I don't think it is fully self deception. The author still needs to order the books for the next semester. So, there is really a work that needs to be done, and

I don't think it is fully self deception. The author still needs to order the books for the next semester. So, there is really a work that needs to be done, and it really has a deadline. It is not like the author came up with a totally bogus task to do. At any point in time, you have so many things you are supposed to be doing. By telling yourself that you have to do something and letting it get away with doing something else, you are basically letting yourself chose something more enjoyable to do. It is not self deception. It is giving yourself some amount of freedom.