Inside the mind of a master procrastinator - Tim Urban

"Hard work pays off in the future, but laziness pays off now"

Tim Urban is a man with a plan, and "only" a plan. Unfortunately, the procrastinator has an instant gratification monkey in his brain, who wants things easy and fun, and overcomes the rational decision maker found in non-procrastinators.

The instant gratification monkey keeps people in the dark playground, where the easy and fun is coloured by guilt as the fun/reward is not earned. However, the instant gratification monkey is kept in check by the panic monster which is like a dormant volcano, which awakens near the deadline. The problem is the panic monster is not there for non-deadline goals or projects which even the so-called successful people suffer from. These are personal projects like having an exercise regime, a healthier lifestyle, writing a book or even an entrepreneurial dream, which most people don't get around to, as there is no deadline and hence no panic monster. But this also causes frustration and deep rooted unhappiness.

To overcome this, he suggests a life calendar with a weekly goal for the rest of your life to keep the panic monster on his toes. So all you procrastinators get set! But hey! there's no hurry, there's always tomorrow, and the day after that and...