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, June 24, 2008


~* You've got no where to grow, but Up! *~

Tonight's Goals

I'm really having a hard time visualizing myself doing things. (Blocked) Or focusing on which things I want to accomplish. Or heck, what's important to me. I drag along a gigantic bag (or bags) wherever I go. They're full of TO DO's and NOTHING gets done. The day floats away. And I feel overwhelmed going into the next day. Argh!

So, here;s what I'm taking care of tonight:
1) Going by a restaurant that hasn't sent a party contract
2) Bathing my dogs
3) Ironing my clothes and putting them away
4) cleaning out my purse and bookbag
5) making a list of priorities to take care of tomorrow

Lucy

Recycler CI 9pm EST

Hi!

Wow, great Flower Photo!!! Thanks, Grail! :)

Today: walk, stretching, work, did errand at lunchtime, progressed on newsletter project, walked home, did photo for doll board, volunteer group tonight, surfed web.

Next: brush teeth (floss?), go to bed on time ;)

Have a great night, everyone! :)

Recycler

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

R checking in

Missed everybody yesterday - intense meetings and travel all day - used up laptop and pda batteries and couldn't find a plug at the airport so just really enjoyed the down time. Slept on the plane, then an hour-long drive home at almost midnight. 

Slept in this morning on purpose. 11th-Stepped a to-do list but didn't really "feel" I was hearing from my Higher Power, unsure about what I should really do first etc. Had real trouble getting started on the day. A sponsee called (45 minutes). I planned meals (20 minutes), walked the dog (20 minutes), bathed him and me (30 minutes), made breakfast and lunch (1.5 hours), visited Husband (30 minutes), checked emails and responded to the disaster-related ones.

Next up: I am going to pray, review and prioritize my list, and go to Chat for talking myself through whatever is first/next.

kromer 9:25 CI

Last night, I went to bed right after my last check-in, without getting all my tasks done.

This morning, I so far have organized my lab papers, skimmed one U87 paper, and donated blood.

I have a meeting with 2 of my lab mates at 10, and another meeting with my advisor at 3:30.  

I'm going to spend the next 30 min gathering my thoughts for the 10am meeting...I mainly want to learn from my lab mates, but I want to make sure to go into the meeting with a clear agenda. Then I'll have the meeting, which should take about 30 min, and take notes afterwards on exactly what was discussed.

Then, I'll spend the time until 3:30 preparing for the meeting with my advisor. I've done a lot of work over the past few days, but it's somewhat scattered. So I'm going to make a written summary of what I've done, questions I have, and where I think I should go next. I'd also like to spend an hour carefully going through a couple papers that use the TF/DNA assay, so I can evaluate how well it works.

After the meeting, I'll take notes on what was discussed and make a plan for what I want to accomplish the rest of the week, then leave work around 5 to go to the grocery store.  

kromer 11:15 CI

Prepped for and attended meeting. It went quite long (just got back). Now I'm going to write up notes on what was discussed, and update here when I'm done. Then I'll start writing a report for my mtg with my advisor this afternoon.

 Update 12:30--took notes on mtg, and had lunch. Now I need to write up a report on what I've done this week. (This isn't to give to anyone, it's just a tool for myself to gather my thoughts/make sure I have fairly developed ideas to present to my advisor). I'll spend about 1.5 hours on this. Then I can devote the rest of the time before the meeting to looking over papers. 

kromer 3:55 CI

I need to take notes on what was discussed at the meeting, and make a plan for what I want to accomplish the rest of the week.

kromer 6:35 meeting disaster

Starting taking notes on the meeting and realized that my advisor had essentially asked me to switch to a new project for my last seven weeks of work, from one I'd been working on for 6 months+ and where I thought (and he said) I was making good progress. Funny how those things don't hit you until after a meeting :rolleyes:

This has made me quite upset, and I'm not at all sure what to do. I left work early and went grocery shopping to calm myself down. When I got home, I called A and my brother for advice, which helped some, and left a message for my parents. I'm hoping they'll be able to take a while and talk it through with me to help figure out what to do.

Here's a plan for taking back control of the evening:
*Have a healthy dinner (done)
*Clean up my room--there's enough chaos in my head, doesn't need to be in my surroundings too!
**Tidy/make bed
**Clean up desk supplies
**Organize lab papers for the day
*Deep breath, then force myself to go back and finish taking notes from the meeting. If I don't remember what was said, I won't be able to figure out what to do
*Figure out a schedule for non-academic stuff I want to get done this week (I can at least get my non-work life in order!)
*When my parents call, talk through what to do about work situation. If I need to, write out a list of options with pros and cons. With either my parents, a sympathetic friend, or my tape recorder, practice what I want to say to my advisor
*Pray/read Bible
*Go to bed by midnight at the latest

 

kromer 8:50 CI

I made some progress cleaning up my room. Then I talked with my parents, and figured out what to do about work situation. Tonight I'm going to draft an email to my advisor and send it to my parents for feedback (I know this is ridiculous but I need a little hand-holding on this). I'll send the email to him first thing tomorrow morning.  I'm also going to finish taking notes from the meeting and organize lab papers for the day. That's all the work stuff I'll try get done today.

I'll also try to finish the rest of the stuff on my above list, but that's less urgent.

I'll start by drafting the email. I've put on some calm music and gotten out my timer and will work in 3-min increments, checking in frequently in the chatbox. Back here when it's done.  

kromer 10:45 CI

OK, going *very* slowly here, but I got the draft email written and sent to my parents, and then called home to let them know it was sent. Now I'm going to take a break from work-related tasks (since they are very scary tonight!), and instead finish putting stuff in my desk. Back when that's done.

kromer 11:15 CI

Done putting stuff in desk. Now, deep breath and back to work tasks. I'm going to put on some music and take notes from today's meeting. Then I'll sort work papers. Back when those are done.

kromer 11: 35 CI

Done with both the above. 

Now I'm going to take a shower, read Bible and pray, and hopefully talk to my parents about email revisions (if they call me back), otherwise make list of non-academic tasks needing to get done this week.  

kromer hang in there

I think you did a great job in taking care of yourself today. I  find it so difficult to deal with the unexpected upheavals of life - until I remember to remember the 12 steps, ask for help, pray, work on the small stuff, and speak my truth. I ask for editorial help on any email or letter that I write that I feel emotional about because I find my words often don't sound the same as they are intended. It is great that you have such a supportive family that you feel good about asking them for help!

hugs, e 

Re: kromer

I'm agreeing with the others.

It sounds like you have a really good, proactive plan, and getting feedback from others is really sensible. I hope everything works out, but most of all, it sounds like you're dealing with everything really sensibly.

I'm really impressed whenever I see your lists with the way you *do* actually get most of everything done, so congratulations. ;) 

hugs! good luck with everything!!!

Hi Kromer!

Good luck with everything!!!

Recycler

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

Ditto on the hugs & luck

Hi Kromer,

Wow, good for you for handling the situation so proactively!  Sounds likek you did great at taking control -- and there's nothing silly about getting advice from people you trust!

Hope it all works out well,  

Falcon

thanks so much guys!

I can't tell you how helpful the encouragement is.

Journey 7:30

I'm off work today.  Although I'm tired from working the weekend, I don't want to waste this day doing useless stuff.  I have a mini-pile going here that I want to get rid of today, and I have a mountain of laundry.  I also have some phone calls to make and a couple of minor financial things to take care of.   I can easily get caught in doing housework and playing around on the computer, and just never "get around to" the paperwork when I'm home.  

I'm going to give myself half an hour to drink coffee and goof around on the computer, then set my MITs for the day, allowing planned guilt-free time for rest and relaxation which is also needed.   

"The sooner you get behind, the longer you have to catch up." - Steven Wright

e's tuesday

Good morning (or evening to Grail)! Great thread starter, Grail, it was a wonderful present to come in to!

Today is get things done day, and I feel motivated to do it. Both children are done with school, the elder graduated from high school yesterday, the younger from 8th grade, so I am patting myself on the back for getting one baked, the other half-baked.  A lot of old emotional stuff around my own adolescence keeps coming up: my mother would be grinning and thinking it was karma to inherit rebellious adolescents like me).  What you sow, shall you reap, I guess. 

Today, the order of the day is pack my bedroom, and sort through paperwork. The pile has to be gone through and shipped overseas, so I am having some avoidance issues which I want to claim here. I don't feel good about packing up a practicum I have done next to nothing on in two years. It raises all sorts of shameful feelings for me around being irresponsible. The other stuff, I think is not so bad, and I feel able to deal with, surprisingly. We will see: I have to go through it all and pack it up, decide whether to ship it or bring it with me. 

I also need to finish writing a letter to my tenants, find an apartment and a job. All three feel daunting, so I will chatbox today.

Watering myself so I can GROW UP! 

 

e's getthing things done!

"my mother would be grinning and thinking it was karma to inherit rebellious adolescents like me"

Ha! My grandson is only 2 but I can tell already that he's going to be just like his dad! They took him camping a couple of weeks ago and he was determined to get into the  river. My son said "He'll just keep on and on trying to do what he wants to do. I must have told him no a thousand times, and he'll just wait until I'm distracted and go right back there!" I was grinning and thinking it was karma lol.

Congrats on handling this huge project of moving so well! You even seem to be enjoying it! *\o/*

Jo

 

"The sooner you get behind, the longer you have to catch up." - Steven Wright

not really

Not as much as I intended, but other things got done, so its all good. However, I have a headache today that won't go away, so I napped, and slopped around this afternoon. I feel like I will pack the remainder of the stuff I need to do tomorrow, or at least that is what I plan on. one microburst at a time.

 Thanks for the encouraging words, Jo. I guess if my mom could put up with me, I can put up with my children!

Grail - 9am CI, Tues

* First checkin prompt Done

* Three short units and formatting Done

* Evaluate to-do for project sb

Grail - CO for Tues

Accomplishments:
While I didn't really catch up with project sb, I did keep up, and I'm satisfied with that.
Got home, and made some progress with general house cleaning - preparation for 7 months late housewarming! :rolleyes:
Got part of garage cleared out and swept, then a couch moved from lounge to garage, one bookcase moved, and part of laundry room cleared out.
Worried that I didn't have enough garbage bags to throw out the rubbish I was collecting, then realised it had been rubbish collection that morning, not the next morning. Ah well, I'll be ready for next week then.
Actually quite pleased with what got done for flat cleaning.
But, in my room, saw the big pile of clothing strewn... everywhere and couldn't face it. !
And yet I *know* that if I just put it away, my room will look so much better, and that I'll actually save time versus the rummaging around in the morning just trying to find trousers. *sigh*
Side idea/thought I've had: the side of the room I can see from my bed is nice - I've 'decorated' it, things are placed nicely.
The side I can't see? Ugly. Even if tidy it would be boring.
Potential solution: Move the bed. I'll start seeing that side of the room more, and get ideas to improve it.

sportsfan - checking in

Hi Group, checking in.....I was reading the piece about whatever you are doing you think in your mind you should be doing something else kind of thing, or what you are mising out on, I definitely have that.   Even as I write this, i am thinking well I am kind of having some self doubts as to whether by writing this out, that I am wasting time, and that maybe I would be more productive flying around like a chicken with it's head cut off.   I do seem to enjoy chaos, but really the false feeling of enjoyment that I get out of that chaos is really just that, false.   The energy you obtain from having things in order, and getting things done, and being on time, etc...is a much better energy, and sense of serenity.   I grew up in chaos, and I do pretty good in it, but I don't need to manufacture it, if it comes up in my life such as at work well, then I can kick it into gear, but I don't want to go looking for it.   I am good in a crisis, and that is pure adrenaline.   So anyway, here is my check in for today....

 I need to rent a storage unit, and continue to clean my apartment, but really the most important thing today is do my exercise about 15 minutes, shower, shave, have some breakfast and get out as soon as I can...because my apartment becomes like a trap for me.  More and more time goes by, and I seem to not be able to get out.....so that is a form of procrastinating in and of itself.   I have my son's soccer practice tonight, that starts at 5:45, so I need to pick him up at the YMCA at 5:00, so which means I need to leave my work at 4:45.   Oh, I want to print out this tball deal that I said I woiuld print out for a friend and she will be at his soccer practice tonight.   My work printer for some reason won't print it, so I need to do it here at home.   Tonight, get done with all of my paper stuff, complete that.  Get two more boxes from work.  Record my expenses for my checking account, check my minutes on my cell phone, and look into paying my car insurance.    All for now.   Thanks everybody, have a good day. 

status of my check in

Hello group,

I am checking in, it is 9:08 CST, and I did get some things done, I looked into the storage units, and there are some good deals like the first month for $1, and one actually included a uhaul truck with it.   I already have a uhaul truck rented, well kind of - due to my procrastination I didn't actually call and book it yet, I ordered it but to make it official you have to call the local store and line it up with them.   So, it is in there system but I haven't called yet and made it official, I think I received their notice to call them yesterday morning, so maybe that really isn't procrastination after all.   I mean everything isn't procrastination.   :)  I set up my mediation appointment with my ex wife, she wants to make some changes to our parenting plan, so I got that done.  She told me that a week is enough time to get back from e email to her, and that she was going to bring it up in the mediation.  Well, now mediation is non-binding from what I know, so I don't know what good that would do actually.  Actually in her first email she sent me it sent July 27th for the mediation, and it turns it that it really was June 27th, so she was freaking out because she thought it was this Friday, and actually it was and I saw her error, but just let it go.   So, I don't know if that is very nice, but sometimes I think you have to let people sit in their stew, she is always doing that getting dates mixed up, losing things for my son's various activities, and thank God I am no longer part of that craziness.  Now, I can lose things on my own.  :)  But seriously, it does make it easier to see what is my stuff and what is hers.  At some point I will probably want to help her with those things but just not there right now.  I did get two more boxes from work, and did record my expenses, and determined that I don't have enough money to pay my car insurance will wait till Friday.  My son stayed home today, so didn't go to his soccer game which allowed me to make up some time at work.  I did print off what I wanted to print off.  I still need to finish the paper stuff.

Well, today is Tuesday, and I have till next Monday to get all of my stuff out of here, and do a showing at 10:00 on Monday, and they are going to have some kind of preshowing on Thursday to kind of take a look at the carpeting, etc...to see what needs to be replaced, painted etc.   So I want to have it half way decent when they come on Thursday.  I have a Uhaul lined up, but today I noticed in looking for a storage unit that one particular place includes a free uhaul truck with the storage room, so that is kind of cool, I could cut some costs that way.  I am trying to figure out how large of a storage area I would need though, my apartment is 850 square feet or something like that.  And this bedroom I will be moving into is just that a bedroom, not a apartment.  So I will be storing the furniture, and bringing as little as possible, like a bed, dresser, minimal amount of clothes - maybe not even the tv...so I guess I just don't know what 10' by 10' be large enough?  Well, I guess 10' x 10' would be 100 square feet.  So all of my stuff piled together would it be 100 square feet.  Probably..so once again my goal tonight is to finish the paper beast, and get a good nights sleep.  Brush my teeth, do a little reading of the Bible, get my clothes out for tomorrow and go from there.   I set mymediation appointment for my ex and I to work out some issues in our current parenting plan.   Ok, all for now. 

Oh, it seems like by doing my checkins it is making me more clear, I am faster at work, not getting caught up in my head, in fog so much, and that is awesome, I think it is because I am getting it out on here.  And the interesting thing too is that by writing in here, I actually remember it, and am able to get my thoughts together better.  So that is cool.   

 

lol sportsfan

'maybe I would be more productive flying around like a chicken with it's head cut off.'

Seriously, it seems to take me a long time to get my thoughts together and organize myself - sometimes that does feel like a waste of time especially if I am busy - but I know from experience that it's the best thing to do.  If, of course, I don't get bogged down in fiddling with my systems, instead of doing actual planning.  I can spend all day thinking about doing stuff and never actually getting around to doing it :).  

Jo  

 

 

"The sooner you get behind, the longer you have to catch up." - Steven Wright

reply to Jo

Hi Jo,

Yes, I can get into that too, spending the whole day thinking about stuff and not getting anything done.  I do think that this is the first step though, is realizing we have a problem and it is unmanageable and handing it over to God.   But, I have found that often I just don't know where to start, and by getting it out of my head like this really cleans up some of that chatter concerning where to start, and what to start with first, etc...gets cleaned up.   Sometimes, I just pick something and jump in - you know this stuff wasn't ever taught to us growing up, at least not myself.   My mom used to say I was a procrastinator though as a kid, but gosh mom what is a kid supposed to do with that knowledge?  I mean if that was the case, well why didn't you teach me how to not be one anymore?  So anyway - I do find that in the morning, that the faster I get out of bed, and get going for the day, shower, shave, my exercise, etc...the easier it is to get going, and the more time that goes by the worse that I feel.  I start to get into beating myself up with shame and self condemnation, I have gotten a lot better in that area, to no matter what even if I am late, or whatever, to just not medicate it with shame or self condemnation because that leads to more stuff like anger which then leads to rage and blaming others, etc...it just becomes a viscious cycle, and somewhere it has to stop.   And I think it all begins with going to bed at a decent time, getting a good night sleep, having things ready for the morning, so don't have to think too much in the morning, just hit the ground running.  I probably shouldn't even get on the computer, because it is a major trap, I check my emails, and then something on the browser catches my eye, and then I check my dating sites, and if anybody is interested I have to go check them out, and email them or whatever the case may be.  I do get caught up a lot as a single man in relationships.   Which are a major form of getting sidetracked, I mean good relationships add a lot to one's life, but if it is a person that is playing games, and what not,  well that is a lot of energy not well spent...so I am getting better in that area, in fact I think until I get my life in order, I might just put dating on hold too.  Because well, let's face it, I would prefer to have these things worked out before getting into a relationship rather than having to work on it while being with that person, it can be hard on that other person.   So anyway, that is my story for today. 

 

 

 

sportsfan

Thank you for your candor: your sharing your story helps me to see where my spouse and I get caught up in each other's idiosynchrasies. There is a wonderfully ridiculous website that addresses the issue of procrastination on housework and organization called www.flylady.com. While it is clearly written for women, she has set up a good system of babysteps towards organzing life. One of the first things she suggests is that you get dressed to your tied up shoes in the morning and I find that one the few days I am willing to do that first thing I am ready to go.

PS. my spouse and I 'seperated' this past year and found that by having seperate bedrooms we were better able to cope with each other's mess. Even though we are back together now, we have decided to keep the seperate bedrooms because we don't get upset with each other so much. Also, we sleep better - both of us snore, lol!