My problem with this is this: "I tell myself that everything has to be done by 5pm"
Thing is, i cant tell myself anything if its simply not true. I cant force myself to get everything done by 5pm because i simply dont have to, i can do it later and i know it even if that means stress and doing it in the last hours.
That is true, but if you need a way to rationalize it, it's a Schelling fence[1] you're using on yourself. It doesn't need to be false, you can agree to make it true by pragmatism.
Thing is, i cant tell myself anything if its simply not true. I cant force myself to get everything done by 5pm because i simply dont have to, i can do it later and i know it even if that means stress and doing it in the last hours.