this kind of simple model in our head

0:08:00.913,0:08:07.117
that my performance determines[br]my ability for the most part.

0:08:07.659,0:08:08.911
Effort has a role in it,

0:08:08.911,0:08:12.603
but ability, my innate capability[br]and skill and knowledge -

0:08:12.603,0:08:14.011
excuse me, not knowledge -

0:08:14.011,0:08:17.792
my innate skill at doing something,[br]largely unchanging,

0:08:17.792,0:08:21.296
that's what determines[br]my achievement level, my success.

0:08:22.016,0:08:25.365
And those achievements,[br]those successes or not,

0:08:25.855,0:08:29.914
determine my sense of self-worth,[br]how I think about myself.

0:08:29.914,0:08:34.499
So in a sense, then, these things[br]become equated with one another.

0:08:34.499,0:08:37.762
So people who are[br]particularly fearful of failure,

0:08:37.762,0:08:40.645
people who procrastinate a lot -

0:08:41.868,0:08:45.049
I put myself in that category,[br]at least in the past -

0:08:45.049,0:08:48.352
have a kind of simplistic[br]equation in their mind.

0:08:48.352,0:08:51.672
Their performance is equal,[br]or equivalent, to their ability,

0:08:51.672,0:08:54.024
which is equal, or equivalent,[br]to their worth,

0:08:54.024,0:08:57.766
their self-worth as a person,[br]as a human being.

0:08:58.456,0:09:04.821
So we go from a grade on a test[br]to ourselves in the world

0:09:04.821,0:09:08.539
and to the people we love and care about,[br]our teachers, our friends.

0:09:10.329,0:09:11.932
So with that understanding,

0:09:11.932,0:09:16.170
we can see how procrastination[br]isn't just a matter of a habit,

0:09:16.170,0:09:18.859
"I don't like this activity[br]or this assignment."

0:09:18.859,0:09:21.359
"I never liked physics[br]although I'm a physics major."

0:09:21.359,0:09:22.772
That's probably not the case.

0:09:22.772,0:09:25.150
Often, people procrastinate[br]about things they love.

0:09:25.150,0:09:26.589
They're fascinated by physics,

0:09:26.589,0:09:29.249
but when it's 11:00,[br]and the piece is due at midnight -

0:09:29.249,0:09:30.652
you're not loving that.

0:09:30.652,0:09:32.650
You're just trying to get it done.

0:09:34.420,0:09:35.921
So it's important to understand

0:09:35.921,0:09:40.559
a couple of things about procrastination[br]in this simple model.

0:09:40.559,0:09:45.088
One of them is that we can't simply forego[br]the opportunity to achieve.

0:09:45.088,0:09:46.927
We can't just pick easy tasks and say,

0:09:46.927,0:09:49.402
"Well, I've achieved.[br]That's great. I feel good."

0:09:49.402,0:09:53.007
So what this model shows[br]is a key insight from self-worth theory.

0:09:53.617,0:09:55.139
We used to think, in psychology,

0:09:55.139,0:09:58.380
that if you really wanted[br]to achieve, say, for success,

0:09:58.380,0:10:01.290
then you would not automatically[br]really want to avoid failure.

0:10:01.290,0:10:03.381
But in fact, that's not the case.

0:10:03.381,0:10:06.519
So not one dimension, one spectrum;[br]there are actually two.

0:10:06.519,0:10:09.190
You can approach a task,[br]really want to do a task,

0:10:09.190,0:10:11.672
and at the same time[br]really not want to do a task.

0:10:11.672,0:10:13.122
You can want to succeed on it;

0:10:13.122,0:10:16.531
you can also really fear[br]failing on such a task.

0:10:16.531,0:10:19.016
So these are actually[br]two different dimensions.

0:10:19.016,0:10:22.253
And many people at Princeton,[br]and at Berkeley,

0:10:22.253,0:10:25.658
where I used to work and where a lot[br]of this research was done,

0:10:25.658,0:10:27.934
actually are high on both dimensions.

0:10:27.934,0:10:30.679
We really, really want to achieve.

0:10:31.139,0:10:33.053
It's very important to us; we're driven.

0:10:33.053,0:10:35.517
Maybe you've heard that word[br]used to describe you.

0:10:35.517,0:10:39.808
But we're also fearful of failure[br]and what it means.

0:10:39.808,0:10:43.167
So we have two sources of motivation.

0:10:43.167,0:10:48.571
So, in fact, procrastination,[br]in many cases, and the cause of that

0:10:48.571,0:10:50.895
is we're overmotivated.

0:10:50.895,0:10:55.812
We're overly striving[br]both away and towards something.

0:10:56.562,0:10:58.235
And that's what we've learned,

0:10:58.235,0:10:59.509
that procrastinators

0:10:59.509,0:11:02.146
are actually not less motivated[br]than the average person,

0:11:02.146,0:11:03.571
although that's what they say

0:11:03.571,0:11:05.838
or "I'm lazy" or[br]"I don't have time management."

0:11:05.848,0:11:08.578
Those are really not typically the causes.

0:11:09.718,0:11:12.280
What it is is a feeling of stuckness,

0:11:12.280,0:11:15.317
two countervailing forces:

0:11:15.317,0:11:18.478
we are driven towards success[br]on the one hand,

0:11:18.478,0:11:20.757
but we are strongly[br]and powerfully motivated

0:11:20.757,0:11:23.114
to avoid failure on the other.

0:11:23.754,0:11:29.153
And we feel this stuckness,[br]these countervailing forces.

0:11:29.153,0:11:32.814
And many people describe procrastination[br]as being stuck or against a wall,

0:11:32.814,0:11:34.428
an obstacle they can't get over.

0:11:34.428,0:11:35.996
Does that sound right to you?

0:11:35.996,0:11:38.572
The phenomenon of it:[br]what does it feel like?

0:11:39.202,0:11:42.081
We are often agitated.

0:11:42.081,0:11:44.420
We can't sleep, but we can't work.

0:11:45.648,0:11:47.007
Right?

0:11:47.007,0:11:51.110
So we have these countervailing forces,[br]and we're unable to move forward.

0:11:51.110,0:11:55.965
Until some moment[br]where we have this insight,

0:11:55.965,0:11:59.428
and we say, "If I don't start now,[br]I won't get this done."

0:11:59.778,0:12:02.602
And the fear of not getting it done -

0:12:03.432,0:12:04.668
I see the nod -

0:12:04.668,0:12:08.903
exceeds the fear[br]of doing less than perfectly

0:12:08.903,0:12:10.637
or to an exceptional standard

0:12:10.637,0:12:13.321
or to as good as I did it last time.

0:12:13.321,0:12:14.280
Because those of us

0:12:14.280,0:12:16.281
who are perfectionists and procrastinate,

0:12:16.281,0:12:19.044
we've often excelled[br]at high levels in the past,

0:12:19.044,0:12:21.264
and we can begin[br]to internalize those standards

0:12:21.264,0:12:23.307
and feel that we must meet them each time.

0:12:23.307,0:12:24.543
It's important, then,

0:12:24.543,0:12:27.489
that we come to think about[br]procrastination in different terms.

0:12:27.489,0:12:28.503
So self-worth theory

0:12:28.503,0:12:31.116
looks at procrastination[br]with just a different lens.

0:12:31.116,0:12:34.215
So a common way that we hear[br]procrastination discussed

0:12:34.215,0:12:36.432
is as self-sabotage.

0:12:36.432,0:12:39.095
We're handicapping ourselves;[br]we're sabotaging ourselves.

0:12:39.095,0:12:41.165
You can see from[br]a self-worth point of view,

0:12:41.165,0:12:43.682
it's not self-sabotage;[br]it's self-protection.

0:12:43.682,0:12:45.419
We're trying to protect ourselves,

0:12:45.419,0:12:50.689
our sense of our self as able[br]and capable and worthy human beings.

0:12:51.159,0:12:54.664
And we're willing to sacrifice[br]our performance to do it.

0:12:54.664,0:12:59.593
Because self-worth[br]is the paramount human need.

0:13:00.343,0:13:01.714
Make sense?

0:13:02.454,0:13:04.461
I want you to think[br]about procrastination,

0:13:05.333,0:13:07.717
think about procrastination[br]actually as a strategy,

0:13:07.717,0:13:11.908
a really nearly perfect strategy[br]for protecting ourselves.

0:13:12.228,0:13:17.346
If we procrastinate on a task[br]that we value and care about

0:13:17.346,0:13:21.864
and then we don't achieve very well[br]at a high level, if we fail,

0:13:21.864,0:13:23.909
we have a built-in excuse.

0:13:24.279,0:13:26.104
Right? "I couldn't have achieved that,

0:13:26.104,0:13:28.676
I only had two hours[br]before the exam to get ready."

0:13:28.676,0:13:30.162
And you hear people doing that.

0:13:30.162,0:13:33.731
Think about when you're standing outside[br]of the lecture hall before an exam,

0:13:33.731,0:13:35.357
what are people saying?

0:13:35.627,0:13:37.487
"I only studied three hours."

0:13:37.487,0:13:39.128
"I only studied two."

0:13:39.128,0:13:41.977
"Yeah, my computer froze;[br]I didn't get a chance to do that."

0:13:41.977,0:13:44.737
Everybody's explaining[br]how they're not ready.

0:13:44.737,0:13:45.753
Why?

0:13:45.753,0:13:48.677
Because if they don't achieve,[br]they have this built-in excuse,

0:13:48.677,0:13:51.034
not only for themselves but for others.

0:13:52.744,0:13:56.663
But it's a brilliant strategy[br]because if you succeed -

0:13:57.033,0:14:00.105
you get that A on that physics test -

0:14:00.105,0:14:01.953
then you can conclude,

0:14:02.203,0:14:05.122
"I'm really smart.[br]Smarter than I thought I was.

0:14:05.122,0:14:08.307
I thought I needed three hours;[br]I only needed two."

0:14:10.377,0:14:13.979
So procrastination[br]as an avoidance strategy

0:14:13.979,0:14:17.697
is nearly perfect in its outcome[br]in protecting our self-worth,

0:14:17.697,0:14:21.136
even as we jeopardize our performance.

0:14:21.136,0:14:24.266
We increase the chance[br]that we're going to need that excuse.

0:14:24.696,0:14:25.681
Right?

0:14:25.681,0:14:27.218
But we have it ready.

0:14:27.378,0:14:31.059
So what our preparations[br]and these tests are testing

0:14:31.059,0:14:34.514
is not so much our knowledge and our skill[br]but really our brinksmanship,

0:14:34.514,0:14:37.582
our ability to pull off stuff[br]at the last minute.

0:14:37.582,0:14:40.073
If that's not the definition[br]of a Princeton student,

0:14:40.073,0:14:41.615
I don't know what is.

0:14:41.615,0:14:42.888
(Laughter)

0:14:43.340,0:14:46.125
How do we overcome procrastination?

0:14:46.125,0:14:50.585
What a lot of us to do is we try[br]to talk ourselves into getting started

0:14:50.585,0:14:54.776
by saying, "If I don't do this,[br]I'm not going to get into med school."

0:14:54.776,0:14:59.671
"Oh, this is going to harm[br]my GPA, my transcript."

0:14:59.671,0:15:01.881
We're actually increasing fear.

0:15:01.881,0:15:05.141
And there's not a surprise[br]that it doesn't really work very well.

0:15:05.141,0:15:08.368
There's actually some counterintuitive[br]other kinds of strategies

0:15:08.368,0:15:09.936
that we're going to recommend.

0:15:09.936,0:15:12.616
So there's three broad categories.

0:15:12.616,0:15:14.153
There's many, many, many more,

0:15:14.153,0:15:16.539
but these three come from,[br]or really follow from,

0:15:16.539,0:15:18.374
self-worth theory in particular.

0:15:18.374,0:15:20.124
So I want to underscore these.

0:15:20.124,0:15:23.173
I want to do so first by talking about[br]developing awareness.

0:15:23.173,0:15:26.996
We know, from the research[br]on procrastination and overcoming it,

0:15:26.996,0:15:32.047
that gaining knowledge, being aware[br]of self-worth theory and these dynamics

0:15:32.047,0:15:35.347
helps people overcome these things.

0:15:35.347,0:15:38.310
To understand the roots of procrastination

0:15:38.310,0:15:40.528
helps us weaken it.

0:15:40.528,0:15:41.894
We know where it comes from:

0:15:41.894,0:15:45.313
"Ah, I can be aware of and see[br]these dynamics happening in front of me."

0:15:45.313,0:15:46.709
But another kind of awareness

0:15:46.709,0:15:48.959
is to gain awareness[br]of what we're feeling.

0:15:48.959,0:15:52.807
What do approach motives[br]feel like versus avoidance?

0:15:52.807,0:15:55.914
We know when we're cleaning[br]the fridge in our dorm room

0:15:55.914,0:15:57.811
the night before the final exam

0:15:57.811,0:15:59.928
that that's procrastination.

0:15:59.928,0:16:02.406
But there are other times[br]it's not so clear.

0:16:02.406,0:16:05.479
Is checking your email procrastination?

0:16:05.479,0:16:11.825
Is studying or doing the task[br]on the low-important item on your list -

0:16:11.825,0:16:13.811
is that procrastination?

0:16:13.811,0:16:15.245
A lot of times it is.

0:16:15.245,0:16:16.338
So the more we know,

0:16:16.338,0:16:21.620
the greater awareness we have[br]of our tendencies and our motivations,

0:16:21.620,0:16:23.717
we're more likely to overcome them.

0:16:23.717,0:16:26.753
So we want to cultivate a stance,[br]an observer's stance,

0:16:26.753,0:16:28.417
and say, "What does this feel like?

0:16:28.477,0:16:29.755
What am I experiencing?

0:16:29.835,0:16:31.210
What am I thinking?"

0:16:31.210,0:16:36.259
So that we can then actively choose[br]what we want to feel and think

0:16:36.259,0:16:37.832
and what we're motivated by.

0:16:37.832,0:16:40.760
And these next few strategies[br]tell us how to do that.

0:16:40.760,0:16:44.461
So the first one is to learn[br]how to tip the balance

0:16:44.461,0:16:50.253
away from avoidance motivations[br]toward approach motivations.

0:16:50.253,0:16:52.923
So a lot of people think,[br]"I'm not motivated to do this."

0:16:52.923,0:16:54.230
Often, that's not the case.

0:16:54.230,0:16:59.598
It's simply that their fears dominate[br]or overwhelm their approach motives.

0:16:59.598,0:17:02.231
There's a reason[br]you signed up for that class.

0:17:02.231,0:17:04.292
There's ideas you want[br]to take away from,

0:17:04.292,0:17:05.545
skills you want to learn.

0:17:05.545,0:17:08.687
There are benefits beyond school[br]of doing well on this activity.

0:17:08.687,0:17:10.363
But we're not thinking of that.

0:17:10.363,0:17:13.258
They're not in our minds,[br]and so they don't affect us.

0:17:13.258,0:17:17.747
Motivation can only operate on us[br]if we're thinking of it or feeling it.

0:17:17.747,0:17:20.013
Because that's the nature of motivation.

0:17:20.013,0:17:24.056
So how can we bring them[br]back into our consciousness?

0:17:24.876,0:17:29.185
How can we shift or tip the balance[br]toward approach motives?

0:17:29.185,0:17:30.420
We can stack them up;

0:17:30.420,0:17:34.677
we can think of all the reasons[br]why I want to do this task.

0:17:34.677,0:17:37.075
That's not to pretend[br]there aren't reasons not to;

0:17:37.075,0:17:43.604
it's simply so those come to predominate[br]over these reasons I might avoid.

0:17:43.904,0:17:45.704
So what are some ways of doing that?

0:17:45.704,0:17:49.000
I'm going to show you an example of my own[br]so that you can see that.

0:17:49.000,0:17:51.201
That says, "TEDx."

0:17:51.201,0:17:53.976
This is my motivational to-do list

0:17:53.976,0:17:58.159
because, believe it or not, I was scared[br]when I was getting ready for this talk.

0:17:58.539,0:17:59.741
I was anxious.

0:17:59.741,0:18:00.980
Am I going to blow it?

0:18:00.980,0:18:02.614
Is it going to look bad?

0:18:05.544,0:18:07.163
So what did I do?

0:18:07.163,0:18:10.096
I started writing down the things[br]I wanted to keep in my mind.

0:18:10.096,0:18:13.568
First, I wanted to think about this[br]as an opportunity

0:18:14.808,0:18:16.472
and as a way to experiment.

0:18:16.472,0:18:19.511
So I wasn't thinking,[br]"Hey, this should be perfect.

0:18:19.511,0:18:21.668
It's an experiment -[br]I'm going to try it out."

0:18:21.668,0:18:23.524
It's a little different way of talking.

0:18:23.524,0:18:26.539
It lowers the expectations[br]and it lowers the stakes.

0:18:26.539,0:18:28.250
Another thought was,

0:18:28.500,0:18:29.512
"You know what?

0:18:29.512,0:18:31.272
Maybe I can see this as not about me

0:18:31.272,0:18:33.661
but as a service[br]to the Princeton community.

0:18:33.661,0:18:35.060
I'm helping people."

0:18:35.060,0:18:38.276
For me, my motivational profile,[br]that motivates me,

0:18:38.276,0:18:39.845
takes the pressure off me:

0:18:39.845,0:18:41.594
I want to be helpful.

0:18:42.204,0:18:44.562
A third idea that was[br]really important for me was,

0:18:44.562,0:18:48.341
to tap into a deep, abiding,[br]enduring motivation was,

0:18:48.341,0:18:50.644
How does this fit with my mission?

0:18:50.644,0:18:54.354
So I see my purpose in life,[br]my mission in my work,

0:18:54.354,0:18:56.412
is to reduce suffering,

0:18:56.962,0:18:58.994
specifically of students

0:18:58.994,0:19:04.328
so that they can be more engaged[br]in their academic work, in their lives,

0:19:04.328,0:19:06.161
and to thrive and flourish.

0:19:06.161,0:19:09.656
And, in fact, that's a reminder[br]that I have on my phone,

0:19:09.656,0:19:11.143
and every day, I see it:

0:19:11.143,0:19:12.836
"Reduce suffering."

0:19:15.756,0:19:20.751
Another idea was to make it small[br]so it feels manageable, right?

0:19:20.751,0:19:22.346
My thought about the whole thing:

0:19:22.346,0:19:23.421
it felt too big.

0:19:23.421,0:19:24.460
This may be familiar.

0:19:24.460,0:19:26.088
We say, "Slice it up into pieces."

0:19:26.088,0:19:29.124
But make it small[br]to make it feel manageable.

0:19:29.124,0:19:30.470
And so I started to do that.

0:19:30.470,0:19:33.997
One way I did that was[br]instead of writing out the whole script,

0:19:33.997,0:19:36.507
maybe I can make a very simple outline,

0:19:36.507,0:19:38.860
and that gives me a sense of the whole.

0:19:40.100,0:19:43.052
So those are some techniques[br]that helped me overcome,

0:19:43.062,0:19:46.232
not entirely - I'm still[br]pretty nervous right now -

0:19:46.232,0:19:51.004
but to get moving, to get started,

0:19:51.004,0:19:52.637
to make progress.

0:19:52.637,0:19:55.720
And to enjoy it so much more.

0:19:56.770,0:19:59.650
The last way we can tackle procrastination

0:19:59.650,0:20:03.488
is by really challenging this equation[br]that we carry around in our head:

0:20:03.488,0:20:04.874
it's flawed.

0:20:04.874,0:20:07.756
Right? Our performance[br]is not equal to our ability.

0:20:07.756,0:20:08.924
There are lots of times

0:20:08.924,0:20:12.476
when our performance was less[br]than our capacity to perform.

0:20:12.476,0:20:14.359
It's simply not representative.

0:20:14.359,0:20:15.933
Sometimes it's another way round.

0:20:15.933,0:20:18.179
Some of you had good[br]reputations in high school;

0:20:18.179,0:20:20.092
you got an A when you didn't deserve it.

0:20:20.092,0:20:23.938
So either way, that breaks[br]the A and the P association.

0:20:24.788,0:20:29.823
But more importantly, your ability[br]is not equivalent to your worth.

0:20:30.323,0:20:33.399
Think about the people you love[br]and who love you,

0:20:33.769,0:20:35.341
people you value and care about.

0:20:35.341,0:20:38.468
It's not because of their GPA[br]or their transcript.

0:20:38.858,0:20:40.197
That is not the case.

0:20:40.197,0:20:45.426
Our worth derives from our human qualities[br]of kindness, thoughtfulness

0:20:46.389,0:20:48.087
and our vulnerabilities,

0:20:48.087,0:20:50.126
which might be thought of as a weakness.

0:20:50.326,0:20:52.488
So I want to leave you with one thought

0:20:53.396,0:20:54.414
from Nelson Mandela.

0:20:54.414,0:20:55.444
And he said,

0:20:55.444,0:21:00.683
"May your choices reflect your hopes[br]and not your fears."

0:21:00.683,0:21:06.247
This is absolutely approach-avoidance[br]motivation theory, right there.

0:21:06.247,0:21:09.436
Can we be motivated[br]by those things we aspire to,

0:21:10.136,0:21:12.642
not by pretending we don't have the fears

0:21:12.642,0:21:14.803
but despite them?

0:21:15.913,0:21:17.109
Thank you.

0:21:19.489,0:21:21.344
(Applause)