The Motivation Equation

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In The Procrastination Equation, Dr. Piers Steel tells us:

EXPECTANCY x VALUE / IMPULSIVENESS x DELAY And there it is: the Procrastination Equation—inspired by the common elements that determine when we procrastinate, and crafted together from the most deeply researched elements of social sciences’ strongest motivation theories. The Procrastination Equation accounts for every major finding for procrastination. As the deadline for any task gets pushed further into the future, Delay increases and our motivation to tackle the tasks decreases. Impulsiveness multiplies the effects of Delay, and so impulsive people feel the effects of time far less acutely, at least at first.”

Piers Steele, a renowned research scientist in the field of procrastination, has meticulously analyzed hundreds of studies on motivation. His expertise has led him to formulate the following equation.

Expectancy is your confidence or self-efficacy. You believe you can achieve it.

Value is your desire. You want it.

Impulsiveness is distractions. Dr. Piers Steel says, “Without impulsiveness, there would be no such thing as chronic procrastination.

Delay is how far away your goal is.


If we increase expectancy and value in the numerator, we increase our motivation. To increase expectancy, we can improve our skills and self-efficacy. To increase value, we can imagine all the positive outcomes for our future selves, days, weeks, months, or years from now.

By decreasing our impulsivity and/or delay in the denominator, we can effectively increase our motivation. To reduce impulsivity, we can adopt practical strategies such as executing a Pomodoro or deep work time block, using the 5-minute take off, turning off notifications on our phone or computer, or prioritizing creativity over-reactivity. To reduce delay, we can break our big goal up into manageable, tiny goals and make consistent daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly progress.