Zettel 202108130226 : Sometimes we procrastinate to protect ourselves from the fear of failure and underachievement.

Self Worth Theory states that we use procrastination as a way to protect our sense of self worth. We have a simplistic formula in our minds:

Performance = Ability = Worth

We act as if our abilities are static and can’t grow. Or as if our performance is always a perfect indication of our abilities. As a strategy to protect our worth, we may procrastinate. That way, we have an excuse if we fail. And we have a triumph story if we succeed. Because in the end, we have two warring motivations. We have the motivation to succeed. And we have the motivation to avoid the hurt should we fail. This fear of failure drives us to protect our sense of self worth with procrastination.

Maybe this contributes to perfectionism [ Zettel 202108130108 ]. And if we can learn to control our fears, [ Zettel 202108150244 ] we have a tool to help combat this problem.

Self Worth Theory: The Key to Understanding & Overcoming Procrastination, Nic Voge (2017) :

August 13, 2021 fear self worth theory procrastinate procrastination failure underachievement

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Zettel 202108150244 : Controlling negative emotions allows you to make better self improvement choices. Emotions like fear and embarrassment can prevent you from taking calculated risks or exploring a new avenue of activities. Emotions like anger can