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Each week on Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke, explore different aspects of human behavior and the brain.

How Your Brain Can Help You Put Off Procastination

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Procrastination is the all-too-familiar foe of productivity, but why do some wait until the last minute to even get a project started?

In this episode of "Two Guys on Your Head" Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke explore the psychology behind procrastination, and how we can overcome factors that might be keeping us from getting started.

It also comes down to evolution of the human brain. The frontal lobe is the behavior and –planning controlling part of the brain that also regulates the distribution of dopamine. However, it’s also the most recently-evolved section of the brain – meaning it’s occasionally overridden by baser, more primal desires.

So overcoming this age-old cognitive fallback to achieve long-term goals takes a fair amount of energy.

Breaking up longer-term goals is the best way to do this – breaking it down into steps and rewarding oneself along the way. It makes a daunting task seem less intimidating, and it helps manage time, effort and energy, rather than putting it off.

Rebecca McInroy is an award-winning show creator, host, and executive producer for KUT, KUTX, and KUT.ORG.
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