Notes

tim urban: writer and illustrator

key points from his talk:


Procrastination doesn’t make sense:

Tim Urban recognizes that procrastination is a behavior that doesn’t make sense and often results in stress and hastily completed tasks.


The Instant Gratification Monkey:

Urban uses the analogy of an “Instant Gratification Monkey” to represent the part of our brain that craves immediate pleasure and enjoyable activities, such as binge-watching YouTube, falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes, or simply gazing out the window.


The Panic Monster:

As a deadline nears, the “Panic Monster” comes to life, frightening the monkey and allowing us to concentrate on our tasks. This is what Urban calls “deadline-driven procrastination”.

Situational Procrastination:

However, in scenarios where there isn’t a definite deadline (like launching a business), the Panic Monster doesn’t show up, resulting in ongoing procrastination.

The Real Issue:

Urban urges us to reflect more on what we’re truly procrastinating about before time runs out. He proposes that procrastination can hinder us from achieving our long-term objectives.


If a person who delays tasks is still getting things done, what’s the issue? Why are so many people unhappy? It seems there are two types of delay. All the situations I’ve mentioned today have deadlines. When there’s a deadline, the effects of delay are short-term because the Panic Monster steps in. But there’s another type of delay that happens when there’s no deadline.


Deadline-driven Procrastination:

It’s when the “Panic Monster” wakes up as a deadline gets closer, making us finally focus on our work. This usually causes stress and rushed work.


Non-deadline Procrastination:

happens when there’s no set deadline, like when you want to start a business or change jobs. Here, the Panic Monster doesn’t wake up, and we keep doing things that give us immediate pleasure. This can lead to ongoing delay and stop us from reaching our big goals.