As a mild procrastinator who used to be a severe procrastinator, I think the higher gear comes from the fear of consequences (e.g. missing the deadline). The closer you get to missing the deadline, the more the adrenal system activates & pumps adrenaline and cortisol. The work isn’t rewarding in this mode, but you do it because you are afraid of compromising your goal.

The opposite mode is what your parent describes, where “the work is the reward” because you feel good about the work you are putting in towards the goal. In this pathway, the adrenal system is producing dopamine.

Your parents’ theory on training could help partly explain why adults are more commonly able to find satisfaction in the effort.

Edit: Watched Ted; my thoughts are basically redundant, but I’ll leave it here. Thank you for sharing that.