METU/SFL

DEB
TED TALK 2 Spring 2024
INTERMEDIATE GROUP
(Student’s Copy)
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator
TASK 1
Part I: After watching Part I, answer the following questions.

1. In college, how long did it take him to write his thesis?

______________________________________________________________________.
2. Was his thesis good?
______________________________________________________________________.
3. What is his job?
______________________________________________________________________.
4. Why did he write about procrastination?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
5. What is the difference between a procrastinator’s brain and a non-procrastinator’s brain?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.
Part 2: After watching Part 2, write RDM (Rational Decision-Maker), IGM (Instant Gratification
Monkey) and DP (Dark playground) and PM (Panic Monster) next to each line.

e.g., IGM a)lives entirely in the present moment

b) can see the big picture
c) can make long-term plans
d) isn’t fun because it’s completely unearned
e) can visualize the future
f) has no memory of the past
g) is filled with guilt, dread, anxiety, and self-hatred
h) only cares about what is easy and fun
i) is procrastinator’s guardian angel
j) has no knowledge of the future
k) wants us to do things that are harder and less pleasant for the sake of the big
picture
l) enjoys well-earned leisure time
m) suddenly wakes up when a deadline gets too close or when there’s a danger of a
scary consequence

1
Part 3: While watching Part 3, fill in the blanks in the table below.
Types of Examples Consequences
Procrastination
Short-term  ___________ an essay or a thesis  It ___________ for procrastinators.
procrastination  ___________ a TED talk  Its effects are ___________ to the
when there’s a short term.
deadline
Long-term  starting a career  It causes people to suffer
procrastination  seeing your ___________ ___________ and ___________.
when there is no  exercising  It may cause long-term
deadline  taking care of your ___________ ___________ and ___________.
 working on your ___________  It makes people feel like a
___________ in their own lives.
 They can’t start ___________ their
dreams.

Part 4 (12:52 - 13:48)

What does Tim Urban advice at the end of the talk?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

2
TASK 2 SPEAKING
Follow the steps below:
-Prepare to talk about each question below for about 1-2 min.
-Record your talk to listen to yourself later.
-While listening to your own performance, try to correct your mistakes and think of ways to express your
thoughts in a better way. This will help improve your speaking.
Are you a procrastinator? Look at the twelve different types of procrastinators below; do you fall in into
any of these?
1. The Cleaner “Before I can start, I need to do some laundry. Then, I have to sort
my sock drawer, organize my music collection and clean up my
desk, so I have room to work.”
2. The Panicker “Omg. Omg.Omg. I’m Doooooooomed!!!!!”
3. The Listmaker “I shall make ....... a list!!!!”
4. The Napper “Zzzzzzzz”
5. The Sidetracker “Well I need to work on this thing that is due tomorrow, but I just
got the greatest idea for this other thing that is due next month! I’ll
work on that first!”
6. The Social Sharer “Here is a picture of me not doing work! Hehehehe!”
7. The Internet “LOL. This video of a cat swimming in a pool of spaghetti is such a
Researcher crucial part of my research.”
8. The Snacker “Just need a little snack....”
9. The Gamer “Hold on! I’ll get to work after I take care of some things in my
town. I just need to finish arranging some furniture, catch a bug,
pull the weeds, and water my flowers!”
10. The Watcher “Right after this episode...!
11. The Delegator “Ok, team! Let’s split the work in half. One of you takes one half and
the other takes the other half!”
12. The Perpetuator “Well, I was going to start 30 minutes ago, but now it’s getting a
little late... so I’ll just have to start on it tomorrow!”

 What do you generally procrastinate on?

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 How can people stop procrastinating?
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