Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator | Tim Urban | TED
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a funny, empathetic take on procrastination and the origin of the life calendar concept.
What it is
Tim Urban's TED talk on why people procrastinate, covering YouTube binges and Wikipedia rabbit holes. It ends with the life-calendar idea as a nudge to act before time runs out.
Recommended by 5 HN commenters across 5 different months, 2016 to 2023.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec akhayam · 2023-05 · on “Taxonomy of Procrastination”
Nicely written. Before taxonomies and remediation, I would watch Tim Urban's absolutely legendary TedX talk that humanizes procrastination--despite all its ills--and how to empathize with procrastinators (inside and around you): [this video]
Recommends nu2ycombinator · 2016-06 · on “Imagine yourself starting, not finishing”
On similar topic, following video is very informational and entertaining. Especially last part the life calendar. Sometimes this life calendar motivates me procrastinate the procrastination :) [this video] .
Recommends foxhop · 2017-09 · on “Ask HN: How to be curious about last uninteresting 20% of a task?”
[this video] Watch this video. It sometimes helps me. I've become a worst procrastinator as I have grown and have more and more responsibility. I like to get things done.
Recommends uppsalax · 2021-01 · on “The Reason We Procrastinate and How to Stop”
Thank you for sharing, procrastination is something very addictive. A way to deal with it is fundamental. I'd like to share with you a TEDx Talk a professor of mine shown us along a Behavioural Psychology course: [this video]
Recommends awb · 2022-01 · on “Effortless personal productivity (or how I learned to love my monkey mind)”
In the same vein, here’s a fun illustrated guide to procrastination (and fixing it) by Tim Urban: [LINK] And accompanying TED Talk: [this video]
Recommends awb · 2022-01 · on “A simple math equation can transform your productivity”
For those that aren’t resonating with this take on productivity (and procrastination), check out Tim Urban. Illustrated guide: [LINK] And accompanying TED Talk: [this video]
Cites bloqs · 2022-01 · on “Show HN: Life calendar – use the concept of Memento mori to embrace every week”
Might be useful for some readers. I originally saw the life calendar concept in Tim Urbans excellent TED talk about procrastination a few years back. I couldnt find one on his site so I simply used the ASCII square character on Word and printed out a box for every week from birth until I am 85. I decided I wanted the weeks bigger so I deleted the already passed weeks, and changed the end date to proposed retirement at 65. It's not fun. I've lost the file but easy enough The talk [this video]
Critical cttet · 2022-01 · on “Procrastinatory Doom Loops”
I share the same problem for a very long time and the situation gets worse as I grow up. But recently at least I have more understanding of my problem on this. The most important thing I want to share with you is that: Not most of things online are not useful to people like me, because the people are different. A lot of advices can be misleading too.( [this video] ) this one especially. Because for different people, the procrastination experience is very different. If you have the same issue as me, the core problem is not actually about planning and decision making. It is about my ability to do things. It's a long essay but I will put the essence here: To some of the people (about half the popula