These are notes from a video Self Worth Theory: The Key to Understanding & Overcoming Procrastination | Nic Voge | TEDxPrincetonU.
We are motivated by our drive for success and fear of failure. People who are over striving have high drive for success, but also high fear of failure. We procrastinate when our drive for success is less than or equal to our fear of failure.
Procrastination naturally subsides when we wait long enough and the fear of not getting it done exceeds the fear of not getting it perfect. Procrastination is also a natural defensive strategy: When we procrastinate and fail, we have a built in excuse.
It has been found that we falsely believe that: (large fraction of ability, small fraction of effort) => performance level and achievements => sense of worth
If you have a high fear of failure then your believe is even more skewed: ability = performance level and achievements = sense of worth.
Strategies to tackle procrastination:
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Awareness and understanding procrastination Is checking your email or doing a low pri task procrastination? Probably yes. Awareness of what we are feeling and thinking when you do this.
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Tip the balance from Avoid motivations to Approach motivations:
a) Lower the expectations, this is an experiment
b) Make a list of what motivates you, for example is this helping others
c) Make it small to make it feel manageable. This will get you moving and starting to make progress
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Challenge: Performance = Ability = Worth (PAW)
a) Ability != Performance: There are times where Ability > Performance and other times where Ability < Performance. Lots times you got a grade you didn't deserve
b) Ability != Worth: People don't love you because of your grades.
Worth comes from kindness, thoughtfulness and our vulnerabilities
"May your choices reflect your HOPES not your FEARS" - Nelson Mandela. This is the essence of approach avoidance motivation theory.