TEDTim UrbanIncollege,Iwasagovernmentmajor,whichmeansIhadtowritealotofpapers.Now,whenanormalstudentwritesapaper,theymightspreadtheworkoutalittlelikethis.AndIwouldwanttodothatlikethat.Thatwouldbetheplan.Iwouldhaveitallreadytogo,butthen,actually,thepaperwouldcomealong,andthenIwouldkindofdothis.Andthatwouldhappeneverysinglepaper.Butthencamemy90-pageseniorthesis,apaperyouresupposedtospendayearon.AndIknewforapaperlikethat,mynormalworkflowwasnotanoption.Itwaswaytoobigaproject.SoIplannedthingsout,andIdecidedIkindofhadtogosomethinglikethis.Thisishowtheyearwouldgo.Butthen,thefunniestthinghappened.Thosefirstfewmonths?Theycameandwent,andIcouldntquitedostuff.Sowehadanawesomenewrevisedplan.Butthenthosemiddlemonthsactuallywentby,andIdidntreallywritewords,andsowewerehere.Andthentwomonthsturnedintoonemonth,whichturnedintotwoweeks.AndonedayIwokeupwiththreedaysuntilthedeadline,stillnothavingwrittenaword,andsoIdidtheonlythingIcould:Iwrote90pagesover72hours,pullingnotonebuttwoall-nighters-gotitinjustatthedeadline.Anyway,todayImawriter-bloggerguy.Andacoupleofyearsago,Idecidedtowriteaboutprocrastination.Now,Ihadahypothesisthatthebrainsofprocrastinatorswereactuallydifferentthanthebrainsofotherpeople.Iactuallybroughtthemheretoshowyoutoday.Soheresthebrainofanon-procrastinatorNow.heresmybrain.Thereisadifference.BothbrainshaveaRationalDecision-Makerinthem,buttheprocrastinatorsbrainalsohasanInstantGratificationMonkey.Now,whatdoesthismeanfortheprocrastinator?Well,itmeanseverythingsfineuntilthishappens.SotheRationalDecision-Makerwillmaketherationaldecisiontodosomethingproductive,buttheMonkeydoesntlikethatplan,soheactuallytakesthewheel,Thenweregoingtogoovertothefridge,toseeiftheresanythingnewintheresince10minutesago.Afterthat,weregoingtogoonaYouTubespiralthatstartswithvideosofRichardFeynmantalkingaboutmagnetsandendsmuch,muchlaterwithuswatchinginterviewswithJustinBiebersmom.Allofthatsgoingtotakeawhile,sowerenotgoingtoreallyhaveroomonthescheduleforanyworktoday.Now,whatisgoingonhere?TheInstantGratificationMonkeydoesnotseemlikeaguyyouwantbehindthewheel.Helivesentirelyinthepresentmoment.Hehasnomemoryofthepast,noknowledgeofthefuture,andheonlycaresabouttwothings:easyandfun.Now,intheanimalworld,thatworksfine.AndtotheMonkey,humansarejustanotheranimalspecies.Youhavetokeepwell-slept,well-fedandpropagatingintothenextgeneration,whichintribaltimesmighthaveworkedOK.But,ifyouhaventnoticed,nowwerenotintribaltimes.Wereinanadvancedcivilization,andtheMonkeydoesnotknowwhatthatis.Whichiswhywehaveanotherguyinourbrain,theRationalDecision-Maker,whogivesustheabilitytodothingsnootheranimalcando.Wecanmakelong-termplans.Andhewantstotakeallofthatintoaccount.Andhewantstojusthaveusdowhatevermakessensetobedoingrightnow.Now,sometimesitmakessensetobedoingthingsthatareeasyandfun,likewhenyourehavingdinnerorgoingtobedorenjoyingwell-earnedleisuretime.Thatswhytheresanoverlap.Sometimestheyagree.Butothertimes,itmakesmuchmoresensetobedoingthingsthatareharderandlesspleasant,forthesakeofthebigpicture.Andthatswhenwehaveaconflict.Andfortheprocrastinator,thatconflicttendstoendacertainwayeverytime,leavinghimspendingalotoftimeinthisorangezone,aneasyandfunplacethatsentirelyoutoftheMakesSensecircle.IcallittheDarkPlayground.Now,theDarkPlaygroundisaplacethatallofyouprocrastinatorsoutthereknowverywell.Itswhereleisureactivitieshappenattimeswhenleisureactivitiesarenotsupposedtobehappening.ThefunyouhaveintheDarkPlaygroundisntactuallyfun,becauseitscompletelyunearned,andtheairisfilledwithguilt,dread,anxiety,self-hatred-allofthosegoodprocrastinatorfeelings.Andthequestionis,inthissituation,withtheMonkeybehindthewheel,howdoestheprocrastinatorevergethimselfoverheretothisbluezone,alesspleasantplace,butwherereallyimportantthingshappen?Well,turnsouttheprocrastinatorhasaguardianangel,someonewhosalwayslookingdownonhimandwatchingoverhiminhisdarkestmomentssomeonecalledthePanicMonster.Now,thePanicMonsterisdormantmostofthetime,buthesuddenlywakesupanytimeadeadlinegetstoocloseortheresdangerofpublicembarrassment,acareerdisasterorsomeotherscaryconsequence.Andimportantly,hestheonlythingtheMonkeyisterrifiedof.Now,hebecameveryrelevantinmylifeprettyrecently,becausethepeopleofTEDreachedouttomeaboutsixmonthsagoandinvitedmetodoaTEDTalk.Now,ofcourse,Isaidyes.ItsalwaysbeenadreamofminetohavedoneaTEDTalkinthepast.Sothatswhatwedidthatday.Assixmonthsturnedintofourandthentwoandthenone,thepeopleofTEDdecidedtoreleasethespeakers.AndIopenedupthewebsite,andtherewasmyfacestaringrightbackatme.Andguesswhowokeup?SothePanicMonsterstartslosinghismind,andafewsecondslater,thewholesystemsinmayhemAndtheMonkey-remember,hesterrifiedofthePanicMonster-boom,hesupthetree!Andfinally,finally,theRationalDecision-MakercantakethewheelandIcanstartworkingonthetalk.Andthisentiresituation,withthethreecharacters-thisistheprocrastinatorssystem.Itsnotpretty,butintheend,itworks.ThisiswhatIdecidedtowriteaboutontheblogacoupleofyearsago.WhenIdid,Iwasamazedbytheresponse.Literallythousandsofemailscamein,fromalldifferentkindsofpeoplefromallovertheworld,doingalldifferentkindsofthings.Thesearepeoplewhowerenurses,bankers,painters,engineersandlotsandlotsofPhDstudents.Andtheywereallwriting,sayingthesamething:Ihavethisproblemtoo.Butwhatstruckmewasthecontrastbetweenthelighttoneofthepostandtheheavinessoftheseemails.Thesepeoplewerewritingwithintensefrustrationaboutwhatprocrastinationhaddonetotheirlives,aboutwhatthisMonkeyhaddonetothem.AndIthoughtaboutthis,andIsaid,well,iftheprocrastinatorssystemworks,thenwhatsgoingon?Whyareallofthesepeopleinsuchadarkplace?Well,itturnsoutthattherestwokindsofprocrastination.EverythingIvetalkedabouttoday,theexamplesIvegiven,theyallhavedeadlines.Andwhentheresdeadlines,theeffectsofprocrastinationarecontainedtotheshorttermbecausethePanicMonstergetsinvolved.Buttheresasecondkindofprocrastinationthathappensinsituationswhenthereisnodeadline.Soifyouwantedacareerwhereyoureaself-starter-somethinginthearts,somethingentrepreneurial-theresnodeadlinesonthosethingsatfirst,becausenothingshappening,notuntilyouvegoneoutanddonethehardworktogetmomentum,getthingsgoing.NowiftheprocrastinatorsonlymechanismofdoingthesehardthingsisthePanicMonster,thatsaproblem,becauseinallofthesenon-deadlinesituations,thePanicMonsterdoesntshowup.Hehasnothingtowakeupfor,sotheeffectsofprocrastination,theyrenotcontained;theyjustextendoutwardforever.Anditsthislong-termkindofprocrastinationthatsmuchlessvisibleandmuchlesstalkedaboutthanthefunnier,short-termdeadline-basedkind.Itsusuallysufferedquietlyandprivately.Anditcanbethesourceofahugeamountoflong-termunhappiness,andregrets.AndIthought,thatswhythosepeopleareemailing,andthatswhytheyreinsuchabadplace.Itsnotthattheyrecrammingforsomeproject.Itsthatlong-termprocrastinationhasmadethemfeellikeaspectator,attimes,intheirownlives.Thefrustrationisnotthattheycouldntachievetheirdreams;itsthattheywerentevenabletostartchasingthem.SoIreadtheseemailsandIhadalittlebitofanepiphany-thatIdontthinknon-procrastinatorsexist.Thatsright-Ithinkallofyouareprocrastinators.Now,youmightnotallbeamess,likesomeofus,andsomeofyoumayhaveahealthyrelationshipwithdeadlines,butremember:theMonkeyssneakiesttrickiswhenthedeadlinesarentthere.Now,Iwanttoshowyouonelastthing.IcallthisaLifeCalendar.Thatsoneboxforeveryweekofa90-yearlife.Thatsnotthatmanyboxes,especiallysincewevealreadyusedabunchofthose.SoIthinkweneedtoalltakealong,hardlookatthatcalendar.Weneedtothinkaboutwhatwerereallyprocrastinatingon,becauseeveryoneisprocrastinatingonsomethinginlife.WeneedtostayawareoftheInstantGratificationMonkey.Thatsajobforallofus.Andbecausetheresnotthatmanyboxesonthere,itsajobthatshouldprobablystarttoday.Well,maybenottoday,butknow.Sometimesoon.Thankyou.演讲完毕，谢谢观看！