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Master Self Control & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Kentaro Fujita

2026-05-11 Science & Technology
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Andrew Huberman
Andrew Huberman
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Description

Dr. Kentaro Fujita, PhD, is a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University and an expert in the science of self-control and motivation. We discuss the best tools for developing strong self-control: to do more of what you aspire to and cease doing things you would like to avoid. We discuss why you need more than one form of willpower to achieve sustained motivation and overcome procrastination. Dr. Fujita also clarifies the data on the 2-marshmallow test, delayed gratification and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/a9vfEJ5 Thank you to our sponsors AG1: ⁠https://drinkag1.com/huberman⁠ David: ⁠https://davidprotein.com/huberman⁠ Lingo: ⁠https://hellolingo.com/huberman⁠ LMNT: ⁠https://drinklmnt.com/huberman⁠ Function: ⁠https://functionhealth.com/huberman Huberman Lab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://x.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter Dr. Kentaro Fujita Website: https://u.osu.edu/fujita Academic profile: https://psychology.osu.edu/people/fujita.5 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3KkWMHMAAAAJ&hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kentaro-fujita-842a13385 Timestamps 00:00:00 Kentaro Fujita 00:03:08 Marshmallow Tests, Self-Control; Adult Modeling 00:08:24 Criticism of Marshmallow Tests, Learning Self-Control 00:15:08 Sponsors: David & Lingo 00:17:34 Movement & Motivation 00:21:42 Doing Hard Things; Exhaustion & Depletion Effect 00:29:02 Willpower vs Self-Control, Improving Self-Control 00:34:27 Aspiration or Fear for Motivation, Long- vs Short-Term Outcomes 00:40:55 Self-Control Toolkit, Tool: Failure & Exploration 00:46:44 Sponsor: AG1 00:48:28 Motivation Warm-Up?, Tools: Mindset; Motivation Orientation 00:57:30 Imperfect Conditions, Self-Control Conflicts, Tool: Why vs How 01:05:25 Tool: "Whys" & Motivation Goals 01:11:26 Competition, Tool: Motivation Types 01:17:13 Sponsor: LMNT 01:18:33 Abstinence vs Moderation, Consistency vs Rigidity 01:27:48 Burnout; "Invisible" Goals, Single Goal & Trade-Offs 01:35:17 Intrinsic Motivation for Sustained Goals 01:40:16 Sponsor: Function 01:41:53 Meaning in Simple Tasks, Ikigai 01:49:03 Self-Control Failure, Tools: Distancing, 3rd Person & Heros 01:55:04 Words as Motivation, Visualization, Social Validation 02:03:51 Music, Anchors, Nostalgia 02:06:46 Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation, Job & Salary 02:14:11 Mindfulness & Taking Breaks, Wabi-Sabi & Imperfection, Ikigai 02:20:56 Future Directions 02:25:19 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #hubermanlab Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Top Comments (10)

@matthewbunz8978 2026-05-11

Saved to watch later.

312 20 replies
@ForestMist-e1n 2026-05-11

Legends are procrastinating while watching this 😂

85
@oliviajohnson-z1x 2026-05-12

As a doctor, I appreciate when a book keeps things practical, and True Health Made Simple by Alex Richardson really does that well.

61 5 replies
@YaroslavMarkovych 2026-05-11

It seems to me that true self-control is not victory in an endless war against temptations, but the ability to design your life in such a way that you no longer have to bargain with your own weaknesses every minute.

46 4 replies
@hubermanlab 2026-05-11

Thank you for watching this episode with Dr Kentaro Fujita Please click the subscribe tab and then the "bell" icon to subscribe to our channel here on YouTube and get notified when new content is posted. And thank you for your interest in science! -- Andrew

20
@jeandicarlo-wagner 2026-05-11

It starts with a decision; a firm decision. And, having support is invaluable because many of us need teachers or mentors. Even taking part in a study is a kind of support.

12 2 replies
@amannaithani 2026-05-11

Dr Huberman, Have been a regular listener and implementer from the start. Just today I was thinking if you could do something on Procrastination. Wow. Thank you so much for your love of science.

11
@betterchapter 2026-05-12

To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart

2
@Mr.C-ty2td 2026-05-12

I'm procrastinating my assignment while watching this. Great interview!

2
@CounselingCoachDavid 2026-05-12

I can imagine some people feeling frustrated about how to put this podcast into practice, because of how variable we are, and how context dependent each strategy is. Well, I got one for you: -"You're either not trying the right strategy, or you're not trying the right strategy long enough to know it's the right strategy." Pick a strategy and just go. It'll work itself out if you pay enough attention.

2

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