Procrastination & Instant Gratification

Introduction

• Presenter shared personal college experience as a government major.
• Struggled with procrastination throughout academic career.
• Pattern of delaying work until the last minute, even for a 90-page senior thesis.

Procrastination: A Universal Struggle

• Became a writer/blogger; writes the blog "Wait But Why".
• Decided to write about procrastination to explain the perplexing behavior to non-procrastinators.
• Hypothesis: Procrastinators' brains are different.

Differences in the Brain

• Showed brain scans of a non-procrastinator vs. a procrastinator.
• Procrastinator's brain includes an "Instant Gratification Monkey".
  • Rational Decision-Maker (focuses on productive tasks) vs. Instant Gratification Monkey (focuses on easy and fun tasks).

Inner Workings of a Procrastinator

• Rational Decision-Maker tries to focus on productive tasks.
• Instant Gratification Monkey disrupts by steering towards distractions (e.g., Wikipedia spirals, YouTube videos).
• The conflict between Rational Decision-Maker and Monkey leads to procrastination.
  • Monkey lives in the present, seeks easy and fun.
  • Rational Decision-Maker plans for the future, considers the big picture.

The Dark Playground

• A term for when leisure activities replace productive tasks, bringing guilt, dread, and anxiety.
• Procrastination leads to lingering in the Dark Playground.

Role of the Panic Monster

• Panic Monster awakens close to deadlines or with fear of consequences (e.g., public embarrassment).
• Terrifies the Instant Gratification Monkey, allowing the Rational Decision-Maker to take control.
• Explains last-minute bursts of productivity.

The Chronic & Long-term Effects

• Blog post received numerous emails from various professionals expressing frustration with procrastination.
• Distinguished between two types of procrastination:
  • Deadline-driven (short-term).
  • No-deadline situations (long-term).
• Long-term procrastination causes prolonged unhappiness and unachieved goals.

Universal Nature of Procrastination

• Belief: Everyone has procrastination tendencies, especially without deadlines.
• Introduced the 'Life Calendar': visual of a 90-year life in weekly boxes to emphasize the passage of time.
• Reminder: Be conscious of the Instant Gratification Monkey to avoid life-altering procrastination.

Closing Remarks

• Importance of addressing procrastination as soon as possible.
• Encouragement to start combating procrastination today.