Master Self Control & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Kentaro Fujita

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

Dr. Kentaro FujitaguestAndrew Hubermanhost

May 11, 20262h 27mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 11, 2026
Duration: 2h 27m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE 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

SPEAKERS

Dr. Kentaro Fujita
guest
Professor of psychology at Ohio State University specializing in self-control, motivation, and procrastination research.
Andrew Huberman
host
Professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine and host of the Huberman Lab Podcast.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Dr. Kentaro Fujita and Andrew Huberman, Master Self Control & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Kentaro Fujita explores science-based self-control tools: marshmallow test, motivation, procrastination solutions explained The marshmallow test is best understood not as fate or innate willpower, but as evidence that self-control strategies can be learned and that trust and context (e.g., reliability, socioeconomic stability) heavily shape “delay” behavior.

RELATED EPISODES