Ideas worth spreading

Inside the mind of a master procrastinator

67,202,122 views | Tim Urban • TED2016

Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window -- and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.

Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window -- and encourages us to think harder about what we're really procrastinating on, before we run out of time.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

If you liked this talk, try the Wait But Why email list. Tim describes it as follows: "It's very un-annoying — I just email you each new post I write, but I only write 1-3 posts a month, so I won't be up in your grill, I promise."

About the speaker

Tim Urban

Writer, illustrator

See speaker profile

With Wait But Why, Tim Urban demonstrates that complex and long-form writing can stand out in an online wilderness choked with listicles and clickbait.

Adam Grant | Viking, 2016 | Book

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A brilliant book about what it takes to be an original, including why my crippling procrastination problems might actually be beneficial!

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Barking Up the Wrong Tree

This is one of my favorite blogs — it includes a wealth of science-based wisdom for the world's procrastinators.

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Another favorite blog of mine. Always interesting and inspiring.

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Seth Godin's blog

I've been subscribed to this for five years, and the short daily post has become the wise man on the hill in my life.

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Why Procrastinators Procrastinate

My talk is based on Why Procrastinators Procrastinate, a post I wrote on my blog, Wait But Why. That post is the first in a three-part series on procrastination, most of which I didn't have time to get to in the talk.

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The life calendar comes from another Wait But Why post, Your Life in Weeks.

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Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think

This is a Wait But Why post that introduces a whole other animal that often ruins our lives: Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

If you liked this talk, try the Wait But Why email list. Tim describes it as follows: "It's very un-annoying — I just email you each new post I write, but I only write 1-3 posts a month, so I won't be up in your grill, I promise."