Are You an Instant Gratification Monkey?

Inside the Mind of a Procrastinator

• The speaker, a former procrastinator, shares his experience of struggling with procrastination in college and how he overcame it.
• He explains that the brains of procrastinators are different from non-procrastinators, with the former having an "Instant Gratification Monkey" that often takes over decision-making.
• The Instant Gratification Monkey is only concerned with easy and fun activities and prevents the "Rational Decision-Maker" from making productive choices.
• As a result, procrastinators often find themselves in the "Dark Playground," a place where leisure activities happen when they're not supposed to, leading to guilt and anxiety.
• The speaker introduces the concept of the "Panic Monster," which is the only thing the Instant Gratification Monkey is afraid of and wakes up when a deadline is near.
• There are two types of procrastination: short-term, deadline-based procrastination that can be contained, and long-term, non-deadline-based procrastination that can lead to regrets and unhappiness.
• The latter is often suffered quietly and privately, and the speaker believes that everyone procrastinates on something in life.
• He encourages the audience to take a long, hard look at their "Life Calendar," which represents the number of weeks in a 90-year life.
• The speaker suggests that we need to be aware of the Instant Gratification Monkey and start taking action towards our goals.
• He concludes that non-procrastinators do not exist, and it's a job for all of us to overcome procrastination and make the most of our limited time.
• The speaker's blog post on procrastination received thousands of emails from people around the world, all of whom shared their struggles with procrastination.
• The speaker's talk ends with a call to action to start taking steps towards our goals and not let procrastination hold us back.