Tim Urban was a government major who often procrastinated on writing papers, despite always planning to work steadily. Instead of pacing himself, he would do nothing for weeks and then cram everything at the last minute, once even writing a 90–page thesis in 72 hours.
Although he joked about the thesis being praised, it was actually terrible. This pattern led him to explore procrastination on his blog Wait But Why, where he explained how procrastinators‘ brains differ due to the presence of an “Instant Gratification Monkey” that hijacks decisions meant for productivity. While non–procrastinators operate mostly with a Rational Decision–Maker, procrastinators are often derailed by the Monkey, who seeks only fun and ease, leading them into the “Dark Playground,” a place of guilt–filled unearned leisure. The only thing that can scare the Monkey away is the “Panic Monster,” who appears when deadlines loom, finally giving control back to the Rational Decision–Maker. However, the real problem arises with long–term goals that have no deadlines
