How procrastination can rob you of career fulfilment in science

How procrastination can rob you of career fulfilment in science

From Working Scientist by Nature Careers

April 1, 2026 · 30 min

About this episode

Simon May discusses his book on procrastination and its impact on career fulfilment in science.

Simon May describes his 2025 book Jump! as a new approach to conquering procrastination. Unlike self-help manuals that urge readers to break tasks down into manageable chunks with clear deadlines, May digs into the philosophy of why we put things off. He also explores not only why we fear career failure but also (more mysteriously, he says) career success, and why boredom and regrets are a “phenomenal wake-up call” to be learnt from.  The modern cult of work, May tells Holly Newson in the penultimate episode of this podcast series about books covering the scientific workplace, forces us onto a productivity treadmill that can sap our motivation.  “If something becomes cold and alienating and simply production-oriented, it ceases to engage,” he says, highlighting some scenarios: “I need to get this out by Monday morning. My competitor in the next lab has produced three papers this year, and I’ve only produced one.”  But how do you make an important personal or professional goal less important, less intimidating, and so more achievable?  May, a…

People in this episode

Host: Holly Newson

Guest: Simon May

Topics covered

  • procrastination
  • career fulfilment
  • philosophy
  • productivity
  • motivation
  • work culture

Keywords

  • procrastination
  • career success
  • motivation
  • work culture
  • philosophy
  • productivity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kings College London

Books & works: Jump!, Tolstoy

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