When Rewards Backfire: The Overjustification Effect
The overjustification effect: expected prizes for things people already enjoy can cut their interest. What a 1973 study and a review of 128 studies found.
Procrastination & Motivation
Why we put things off, how motivation really works, and practical ways to get started and keep going.
The science of motivation
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation: Which Lasts Longer?
Rewards get people moving; interest and personal value keep them going. What 4 decades of research on intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation found.
Laziness, slumps, and low energy
How to Stop Being Lazy: A Compassionate, Practical Guide
How to stop being lazy: find what the feeling hides, then try 5 kind steps, from acting first to a two-minute start, and know when to see a doctor.
Languishing: The Feeling of "Blah" and How to Move Through It
Languishing is feeling flat and aimless without being depressed. What the research says it is, how it is measured, 5 low-risk steps and when to get help.
Discipline and consistency
How to Build Self-Discipline From Scratch
Disciplined people resist temptation less often, not more. 5 steps to build self-discipline by designing your days instead of gritting your teeth.
Getting motivated
How to Get Motivated When You Don't Feel Like Doing Anything
Waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck. 5 gentle steps for a flat day: shrink the task, start first, change the room, check the basics, add a reward.
How to stop procrastinating
How to Stop Procrastinating: 15 Strategies Backed by Research
15 ways to stop procrastinating, each matched to the cause of delay it targets and graded by its evidence, from if-then plans to self-set deadlines.
Procrastination in specific areas
How to Stop Procrastinating on Studying
How to stop procrastinating on studying: 5 steps that add the structure a course leaves out, and why one round of advice failed in a 2024 trial.
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination: Why You Stay Up Late and How to Stop
Revenge bedtime procrastination trades sleep for time of your own. The 3 reasons people give for staying up, and 6 low-risk habits to reclaim the night.
Understanding procrastination
Why Do We Procrastinate? The Psychology Explained
Why do we procrastinate? A 2007 meta-analysis of 691 correlations points to unpleasant tasks, distant rewards, self-doubt and impulsiveness.