Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Finishing Tuesday, 1:20am Wed. Lark

I made good progress today, but the client from hell just about got to me. Fortunately, I'm about a third to half way through this project, and I'll be rid of this person. As for the rest of my tasks, I'm rather satisfied. Thanks for everyone's support today. It REALLY helped get me through it.

oops

duplicate

toom CI - Tuesday

I didn't get one thing on my list accomplished yesterday - didn't think I would as soon as I wrote it down -

I must get a campaign treasurer report at least started today - it is due tomorrow - and tomorrow will come.

I will check in later today - I hope with better news.

:(

Isa CI 2:13 pm

Well, morning went by ok. I had a bit of hesitation (more like an anxiety attack) before the last project but was finally able to pull thru. For this afternoon my to do list includes:

Dropping returns at P.O. (10 mins)
Doing exercise (1 hour)
Practice P (45 mins)
Fill out P (45 mins to 1 hour)

All right...here go...see ya later...
Hope everyone is hanging in there.

WDV's CI 3:19 pm

A bad startup today. I had scheduled today for writing my report, but this morning I had a work-meeting, so I started late. Now I'm just staring at my screen. I can't get myself to start, because I feel down. Or maybe it's the other way around... anyway, it's a classic case of procrastination. Probably classifiable as not being able to oversee the task.

I feel like giving today up. I have one day left before I have to submit my draft to my professor. Last week I did quite a lot on that last day, and I'm tempted to rely on that 'last-minute pressure'. Which is nonsense, because I know that if I stop now and put this off till tomorrow, I'll feel exactly the same then, except I'd use the time pressure to force myself into writing. It's not a constructive way of organising work.

So, I'm going to take 15 minutes now to remotivate myself and think about what I'm doing here and why.

how's the paper going wdv?

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Paper not well..

I tried to motivate myself, but I figured that it wasn't the writing I dreaded, but I just felt bad. I gave up and went home.

I know the key is not to make good resolutions, but to get yourself back on track everytime you err. Today, I really don't feel like writing. Question is, is that something different from the usual procrastinatory dread for writing.

Am I making excuses? I don't know for sure. But in my personal experience I've found that it's often better to accept the inability to produce and do something that clears the mind, and makes me feel good. So not the habitual hanging around, but actively undertaking actions that get me back to feeling good about myself and my life. Usually, after that I feel like working again.

Important distinction here should be made here between the habitual actions like playing a computer gave, watching TV or eating junk food, and really indulge myself with something that raises my self-esteem. Things like taking a walk in the park (I've found that spending time outside in nature is important for me), cooking a proper meal, or buying something that helps to organise some part of my life ( I recently went to Ikea and bought a food container to keep leftovers. It was something I procrastinated doing for a long time, so it made me feel good I did something about it. It was strangely thrilling to have bought that container :D).

When I've indulged myself - deliberatly, not just by letting it happen - , I can feel that I take care of myself and my inner self relaxes, knowing I won't force myself too far.

Dunno if anybody can relate, but this is what I've found out for myself...

I can relate wdv

It seemed counter-intuitive to me, but I find that I get a lot more done if I "allow" myself to take planned breaks.  I always felt that I couldn't take a break until all the work was done, and of course it never got done, so I felt double guilty when I did something fun and relaxing.  But I'm learning to give myself a break (literally!)

Jo  

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Isa 930 am CI

Good morning everybody.

Yesterday was a good day. Hopefully today works out as well...

Morning to do list...

Work on Project I (1h)
Work on presentation (1h)
Fill out return labels (30 mins)
Enter P data (1h)

yay isa

i'm hoping today will be good for you too!

Journey 9:15

Good morning everyone!

I've been to the gym and read my email. I'm feeling really nervous/anxious this morning - for no reason. I don't have an especially difficult day or anything. I'm going to try to "chillax" as someone recommended the other day.

Journey

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 11

Haven't gotten much done yet, been feeling too restless and nervous to concentrate.  But I walked around a bit and did a couple of mindless tasks and now I'm ok.   Don't know what that was all about. 

 Anyway, I have made my todo list and set my MITs for the day.  I'll work on OPM for a couple of hours, then have lunch. 

Journey  

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 4:30

Still working on OPM, and it's going well, so I'm going to continue for another hour then go home.  I should be finished setting up the first configuration thingy by then.  Tomorrow I'll pick up the small tasks that I had planned for this afternoon, and then pick up OPM again after I get some examples/advice that I've requested from the vendor.

Tonight - I need to stop and pick up a replacement for my gas cap - that I lost because I was in a hurry to get gas and the "pay at the pump" thing was broken, so I drove off in a huff, squealing tires and shooting birds.  I'm just kidding about the squealing tires and shooting birds, but I did drive off in an annoyed state and left my gas cap behind. 

Also, pick up dinner, spend 1/2 hour on dishes and laundry, and get to bed early.  Wednesday is double header day at the gym, so I need to get plenty of rest.

 Journey 

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

pro's CI - 9:15am (morning in the chatbox...)

I woke up with a migraine around 4am and couldn't go back to sleep. I've been reading. Now I need to leave for work. (I guess I should get dressed first.)

Heading to the chatbox...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

Lark at 9:12am, dreading today

Hi everyone. I'd been putting off a very distasteful task for an equally "uncomfortable" client for months. I scheduled part of it for today because I just need to take care of it. Things haven't gotten better by putting this off, folks. Neither has the client, but that's a whole "nuther" story... Please send positive thoughts my way.
Today
(X)mrning things
extra spiritual time
sort laundry
start weed eater
deal with dreaded task and client
call friend about appointment
check in mid-day

Lots of hugs and empathy, Lark :)

I'm going through something very similar :* Feelin' yer pain ;-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Good luck Lark! I am sending

Good luck Lark! I am sending positive vibes your way!

putting things off

> Things haven't gotten better by putting this off, folks

lol, lark. who wudda thunk it!?

You think we'd have learned that lesson by now :) :)

GOOD luck with the BAD client today Lark!

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

c ci 8:50pm

things going well. already on my MIT. some dread, but it's worked thru.

i've recovered from my wasted saturday. Which is nice to know--to notice and be aware of the recovery, not just the failure.

thanks wdv

it's good to see you on the site.

yeah, i can feel it. Most of my life, i would recover from a bad day and not count it. But it does count. It helps me know that bad days happen, and i can recover from them.

Good!

Becoming aware of recoveries and things that do go well is just as important as becoming aware of the problem and dificulties!

If you keep that up, you will find that you will trust that there will be a reward for doing a task, and thus won't dread it.

kromer 7:05 CI

For this morning, I need to do the things I didn't finish last night:

*Email about Harambee, quickly read over curriculum
*Look for cell cycle datasets: make a list of 5 potentials, email to PF
*Catch up on Spanish HW (do the exercise I forgot about...)
*Try 2nd estrogen receptor dataset

kromer 12:15 CI

I'm stalling out today, even though there's lots of stuff I need to get done.

I think it's mostly because I'm exhausted...oh well, starting Thursday night deadline pressure will be less and I can catch up on sleep.

I need to:
*Start calcs on 2nd estrogen receptor dataset
UPDATE 1:10 Done (very late)
*Look at results for 1st estrogen receptor dataset
UPDATE 1:25 Did a first pass, if I decide to use this dataset in my thesis I'll have to go back to this and format nicely
*Look for cell cycle datasets
UPDATE 1:45 Done
*Email PF
*Revise figures for bio paper
*Print biochem papers/lect. notes
UPDATE 2:25 Done
*Make new figure for bio methods section

Each of these tasks is small and do-able, it's just a question of focusing. To keep myself motivated, I'll try to keep myself at less than 30 min/task, and update after each task is completed. I'll reply when all of these are done.

My reward for finishing all of these is to watch a film for Spanish class--a nice way to relax!

kromer 8:45 CI

I've done OK, but not great. I've done the things marked above, and actually think the figure stuff can be postponed. I also had a long postponed meeting with PK (which went for 2.5 hrs, ugh), watched most of the Spanish film, and went to bible study.

The really urgent thing for today is to get final test data for my thesis, so I need to look at results from the mutant ER dataset (Done), get data for the cell cycle data set(Done), and run my algorithm on that. Then I need to go home and write for an hour. Ideally I'd also like to re-write my notes from the mtg with PK, as my handwriting got a bit messy after the first hour... And if I'm amazingly productive I'll read over my biochem papers as well. I'll plan on emailing/talking with PF tomorrow.

Edge's CI - 12:50PM

Heya :-) New day, new energy :-)

What I would like to do today:
- morning med 1
- morning med 2
- kitty litter
- call British Council about location and map
- call ar teacher and ask about next class
- Call H and postpone today's meeting for tax
- call Ice and ask about web content
- check web designer rates and set budget
- check and document yesterday's work notes
- 4:30pm outing with Dina - call and check with her
- Ar paper 1
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates
- evening med 1
- evening med 2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's CI - 1:28PM

What I did today:
x morning med 1
x morning med 2
x kitty litter
x call British Council about location and map
x call ar teacher and ask about next class

What I would like to do today:
- check and document yesterday's work notes
- Ar paper 1
- 2:30pm call H and postpone today's meeting for tax
- 3:00pm call Ice and ask about web content
- 3:15pm check web designer rates and set budget
- 4:30pm outing with Dina - call and check with her
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates
- evening med 1
- evening med 2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's CI - 2:10PM

What I did today:
x morning med 1
x morning med 2
x kitty litter
x call British Council about location and map
x call ar teacher and ask about next class
x call Ice and ask about web content

What I would like to do today:
- check and document yesterday's work notes
- 3:15pm check web designer rates and set budget
- 2:30pm call H and postpone today's meeting for tax
- Ar paper 1
- 4:30pm outing with Dina - call and check with her
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates
- evening med 1
- evening med 2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's CI - 2:30PM

What I did today:
x morning med 1
x morning med 2
x kitty litter
x call British Council about location and map
x call ar teacher and ask about next class
x call Ice and ask about web content
x check and document yesterday's work notes
x 2:30pm call H and postpone today's meeting for tax

What I would like to do today:
- 3:15pm check web designer rates and set budget
- Ar paper 1
- 4:30pm outing with Dina - call and check with her
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates
- evening med 1
- evening med 2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's CI - 5:55PM

Back from meeting my friend. Looks like I can postpone my ar paper for another few days because class has been pushed back. Going to focus on my business studies and the work project for the rest of the day.

What I did today:
x morning med 1
x morning med 2
x kitty litter
x call British Council about location and map
x call ar teacher and ask about next class
x call Ice and ask about web content
x check and document yesterday's work notes
x 2:30pm call H and postpone today's meeting for tax
x 4:00pm outing with Dina - call and check with her

What I would like to do today:
- 3:15pm check web designer rates and set budget
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates
- evening med 1
- evening med 2

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's Closing CI

What I did today:
x morning med 1
x morning med 2
x kitty litter
x call British Council about location and map
x call ar teacher and ask about next class
x call Ice and ask about web content
x check and document yesterday's work notes
x 2:30pm call H and postpone today's meeting for tax
x 4:00pm outing with Dina - call and check with her
x evening med 1
x evening med 2

Left undone:
- check web designer rates and set budget (needs more time)
- business chapter
- finish newsletter template
- finish NL intro paragraph
- finalize candidates

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Recycler CI 5:25am EST

Hi!

Today is Primary Voting where I live, so I won't go to the gym first today, lol! I will wait until 6:25am before leaving the house, because the polls don't open until 6:30am. So I will putter around here for a while before heading out.

Today: straighten lower level, pack gym bags for rest of week, clean off/distribute from the front stairs, vote, gym, work, pick MIT for during lunch, work, print budget, support group tonight, CI later :)

Have a great day, everyone! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

Recycler CI 9:35pm EST

Hi!

Thanks, Edge! The voting went ok :)

Today: straightened lower level, packed gym bags, tidied several things from stairs, voted, had "victory breakfast" lol, work, got a lot of things done at work, had meeting with 2 demanding members, continued with work projects in afternoon, bought gift, set up room for support group. That's it for tonight :)

Have a great night, everyone! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

Happy voting, Recycler! ~ ~

Happy voting, Recycler! :grin:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson