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.

The "Promises of Recovery" in Procrastinators Anonymous

Hello everyone!

I had some ideas for creating a document of "Promises of Recovery" for Procrastinators Anonymous.

Would love to hear your comments and ideas for phrases to add or edit ... and/or the order in which to present these ideas.

Additional phrasing could be inspired by our own experiences, strengths, and hopes.

Here is a "rough draft" of the "Promises of Procrastinators Anonymous":

  • If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.
  • Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
  • We will overcome our fears; and act with courage, integrity, and dignity.
  • We will release ourselves from worry, guilt, and regret about our past and present
  • We will move from hiding in denial to living in reality.
  • Where once we felt despair, we will experience a newfound hope.
  • That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
  • We will no longer need to rely solely on others to provide our sense of worth.
  • Healthy boundaries and limits will become easier for us to set.
  • We will realize that we are enough; we will value ourselves and our contributions.
  • We will trust the guidance we receive from our Higher Power and come to believe in our own capabilities.
  • We will be able to risk failure to develop new hidden talents.
  • Our Higher Power will now become our time manager.
  • We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
  • Though we may never be perfect, continued spiritual progress will reveal to us our enormous potential.
  • Are these extravagant promises? We think not!
    They are being fulfilled among us -- sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
    They will always materialize if we work for them.

-- Adapted from:

_
Would love to see some ideas on this ... and more contributions. If you read the 6 links I just cited, you'll see the original versions of the "Promises" from each program, and get a clearer idea of what the promises are all about.

Note: The orginal A.A. Promises were written as a part of "Step 9" (making amends) .... but these ideas continue to inspire us in many situations.

It does seem that when a person has not only overcome their addiction/compulsion, but is actively living a "transformed uplifted life" (as a result of working the Steps) .... the person begins to embody the joys described in the Promises.

-

See also the other Promises thread ... from phone meeting group

See also the other "Promises" thread, drafted by the morning phone meeting

http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/2412

Wow, lots of new contributions to Promises ...

I just scrolled down this current page here, and read lots of additions from lots of people.
Together we can do this!

fudoshin: daystarter with promises for PA : 1:08pm Nov. 22nd

A while ago I made a daystarter with some promises on it to be considered for inclusion:

http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/2216

Thank you, fudo_shin, for the contribution to the Promises!

Much appreciated.

adding some "Promises"

I have added in some promises that come from Codependents Anonymous:
http://coda.org/meetings/meeting-starter-packet.php#2

Original version from 12 promises of Codependents Anonymous:

  • I am no longer controlled by my fears. I overcome my fears and act with courage, integrity, and dignity..
  • I release myself from worry, guilt, and regret about my past and present. I am aware enough not to repeat it.
  • I no longer need to rely solely on others to provide my sense of worth.
  • I trust the guidance I receive from my Higher Power and come to believe in my own capabilities.

Adapted to fit into current P.A. format:

  • We will no longer be controlled by our fears. We will act with courage, integrity, and dignity.
  • We will release ourselves from worry, guilt, and regret about our past and present. We will be aware enough not to repeat it.
  • We will no longer need to rely solely on others to provide our sense of worth.
  • We will trust the guidance we receive from our Higher Power, and come to believe in our own capabilities.

past failure

handling failure has always been a HUGE problem for me, and i think is part of this whole constellation of phenomena that we call addictive, compulsive procrastination.

From http://www.aa-uk.org.uk/publications/Promises.htm there's this one:

We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it."

So how about

We will not dwell on past mistakes, no matter how big or frequent, rather we will look at how far we've come, and look to the future with Hope.

eh. could be better.

i know people are saying first person and positive. I'm not sure i'm on that bandwagon; maybe that's part of my problem :). But these promises are really helpful to me when my world seems entirely negative. Again, seems part of this whole thing. Relief from the negative, when i'm in a completely negative place, seems like Hope.

And as for the 'we' -- i have a deep respect for the founders of AA. They seem to speak with a deep wisdom about parts of the human psyche that i've only experienced in the Bible. i turn to them for wisdom, and they use 'we', so that's good enuf for me.

But, ya know, "take whatyou like, leave the rest" (another kernel of wisdom from AA lol :))

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the touch of the master's hand: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1898#comment-27748

"fall down seven times, get up eight" - japanese proverb

Present, affirmative and in first person... just a suggestion

 Following Radiance line of thought:

  • If I am painstaking about this phase of my development, I will be amazed before I'm halfway through.
  • My whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.
  • I no longer fear the truth; I'm moving from hiding in denial to living in reality.
  • Where once I felt despair, I now experience a newfound hope.
  • That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
  • I realize that I am enough; I value myself and my contributions.
  • I can set healthy boundaries and limits.
  • I risk failure to develop new hidden talents.
  • My Higher Power is now my time manager.
  • I will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle me.
  • Though I'll never be perfect, continued spiritual progress will reveal my enormous potential
  • Are these extravagant promises? I think not! I believe I can!

My own addition (although, of course it's not from my authoring):

  • I will not quit on me today!

Try reading them out loud... I like how it sounds, I lke the feeling it gives me that it's true and that I can!

A friend of mine also told me this phrase yesterday... It migth not be good enough as an affirmation... but I wouldn't like to loose the opportunity to share it (the translation migth be a bit wrong)

A step back, not even to gain momentum! (could also be: Don't take a step back, not even to gain momentum!)

What do you think? and please forgive my english and correct any grammatical aberration; most of all, this is just a suggestion... by all means, I'm not an expert... well, I am an expert Procrastinator, i've been doing so well at it for the last 20 years... I'm just not an expert in how to recover from it... but, I'm on the right track, on the right place, with the right people!

Just a note that you can

Just a note that you can make your promises into affirmations which could make them even more effective!

Hope you don't mind me paraphrasing you, this is just a suggestion.

Notice how you wrote your first one in present time, that is perfect, plus making them in first person and not using negatives such as "stress" or "daydreaming" the negatives take strengh from mentioning them

Something like this:

I make my appts on time effortlessly
getting tasks completion brings joy beyond understanding
orgainization comes naturally
I have more time to do more than I ever imagined
A sense of completion brings joy and peace beyond my wildest dreams
I make and keep deadlines and actions plans easyly and done effortlessly
I am focused in the moment.
I ambrace a life of structure
I am serene.
My motivations comes from a calm place.

Just an idea

Great Ideas one and all

Thanks everyone, all are great suggestions.  Radiance you are exactly right the promises should be stated in the present tense and be affirmations which is why I offered a different version which seems to have disappeared(I cant say I totally understand how the formats work). Clement I love the wording and will work on a revision-to be posted next week as ideas keep coming about life of a procrastinator after recovery.  Feel free everyone to copy and paste and post suggesting for phrases as I view this as a work in progress even though we are working from the script I posted this week,  which for some reason I can't find today.  I will repost as Procrastinators Anonymous Promises of Recovery-Phone Bridge as the use of the word pain in the first sentence of this draft left me with an energy drain, please keep the ideas coming as this draft is still a work in progress,  look forward to editing comments.

Spirit

freedom from avoidance

AA has http://www.aa-uk.org.uk/publications/Promises.htm :

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.

How about for us:

(edit: a couple more freedoms, seems like it's getting to be an unmanageably long list, but maybe that's because it really is in our lives ;)

We are going to know a new freedom from dread / grief / avoidance / escape / demand resistance and a experience a new lightness of tasks

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the touch of the master's hand: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1898#comment-27748

"fall down seven times, get up eight" - japanese proverb

Spirit

Thank you for your suggestions for the promises of recovery for procrastinatiors annonymous.  I have adapted some wording for promises for this group. 

My first observation is that the promises should always be stated in an affirmation,  nothing about pain should be stated in promises for recovery for at that point the pain of the desease is in the past, it has been overcome. These are some of the phrases I have put together for the morning phone check in.  I am trying to make the language specific to this programs recovery, such as and have come up with the following;

  • we make our appts on time effortlessly
  • we live a life free of stress from and adrenalin motivated actions
  • we take actions motivated by the peace and calm provided by planning
  • getting tasks completion will bring joy beyond understanding
  • orgainization will come naturally
  • you will have more time to do more than you ever imagined
  • sense of completion will bring joy and peace beyond our wildest dreams
  • deadlines and actions plans will be made and kept easy and done effortlessly
  • Being focused and in the moment will bring more pleasure than daydreaming
  • Living inside a structured life will no longer frighten or threaten us, rather we will live the life of our dreams bettter than anything we have ever imagined

I had started working on promises would love to work with anyone to get a great set of promises for pa.  Please give me your thoughts as we will start using promises in our morning calls this week.

Spirit

I look forward to making these promises my own

...and will start- NOW.  Thank you!  It feels great just to read themSmile

I look forward to making these promises my own

...and will start- NOW.  Thank you!  It feels great just to read themSmile

releasing need for perfectionism

"We will release the need for perfectionism, and therefore will be willing to begin imperfectly"

-- idea contributed by Clement

U like that one moving?

well maybe that's not so surprising since i adapted it from one of YOUR posts, 23 aug 2009.

he he :) :)

I like "Though we may never

I like "Though we may never be perfect, continued spiritual progress will reveal to us our enormous potential."

Movingalong, what a great idea to customize the Promises for PA!!

Input needed: "Promises of recovery from procrastination"

Looking for more input on these Promises.

Ideas? Suggestions? Additions? Amendments?

re: Our Higher Power is now our time manager.

Great job, moving! 

It's interesting how one of these statements seems to really resonate with each of us.   The above is the one that strikes me!

Jo  

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot

re: the whooshing sound

Glad you liked it Isabo!   Douglas Adams was a funny guy!  

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot

Enough

This is the line that really stopped me...

"We will realize that we are enough; we will value ourselves and our contributions"

I had to stop and reread that a few times.  I realized that I do not think I am enough.

 

As for this document - kudos to you!  I am horrible at this type work, I'm afraid that I can't really assist in any way except to say, Good Job!!

motion for signs of recovery document

Do we have a signs of recovery document for PA individuals?  I would like to know about it.  I would also like to make a motion that Signs of Chronic Procrastination be called Characteristics of Chronic Procrastinators, or some such thing, and have the "Signs of Recovery" be a separate issue.  Of course these are distinct from the promises, as initiated by movingalong.

 

Thanks.

more promise ideas

first THANKS moving. I think this is great.

I definitely relate strongly to

"I will make friends with Time"

I love that one. I think that that promise at the start of this program would have been motivating to me.

Also perhpaps something like this that addresses the dread and demand resistance

"I will accomplish/conduct the many routine tasks of life effortlessly"

or

"when i see a task needs to be done, i'll just do it"

or something like

"i will find joy in doing routine tasks, knowing that i am doing god's will."

ok i have to stop now because i'm p'cras-ing

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http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1114#comment-23050

more potential promises

How about: We will not fear the future, nor wish to shut the door on it.

As I work the PA program (practicing the 12 Steps and using the PA Tools daily), I recognize that I am actually afraid of finishing things because then the "Future" will be here and I am not ready!  Maybe I secretly believe the coffee-cup slogan someone once gave me: "God put me on this earth to accomplish certain things - and I am so far behind, I will never die."

My backlog has seriously shrunk thanks to PA, but my stomach clutched at the realization, an "oh-no" kind of feeling. What if I actually finish the backlog? What then? OMG, what then?  It is quite a dread. My compulsive procrastination whispers that if I finish, I might die.

I heard someone at a 12-Step meeting once say she struggled for years to manage Time, but after working the Steps for several years, she said, "I have made friends with Time."

I am not sure she was the same type of desperate compulsive procrastinator that I am. But I sure love the thought that someday, I might make friends with Time. It hasn't happened for me, yet, though, so I don't know if we can make it a promise. For me it's a hope, a beautiful, shining hope.

I'm responding months later but...

I love "We will not fear the future, nor wish to shut the door on it."  For me, I have the same problem with the past.  "We will not regret the past..."  Two biggies for me anyways!!

I like the idea of making friends with time too... boy, oh boy.  :)

  

 

re: more potential promises

"What if I actually finish the backlog? What then? "

Ag, you've defined something I really struggle with, but haven't been able to put into words.  I am utterly terrified of running out of things to do.  Not just things to do, but IMPORTANT things to do.  If everything I need to do is done, then I'm no longer needed.  I probably wouldn't die, but heck, I might as well.  

I read somewhere about ancient eskimo tribes, where as people became old and useless, the tribe would put them on an ice floe and let them wash out to sea. When my work is all finished, that's what is in store for me.  Now, I realize that this is an unreasonable and irrational fear, but it's there, just the same. 

 

Jo 

 

If you can’t ride two horses at once, you shouldn’t be in the circus.”  - Jimmy Maxton, Independent Labour MP for Glasgow Bridgeton

Brainstorming more "promises" ....

We can all brainstorm more ideas ....

I was thinking we could add a line saying that we've "released the need for perfectionism, and are therefore willing to begin imperfectly" ..... but I'm not sure how to word it.

Maybe that could be two separate lines.   I don't know.

I was just thinking that we could somehow mention releasing the need to be perfect ... and also... somewhere mention losing the fear of starting -- or discovering the newfound ability to "JUST START"

There are lots of the "signs of procrastination" that it would be great to affirm we will be able to overcome.

Just brainstorming ... would love to hear everyone's ideas.

As guided by the "Traditions", we could aim towards becoming "self-supporting" and "autonomous" .... so it would be great to write our own version of the Promises.

promises

how about.... 

the need (or desire) to avoid things (tasks, feelings, etc.) shall disappear

I find the concept of creating Promises to be daunting because I have not become abstinent from procrastination long enough to have experienced the effects. Am I just experiencing wishful thinking in suggesting that this obsessive root of my procrastination behavior could actually disappate long term?

I like that one; thanks, E :)

Hi E!

I like that one! Thanks! :)

Recycler

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

great ideas moving

 

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." - Douglas Adams

whooshing by

That is hilarious!!   I am putting it up as my facebook status!

And after thinking about that statement, I realized that I only like the whooshing sound when the deadline is moot - because I have already completed the task... I need to remember that feeling!