1、ProcrastinationProcrastinationTEDTim UrbanIncollege,Iwasagovernmentmajor,whichmeansIhadtowritealotofpapers.Now,whenanormalstudentwritesapaper,theymightspreadtheworkoutalittlelikethis.AndIwouldwanttodothatlikethat.Thatwouldbetheplan.Iwouldhaveitallreadytogo,butthen,actually,thepaperwouldcomealong,and
2、thenIwouldkindofdothis.Andthatwouldhappeneverysinglepaper.Butthencamemy90-pageseniorthesis,apaperyouresupposedtospendayearon.AndIknewforapaperlikethat,mynormalworkflowwasnotanoption.Itwaswaytoobigaproject.SoIplannedthingsout,andIdecidedIkindofhadtogosomethinglikethis.Thisishowtheyearwouldgo.Butthen,
3、thefunniestthinghappened.Thosefirstfewmonths?Theycameandwent,andIcouldntquitedostuff.Sowehadanawesomenewrevisedplan.Butthenthosemiddlemonthsactuallywentby,andIdidntreallywritewords,andsowewerehere.Andthentwomonthsturnedintoonemonth,whichturnedintotwoweeks.AndonedayIwokeupwiththreedaysuntilthedeadlin
4、e,stillnothavingwrittenaword,andsoIdidtheonlythingIcould:Iwrote90pagesover72hours,pullingnotonebuttwoall-nighters-gotitinjustatthedeadline.Anyway,todayImawriter-bloggerguy.Andacoupleofyearsago,Idecidedtowriteaboutprocrastination.Now,Ihadahypothesisthatthebrainsofprocrastinatorswereactuallydifferentt
5、hanthebrainsofotherpeople.Iactuallybroughtthemheretoshowyoutoday.Soheresthebrainofanon-procrastinatorNow.heresmybrain.Thereisadifference.BothbrainshaveaRationalDecision-Makerinthem,buttheprocrastinatorsbrainalsohasanInstantGratificationMonkey.Now,whatdoesthismeanfortheprocrastinator?Well,itmeansever
6、ythingsfineuntilthishappens.SotheRationalDecision-Makerwillmaketherationaldecisiontodosomethingproductive,buttheMonkeydoesntlikethatplan,soheactuallytakesthewheel,Thenweregoingtogoovertothefridge,toseeiftheresanythingnewintheresince10minutesago.Afterthat,weregoingtogoonaYouTubespiralthatstartswithvi
7、deosofRichardFeynmantalkingaboutmagnetsandendsmuch,muchlaterwithuswatchinginterviewswithJustinBiebersmom.Allofthatsgoingtotakeawhile,sowerenotgoingtoreallyhaveroomonthescheduleforanyworktoday.Now,whatisgoingonhere?TheInstantGratificationMonkeydoesnotseemlikeaguyyouwantbehindthewheel.Helivesentirelyi
8、nthepresentmoment.Hehasnomemoryofthepast,noknowledgeofthefuture,andheonlycaresabouttwothings:easyandfun.Now,intheanimalworld,thatworksfine.AndtotheMonkey,humansarejustanotheranimalspecies.Youhavetokeepwell-slept,well-fedandpropagatingintothenextgeneration,whichintribaltimesmighthaveworkedOK.But,ifyo
9、uhaventnoticed,nowwerenotintribaltimes.Wereinanadvancedcivilization,andtheMonkeydoesnotknowwhatthatis.Whichiswhywehaveanotherguyinourbrain,theRationalDecision-Maker,whogivesustheabilitytodothingsnootheranimalcando.Wecanmakelong-termplans.Andhewantstotakeallofthatintoaccount.Andhewantstojusthaveusdow
10、hatevermakessensetobedoingrightnow.Now,sometimesitmakessensetobedoingthingsthatareeasyandfun,likewhenyourehavingdinnerorgoingtobedorenjoyingwell-earnedleisuretime.Thatswhytheresanoverlap.Sometimestheyagree.Butothertimes,itmakesmuchmoresensetobedoingthingsthatareharderandlesspleasant,forthesakeoftheb
11、igpicture.Andthatswhenwehaveaconflict.Andfortheprocrastinator,thatconflicttendstoendacertainwayeverytime,leavinghimspendingalotoftimeinthisorangezone,aneasyandfunplacethatsentirelyoutoftheMakesSensecircle.IcallittheDarkPlayground.Now,theDarkPlaygroundisaplacethatallofyouprocrastinatorsoutthereknowve
12、rywell.Itswhereleisureactivitieshappenattimeswhenleisureactivitiesarenotsupposedtobehappening.ThefunyouhaveintheDarkPlaygroundisntactuallyfun,becauseitscompletelyunearned,andtheairisfilledwithguilt,dread,anxiety,self-hatred-allofthosegoodprocrastinatorfeelings.Andthequestionis,inthissituation,withth
13、eMonkeybehindthewheel,howdoestheprocrastinatorevergethimselfoverheretothisbluezone,alesspleasantplace,butwherereallyimportantthingshappen?Well,turnsouttheprocrastinatorhasaguardianangel,someonewhosalwayslookingdownonhimandwatchingoverhiminhisdarkestmomentssomeonecalledthePanicMonster.Now,thePanicMon
14、sterisdormantmostofthetime,buthesuddenlywakesupanytimeadeadlinegetstoocloseortheresdangerofpublicembarrassment,acareerdisasterorsomeotherscaryconsequence.Andimportantly,hestheonlythingtheMonkeyisterrifiedof.Now,hebecameveryrelevantinmylifeprettyrecently,becausethepeopleofTEDreachedouttomeaboutsixmon
15、thsagoandinvitedmetodoaTEDTalk.Now,ofcourse,Isaidyes.ItsalwaysbeenadreamofminetohavedoneaTEDTalkinthepast.Sothatswhatwedidthatday.Assixmonthsturnedintofourandthentwoandthenone,thepeopleofTEDdecidedtoreleasethespeakers.AndIopenedupthewebsite,andtherewasmyfacestaringrightbackatme.Andguesswhowokeup?Sot
16、hePanicMonsterstartslosinghismind,andafewsecondslater,thewholesystemsinmayhemAndtheMonkey-remember,hesterrifiedofthePanicMonster-boom,hesupthetree!Andfinally,finally,theRationalDecision-MakercantakethewheelandIcanstartworkingonthetalk.Andthisentiresituation,withthethreecharacters-thisistheprocrastin
17、atorssystem.Itsnotpretty,butintheend,itworks.ThisiswhatIdecidedtowriteaboutontheblogacoupleofyearsago.WhenIdid,Iwasamazedbytheresponse.Literallythousandsofemailscamein,fromalldifferentkindsofpeoplefromallovertheworld,doingalldifferentkindsofthings.Thesearepeoplewhowerenurses,bankers,painters,enginee
18、rsandlotsandlotsofPhDstudents.Andtheywereallwriting,sayingthesamething:Ihavethisproblemtoo.Butwhatstruckmewasthecontrastbetweenthelighttoneofthepostandtheheavinessoftheseemails.Thesepeoplewerewritingwithintensefrustrationaboutwhatprocrastinationhaddonetotheirlives,aboutwhatthisMonkeyhaddonetothem.An
19、dIthoughtaboutthis,andIsaid,well,iftheprocrastinatorssystemworks,thenwhatsgoingon?Whyareallofthesepeopleinsuchadarkplace?Well,itturnsoutthattherestwokindsofprocrastination.EverythingIvetalkedabouttoday,theexamplesIvegiven,theyallhavedeadlines.Andwhentheresdeadlines,theeffectsofprocrastinationarecont
20、ainedtotheshorttermbecausethePanicMonstergetsinvolved.Buttheresasecondkindofprocrastinationthathappensinsituationswhenthereisnodeadline.Soifyouwantedacareerwhereyoureaself-starter-somethinginthearts,somethingentrepreneurial-theresnodeadlinesonthosethingsatfirst,becausenothingshappening,notuntilyouve
21、goneoutanddonethehardworktogetmomentum,getthingsgoing.NowiftheprocrastinatorsonlymechanismofdoingthesehardthingsisthePanicMonster,thatsaproblem,becauseinallofthesenon-deadlinesituations,thePanicMonsterdoesntshowup.Hehasnothingtowakeupfor,sotheeffectsofprocrastination,theyrenotcontained;theyjustexten
22、doutwardforever.Anditsthislong-termkindofprocrastinationthatsmuchlessvisibleandmuchlesstalkedaboutthanthefunnier,short-termdeadline-basedkind.Itsusuallysufferedquietlyandprivately.Anditcanbethesourceofahugeamountoflong-termunhappiness,andregrets.AndIthought,thatswhythosepeopleareemailing,andthatswhy
23、theyreinsuchabadplace.Itsnotthattheyrecrammingforsomeproject.Itsthatlong-termprocrastinationhasmadethemfeellikeaspectator,attimes,intheirownlives.Thefrustrationisnotthattheycouldntachievetheirdreams;itsthattheywerentevenabletostartchasingthem.SoIreadtheseemailsandIhadalittlebitofanepiphany-thatIdont
24、thinknon-procrastinatorsexist.Thatsright-Ithinkallofyouareprocrastinators.Now,youmightnotallbeamess,likesomeofus,andsomeofyoumayhaveahealthyrelationshipwithdeadlines,butremember:theMonkeyssneakiesttrickiswhenthedeadlinesarentthere.Now,Iwanttoshowyouonelastthing.IcallthisaLifeCalendar.Thatsoneboxfore
25、veryweekofa90-yearlife.Thatsnotthatmanyboxes,especiallysincewevealreadyusedabunchofthose.SoIthinkweneedtoalltakealong,hardlookatthatcalendar.Weneedtothinkaboutwhatwerereallyprocrastinatingon,becauseeveryoneisprocrastinatingonsomethinginlife.WeneedtostayawareoftheInstantGratificationMonkey.Thatsajobforallofus.Andbecausetheresnotthatmanyboxesonthere,itsajobthatshouldprobablystarttoday.Well,maybenottoday,butknow.Sometimesoon.Thankyou.
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