4120: The Science of Procrastination: Researchers Tackle Willpower and our Ability to Control it by Cal Newport on Building Willpower
Optimal Living DailyAugust 15, 2026
4120
00:12:10

4120: The Science of Procrastination: Researchers Tackle Willpower and our Ability to Control it by Cal Newport on Building Willpower

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Episode 4120:

Cal Newport breaks down Roy Baumeister's research on ego depletion, the finding that self-control behaves like a muscle and runs down with use rather than switching on and off. He turns the science into practical self-improvement tactics: spread your work out across days, make a specific plan before you start, practice small acts of self-control daily, and do not skip meals when the work is hard.

Read along with the original article(s) here: http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/01/23/the-science-of-procrastination-researchers-tackle-willpower-and-our-ability-to-control-it

Quotes to ponder:

"Self-control is a limited resource."

"Your self-control is a muscle. If you don't tend to it through rigorous training and careful schedules of use, you'll perform well below your potential."

"Marathon sessions, spread over many consecutive hours, will prove impossible to sustain unless you have a looming deadline."

Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day.

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