
322 — This 60-Second Mental Strength Play Will Help You Stop Procrastinating (And It Doesn't Require Willpower)
From Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin by Amy Morin
June 5, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 322
About this episode
Amy Morin discusses a quick mental strength play to help overcome procrastination without relying on willpower.
Want more mental strength plays? Pick up a copy of The Mental Strength Playbook. Do you procrastinate more than you'd like to admit? You've probably told yourself the problem is willpower, motivation, or self-discipline. But, procrastination usually has nothing to do with those things. It has to do with trying to avoid an uncomfortable feeling. Fortunately, there's a simple mental strength play that can help you start taking action fast. And the best news is, in less than a minute you can get yourself working on that project. It's backed by science and it can help you get moving on those tasks you dread. Some of the things I talk about are: Why calling yourself "lazy" or "undisciplined" is the exact story that keeps you stuck—and what's really driving your procrastination. How dread quietly turns a small task into a huge source of dread. Why procrastination thrives in isolation. The "Text a Motivation Buddy" play—and how I used it to finally edit the section of my book I'd been avoiding for weeks. The three science-backed reasons a single text message can do what willpower can't. How to run the play in five steps, including the specific way to word your text so it actually works…
People in this episode
Host: Amy Morin
Topics covered
- procrastination
- mental strength
- motivation
- self-discipline
- action taking
Keywords
- procrastination
- mental strength
- motivation
- self-discipline
- action
- Text a Motivation Buddy
- time swap
Mentioned in this episode
Products: The Mental Strength Playbook
More episodes of Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin
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- 323 — Always Bracing for the Worst? Here's Why Becoming a Realistic Optimist Is Better for Your Health with Dr. Deepika Chopra · June 8, 2026 · 51 min
- Bonus Episode - How To Manage Your Anger with Mike Pesca · June 3, 2026 · 30 min
- 321 — How to Use Constraints to Spark Better Ideas, Make Faster Decisions, and Live With Less Regret With Bestselling Author David Epstein · June 1, 2026 · 55 min
- 320 — Dreading a Difficult Person? This Play Makes Them Less Draining—and Almost Entertaining · May 29, 2026 · 19 min
- 319 — How to Beat Brain Fog and Prevent Dementia With Harvard-Trained Dr. Majid Fotuhi · May 25, 2026 · 54 min
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