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Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

TED

61.2M views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

When you hear the title “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator,” what kind of situations do you think the speaker will describe?
Do you think procrastination is mostly about time management or emotions? Why?
What advice do you expect from a TED Talk about procrastination?

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Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

College papers and the last-minute thesis (00:00 – 03:40)

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1. What does the speaker say a “normal student” might do when writing a paper?

Write the conclusion first and the introduction last
Spread the work out over time
Do all the work at the end in one long session
Avoid starting until the topic feels exciting

2. How did the speaker finally complete his 90-page senior thesis?

He asked a friend to help write half of it
He wrote a little bit every day for a year
He wrote 90 pages in about 72 hours and pulled two all-nighters
He got an extension from the school

3. What does the speaker say about the quality of his thesis?

It was unfinished when he turned it in
It was the best thesis the school had ever seen
It was very, very bad
It won an award for research

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

The procrastinator’s brain: Monkey, Dark Playground, and Panic Monster (03:40 – 10:05)

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1. What extra character does the speaker say exists in a procrastinator’s brain (in addition to the Rational Decision-Maker)?

The Instant Gratification Monkey
The Productivity Coach
The Focus Wizard
The Motivation Robot

2. What is the “Dark Playground”?

A reward you earn after finishing tasks
A schedule system for avoiding distractions
Leisure activities happening when they are not supposed to, with guilt and anxiety
A place where difficult work feels exciting

3. When does the Panic Monster wake up?

Only when someone gives you a reward
When a deadline gets too close or there is risk of embarrassment or disaster
Whenever the Monkey feels bored
When you start a new long-term plan

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

Two kinds of procrastination and the Life Calendar message (10:05 – 14:04)

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1. What contrast did the speaker notice in the emails he received?

They mixed a light tone (his post) with the heaviness and frustration in people’s stories
They were angry at TED for inviting him
They were mostly about how to write faster essays
They were mostly short, funny messages from friends

2. Why is procrastination without deadlines especially dangerous, according to the speaker?

Because it improves work quality too much
Because it makes deadlines come faster
Because the Panic Monster doesn’t show up, so the delay can extend forever
Because it only happens to people in the arts

3. What is the “Life Calendar”?

A chart showing how procrastination changes your brain
A daily planner to schedule tasks by the hour
A list of deadlines for the next 12 months
A calendar with one box for every week of a 90-year life

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

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1. In the speaker’s model, what usually helps a procrastinator finally start working near a deadline?

A friend doing the work for them
A sudden increase in long-term planning skills
The Panic Monster taking control and scaring the Monkey away
A new app that blocks the internet

2. Which situation best matches the speaker’s “second kind of procrastination”?

Submitting homework early every week
Studying the night before an exam
Delaying exercise and health habits because there is no deadline
Finishing a report one hour before it is due

3. What is one main purpose of the “Life Calendar” at the end of the talk?

To prove that procrastinators are more creative
To show that deadlines are unnecessary
To teach people how to write faster
To remind people that time is limited and they should start important things soon

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED

Which part of the speaker’s “brain model” (Rational Decision-Maker, Instant Gratification Monkey, Panic Monster) do you relate to most? Why?
Do deadlines help you do better work, or do they mostly create stress? Give an example.
What are some important “non-deadline” goals (health, relationships, learning, career) that people often delay?
If you created your own “Life Calendar,” what is one change you would want to start sometime soon (not necessarily today)?