What Motivates Getting Things Done

Mary Lamia explores the emotional lives of people who are successful in their endeavors—both procrastinators and non-procrastinators alike—to illustrate how human motivation works and how to make the most of it. She illustrates how so-called negative emotions like distress, fear, and shame can drive the achievement of goals.

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A marvel of evolution is that humans are not solely motivated by their desire to experience positive emotions. They are also motivated, and even driven to achieve, by their attempt to avoid or seek relief from negative ones. What Motivates Getting Things Done: Procrastination, Emotions, and Success explains how anxiety is like a highly motivating friend, why you should fear failure, and the underpinnings of shame, distress, and fear in the pursuit of excellence.

Many successful people put things off until a deadline beckons them, while countless others can’t resist the urge to do things right away. Dr. Lamia explores the emotional lives of people who are successful in their endeavors—both procrastinators and non-procrastinators alike—to illustrate how the human motivational system works, why people respond to it differently, and how everyone can use their natural style of getting things done to their advantage. The book illustrates how the different timing of procrastinators and non-procrastinators to complete tasks has to do with when their emotions are activated and what activates them.

Overall, What Motivates Getting Things Done illustrates how emotions play a significant role in our style of doing, along with our way of being, in the world. Readers will acquire a better understanding of the innate biological system that motivates them and how they can make the most of it in all areas of their lives.