The speaker, Timerman, shares his personal experiences with procrastination and how it impacted his academic and professional life. He describes how he struggled to write a 90-page thesis, which was a significant project, due to his procrastination. He mentions that he had to write 90 pages in 72 hours, not in one sleepless night, but in two whole nights, which was extremely difficult.
Timerman also talks about his hypothesis that the brains of procrastinators are different from others. He explains that procrastinators have a 'monkey' and a 'panic monster' in their brains. The 'monkey' is associated with instant gratification and the 'panic monster' is activated when there's a deadline or any form of pressure. He describes these two as characters in a system of procrastination.
He further explains that there are two types of procrastination - one with deadlines and one without. Procrastination without deadlines is more problematic as the 'panic monster' does not intervene, leading to long-term procrastination. He emphasizes that everyone procrastinates, even those who appear to be successful.
Timerman ends his talk by introducing the concept of a 'life calendar', which he uses to remind everyone of the limited time available and the importance of not procrastinating. He encourages everyone to start working on their tasks today, even if it's not today, but as soon as possible.
1. The speaker is a specialist in government and writes many articles. [Source: Document 1]
2. The speaker describes a normal student's approach to writing an article, which involves slow, steady work. [Source: Document 1]
3. The speaker contrasts this with their own approach to writing a 90-page thesis, which they had to complete in a year. [Source: Document 1]
4. The speaker describes their initial plan to write the thesis, which they later had to adjust due to the project's complexity. [Source: Document 1]
5. The speaker describes a situation where they had to write 90 pages in 72 hours due to a tight deadline. [Source: Document 1]
6. The speaker received positive feedback from the university about their thesis. [Source: Document 1]
7. The speaker writes blogs and has written about procrastination. [Source: Document 2]
8. The speaker hypothesized that the brains of procrastinators are different from other people's. [Source: Document 2]
9. The speaker found an MRI lab to scan their brain and compare it to a non-procrastinator's brain. [Source: Document 2]
10. The speaker describes the differences between the brains of procrastinators and non-procrastinators. [Source: Document 2]
11. The speaker explains that the rational decision engine in the brain allows humans to foresee the future and make long-term plans. [Source: Document 3]
12. The speaker describes a conflict between the rational decision engine and the monkey (the instant gratification mode) in the brain. [Source: Document 3]
13. The speaker describes the panic monster, a guardian angel that wakes up when a deadline is approaching. [Source: Document 3]
14. The speaker discusses the invitation to give a TED talk and their initial panic, which they eventually overcame. [Source: Document 3]
15. The speaker describes two types of procrastination: one with deadlines and one without. [Source: Document 3]
16. The speaker discusses the effects of long-term procrastination, which they believe is less visible and less talked about than short-term procrastination. [Source: Document 3]
17. The speaker concludes that all people are procrastinators, and that the key is to be aware of the world of instant gratification and start working on tasks that should start today. [Source: Document 3]