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, 8th August 2006 (FOR EVERYBODY)

Good Morning all!

I know it's still Monday for most of you but I have a BIG DAY today so wanted to start my BE.

-----------------

pro adding lovely graphic...

Note: Please everybody check in here - all the same thread. And check in by replying to this initial post - no sections for each person. Of course you can reply to a particular post if you have a comment about that particular post, but if the check-ins themselves are always replies to the thread starter, then the most recent check-in will always be on top.

I apologize for changing the check-in strategy daily (or more) for the last three days. I promise not to change it again any time soon!

never mind...

Seems I'm blind. Now I see your other check-ins.

Good Inner Parent

I really think it is crucial that I talk to myself lovingly. When my Inner Parent talks to me just like my father did, my demand resistance and depression skyrocket. And I think I actually self-sabotage as a passive-aggressive way of getting even with that bullying voice.

excellent insight!

This is a great insight. I have to think about whether this is what's happening with me, too - that I'm talking to myself in my mother's voice, and causing demand resistance that way.

todayfirst CI - 11:10 AM EST

Making good progress on the program this AM. Why is it that when I plan to just work on it a pathetic little bit at a time, I often seem to get so much more done? My brain just refuses to accept that this is really better. :D Using the alarm on the phone seems to be helping keep my honest about my time too - especially the breaks! ;).

Done:
- Got to work
- CUOP
- 30 min - work on my program
- Check email
- Print docs for meeting
- 10 min meditation/stretch break
- 30 min - work on my program
- Schedule dentis appt
- 10 min meditation/stretch break
- 30 min - work on my program

Todo:
- 10 min - check-in here (now)
- 30 min - program
- Lunch
- Meeting (PM)

Because you're addicted to time-binging?

Maybe that's why your brain refuses to believe it? I know my brain refuses to believe I can work in little spurts. But I find that it goes better when I do. Great progress, todayfirst!

probably time-binging

Probably, that's part of it. I was thinking about this for a while... this sounds silly but maybe its also part of this fantasy image I have of how an ideal programmer would work. I have this idea in my mind that I want to be some sort of super talented and dedicated kick butt ninja robot guru programmer 8) or some such silly thing and I feel like I have to work non-stop constantly to achieve this (and besides if that's what I am, then I should want to). I suppose the reality is much more ordinary than that... and I don't always want to deal with reality that much in the first place.

pro's CI - 10:55am

I am procrastinating. Instead of starting my report to the consulting client, I called Citibank and complained about how you can't download statements for their business MasterCard (they say it will be available in November) and requested a credit line increase. Then I logged into the American Express Web site and requested a credit line increase for my AmEx Blue card, which I'm going to use in place of the CitiBusiness MC until I can download statements.

Now that I'm working on my accounting backlog, I realize how ridiculous it is that I'm using the CitiBusiness MC when I have to enter each transaction manually. I'm just creating extra work for myself for no reason.

Still, that's not what I should be doing - I should be writing to my consulting client.

Now I'm feeling hungry (ho ho - the pseudo-hunger of procrastination). But still, I think I will go do my errands now, and contemplate my sins as I do them. I need to get something for lunch anyway, and to check my mailbox.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Morning Routine
  • Check email (30 minutes). (Actual time: 50 minutes. This included paying some bills and downloading statements into MS Money. Yesterday checking email took about 45-50 minutes, too (for a different reason). I think that's what I need to allocate each morning!)
  • Talk to credit card company, request credit line increase on two cards.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Errands and phone calls (1 hour).
  • Make and eat lunch, wash lunch dishes (1 hour).
  • Write to consulting client #1 (1 hour).
  • Check email (15 minutes).
  • Write to consulting client #2 (1 hour).
  • Work on book (1 hour).
  • Check email and answer customer messages (15 minutes).
  • Work on accounting backlog (1 hour).
  • Work on PayPal notification backlog (1 hour).

oh, I've been BAD!!

Looking at my list of consulting clients and when I last got back to them is making me feel very bad about myself. :(

pro's CI - 10:15am

Next thing on my list is writing to a consulting client - one of the things that's very hard for me to start. This is usually when I start to procrastinate. Instead, I will spend 5-10 minutes visualizing myself doing this. Then, no matter how unready I feel or how uncomfortable, I will begin!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Morning Routine
  • Check email (30 minutes). (Actual time: 50 minutes. This included paying some bills and downloading statements into MS Money. Yesterday checking email took about 45-50 minutes, too (for a different reason). I think that's what I need to allocate each morning!)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Write to consulting client #1 (1 hour).
  • Errands and phone calls (1 hour).
  • Make and eat lunch, wash lunch dishes (1 hour).
  • Check email (15 minutes).
  • Write to consulting client #2 (1 hour).
  • Work on book (1 hour).
  • Check email and answer customer messages (15 minutes).
  • Work on accounting backlog (1 hour).
  • Work on PayPal notification backlog (1 hour).

Slider's first BE 8:15 am

Eh, been up awhile without doing much, except tasking the kid to band and discussing taxes and inheritance strategies (pat on the back for that) for about fifteen minutes. Got up at 6:45, and I can't really say what I've done with the rest of the time. I think I've been cuop for the rest of the time.

To Do:
Morning Routine:
-eat breakfast
-take vitamins
-shower, dress, groom
-check in after completing (this morning routine is when I really dilly-dally when I have no morning appointments)

Then begin work:
-review planner
-Decide who to call/visit today as this is my visitation day
-call/visit
-schedule chiropractor appointment this morning
-dewrinkle laundry shoved on top of dryer
-locate previous tax box
-call cpa
-take tax stuff to cpa and leave it in HER lap!
-have lunch
-prep for clergy meeting re: confirmation at 2:00
-regroup (think about where to buy a mattress, look at internet & cell phone options--these will be part of the fun stuff for today)

CPA

Good idea... delegating the tax stuff to someone else if that is one of your most hated/procrastinated tasks!

translation, please?

> tasking the kid to band...

Huh? Wazzat?

Suggestion: Check in here when you first get up in the morning. That's what I do to keep from spinning my wheels for the first several hours. I have a lot of trouble hitting the ground running. I waste most of my time simply trying to get myself ready to work in the morning. Checking in here first thing really helps. I go from bed to toilet to computer. :)

Also, try to establish a morning routine. That has been a huge help to me. I have a list of things I do each morning, and I can't check my email until they are all done.

spelling error

I meant TAKING him to band--but it IS one of my tasks, so, hey!

pro's CI - 9:15am

Morning routine is done, and I've made a plan for the day. I think it's incredibly cool that I'm at my desk and ready to work at 9am!!

Most of the things I have on my to-do list are things I could spend endless time on and that I want to limit to a specific amount of time. (I tend to spend too much time doing stuff - that perfectionism thing.) When I've done each thing, I'll note the actual amount of time that I spent on it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Morning Routine
  • ----Spent 10 minutes CUOP here.
  • ----Shower and dress
  • ----Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day (were none).
  • ----Clear desk - handle filing, mail, etc. (clear from yesterday).
  • ----Take pills.
  • ----Make and eat breakfast.
  • ----Wash breakfast dishes.
  • ----Make bed (convert futon back into couch).
  • ----Review to-do list and make a plan for the day (perhaps write in journal.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Check email (30 minutes).
  • Write to consulting client #1 (1 hour).
  • Errands and phone calls (1 hour).
  • Make and eat lunch, wash lunch dishes (1 hour).
  • Check email (15 minutes).
  • Write to consulting client #2 (1 hour).
  • Work on book (1 hour).
  • Check email and answer customer messages (15 minutes).
  • Work on accounting backlog (1 hour).
  • Work on PayPal notification backlog (1 hour).

That totals to 8 hours. I'm meeting someone for dinner at 6pm, so work stops at 5:30pm!

Great plan!

I'm inspired to see you listing an hour for working on book. I am trying to make room in my life for writing, too. I've given myself Wednesday afternoons off for creative purposes (that's not enough, I need to write every day, but so far since I devised the schedule just before my vacation, I haven't honored my time off because I'm still catching up on stuff!

procrastination among writers

Writers procrastinate more than almost any other single group. In fact, people who usually don't procrastinate will still often procrastinate on writing.

There's a psychologist named Robert Boice who studied just this - writers, writers' block, and writers' procrastination. He discovered that scheduling a short amount of time each day - even if it's 15-30 minutes - is the way to go. If you wait for the big block of time (e.g. an afternoon), you will never do it because who has a whole afternoon free - especially on a regular basis?

I posted his list of tips - generated from expirical studies - in one of the articles on this site. Here's the link:

Tips for Getting Schoolwork or Writing Done

pro's CI - 8:35am

Morning routine is in the to-do list. After I do that, I'll make a new to-do list. No email checking until after the morning routine is done!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Spent 10 minutes CUOP here.
  • Shower and dress
  • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day (were none).
  • Clear desk - handle filing, mail, etc. (clear from yesterday).
  • Take pills.
  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Wash breakfast dishes.
  • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day (perhaps write in journal.

todayfirst BE 8:30 AM EST

Looks like you all got a great start to the week, yesterday. Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to everyone. I was impressed that Pro was applying the personal mission statement to his plan. Of course, I don't have any such statement so one of my tasks for the train ride will be to work on that. I've been trying to prioritize my tasks by importance/urgency with some limited success...

'nuff rambling. Onto what I want to get done today. I'm tired so I'm going to break my work into 30 minute blocks with breaks in between. It doesn't seem like very long but for some reason, if I schedule 45 minutes with no break I seem more likely to cheat and put it off or check email in the middle, etc.

Done:
- Got to work
- CUOP

Todo:
- 30 min - work on my program
- Check email
- Print docs for meeting
- 10 min meditation/stretch break
- 30 min - work on my program
- Schedule dentis appt
- 10 min meditation/stretch break
- rinse, repeat
- Meeting (PM)

personal mission statements

I think it's great that you're working on a Personal Mission Statement. Do you have the book "First Things First" by Stephen Covey (author of "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People")? I used his method for creating my personal mission statement. He guides you to think about your life in certain ways you might not otherwise. For example, imagine your funeral. What will your spouse say about you? Your friends? Is this what you want them to say about you?

I was completely unable to prioritize my to-do list until I created my Personal Mission Statement. Without a sense of where I wanted to go (and who I wanted to be), I could not figure out which tasks should have priority.

First Things First

I haven't got this book. Maybe I should check at the library. I did read 7 Habits... though I can't remember what a single one of the habits was. Maybe I should skim it again.

one of the habits was...

...First Things First! This is the most important habit for me, and apparently Covey agrees since he devoted an entire book to it.

TL - BE - 7 AM

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To Do
get ready for school
take test
do fin aid stuff
balance money
pack for trip
clean house

good morning, TL!

I see you have a test today, and yesterday you studied. Cool! :)

pro's CI - 8am

Morning routine is in the to-do list. After I do that, I'll make a new to-do list. No email checking until after the morning routine is done!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Spent 10 minutes CUOP here.
  • Shower and dress
  • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day (were none).
  • Clear desk - handle filing, mail, etc. (clear from yesterday).
  • Take pills.
  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Wash breakfast dishes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).
  • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day (perhaps write in journal.

pro's CI - 7:20am

Morning routine is in the to-do list. After I do that, I'll make a new to-do list. No email checking until after the morning routine is done!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Spent 10 minutes CUOP here.
  • Shower and dress
  • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day (were none).
  • Clear desk - handle filing, mail, etc. (clear from yesterday).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Take pills.
  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).
  • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day (perhaps write in journal.

pro's CI - 6:50am EDT US

Morning routine is in the to-do list. After I do that, I'll make a new to-do list. No email checking until after the morning routine is done!!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Got up at 6:40am.
  • Spent 10 minutes CUOP here.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Shower and dress
  • Take pills.
  • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day.
  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).
  • Clear desk (handle filing, mail, etc.).
  • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day (perhaps write in journal.

Bookending/check-ins....

I think what Pro did and keep posting on the 7th until bedtime was the way to go.

Maybe we could just say that if it's still the current day for you, leave your CI's on that one until it's your next day.

It just means I might be checking in all alone for the first several hours!! Oh, well! I suppose comments can go anywhere, but your own CI's on your current day?? Does that make sense???

Otherwise I'm checking in on yesterdays date, or you guys are checking in on tomorrow!! Weird....

(oh, notice how I suggest to adjust it to suit the ONE Aussie contributing on the board...not half self-absorbed, hey????!!!!}:-))

that's what we tried yesterday at first

My big idea yesterday was to have each person start a thread for each day, but that wasn't good because people get less feedback that way - others are less likely to check their thread.

So then, midday (to the confusion of everybody), I switched to an idea Normy had - every post in the same day thread, but with no sections. If everybody makes their check-ins replies to the first message, then the most recent post will always be on top (except for replies like this one, of course).

There's no perfect solution, but I think it's true that everybody posting in the same day thread is better, and recent posts are marginally easier to find if there are no sections.

That doesn't solve your problem, though of your being on the other side of the world as most of us. When you're working, most of us are sleeping. There isn't a way around that one, but certainly we can check the thread for the next day and cheer you on, though it's not yet that day were we are.

Milo's CI 4pm

Hi! I DID OKAY!!!

I think the presentation went well. I can't say I 'nailed it', but heck, it was my first ever, I did it well, AND it was a paying job, AND noone guessed I'd never done it before so I'd say it was a success!!!!!

There are things I'll change for next time, but this is the sort of thing that keeps getting better the more times you do it.

Best of all, I was organised, on time, and in control.

Gwen, you are right, being prepared well ahead of time does wonders.

So I'm happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippppeeeeeee!!!!!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

CHEERS!

Sorry you go though most of your struggle while many of us are sleeping. Do you find that just doing the bookending helps, and the comments later are bonuses? How often do you get "live" feedback? (within the hour, is what I mean)

great job

way to go (think of geat graphics here :))

did you see the graphics page I added?

You, too, can post great graphics like Normy! Look at the Site Content box to the left. See the new item under the "Forums" menu called "Graphics for Forum Posts"? Click on that.

good job, Milo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds like you did great today! Sorry I slept through the whole thing! :P

We need a few more aussies here. Do you have any procrastinating friends you can bring on over?

Good Morning! but why is stuff from yesterday here?

I still don't understand the rules here. I thought each day would be a new thread (a new forum), but there is previous stuff in this brand new day's forum. I'm confused!

It wasn't really yesterday.....

Because of the time difference, when I started this thread it WAS yesterday (the 7th) for most of you, but today (the 8th) for me. Sorry if that confuses you. Try adding 12 hours to the US posts and 8 to the UK posts and you'll see what time it was for me!!!!

I know it's confusing....I guess if you just remember I'm miles ahead of you all you'll be right ;)

I know it was the 8th for you

But I was wondering why there was stuff at the bottom that I had already seen from Monday when you put in the Tuesday greeting. I don't want to get irritating about this, I'm just trying to make sure I understand! }:)

Think I get it

I just realized I had gotten milo and normy conflated in those last few posts of normy's. I thought normy checked out for the day, and then Normy later made the Tuesday greeting, but I see it was milo who did. :? Sorry! I had been thinking that there was at least a brief lull between everybody on one date and everybody on the next date, but if milo starts before normy quits, then we have two dates going at the same time. Whew!

Milo! tch tch!!

:P

Still here

I just figured out what came over me with the session planning - I really struggled with the 'donwannas' and have done the last couple of weeks, and it was worse than the planning itself. So I made sure I don't put myself through it again next week. Now I just need to remember how painful that 'donnwanna' attitude is to motivate me to get it done in future!

(Ooh, slider's here now too! Hi slider! :D )

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Sweet dreams, Normy!

And light and energy to Milo--I'm wishing you the best. And enjoy your evening off, pro. I'm trying to figure out how all this posting works. I understand the part about the newest posting being on the top, but the way the replies make you keep going up and down is a little confusing to me. I'm gradually getting the hang of it. Another thing to get used to is relating to all the different time zones. I was just figuring out Normy's schedule, and then I learned milo is in Australia. Wow. The majority of the feedback is a little out of sync for you guys, isn't it? But the comraderie does seem greater with everybody on the same thread. And I get to see Normy's wonderful graphics! Of course, then we're back to each day potentially becoming a really long thread. But does it matter? I suppose that if a whole new topic develops on a thread, the discussion could be moved to its own forum? As for my check in, as I said earlier, I'm going to finish it where I started it. I don't know how to copy my lists and put them in a new column. But tomorrow I'll start on the Tuesday thread.

Normy sneaking back in...

Photobucket - Video and Image HostingI know, I said I was going to finish the Daytime Routine, then do my Before Bed Routine and go to bed, but I just had to sneak back here and tell you all I've done my lesson planning for my private classes next week! Yay! I don't know what came over me! :)

Good morning Milo! :D It's Tuesday here too now, but only just (12.20 am). I was running on constant lack of sleep last year too - getting enough sleep definitely has helped me with anticrastination. Sending you lots of vibes for your presentation today.

Music makes a difference to me too - Bo Diddly or Zydeco are particularly good for me. I've also got a thing that works when I remember though you may not want to use it at payroll - I slap my thigh then run around the house doing whooping war cry.

Oh, and this little kitty here helps me too...

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or a bit of mojo...

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Pro One of the things I did at the start of my anticrastination thing was to do something similar to what you're doing now. I'd guesstimate how long it would take me to do a certain task, put them in some sort of logical order with estimated timings. (I did this in a simple table in Word). On the other side of the table I put what ~actually~ happened with the real timings, and at the end of the day I did an evaluation - e.g. 'allow 45 mins for a 30 min Ddog walk to allow for wellie changing etc'. I soon worked out the times of regular things, and I was able to streamline some things too.

I've become better at guesstimating too (I used to be wildly out in either direction), though there are still some things I just have no idea about. It also showed up that sometimes it's better for me to do things in a certain order, just because it got results. It was a useful exercise.

Now I really ~am~ going to bed.

Night night!

(more vibes being sent to Milo! Here they come... can you feel them?....)

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imagined vs real time

i've tried this - but didn't stick to it

it would be good to try it again - i know it would be helpful for antiprocrastination!

how long do you spend here on this board?

guesstimating time

Learning to estimate how long things take me is very important for me. Anticrastination requires that I plan my day, and planning my day requires that I can accurately estimate how long different tasks take. If I'm clueless (as I have been), then my day plans will always be unrealistic and I will continue to be unable to get what I want done done.

I'm working on my plan for today now (or will when I'm done posting). I spend 5-10 minutes in this forum every time I check in - less if I'm checking in often. That's a reward for me - the time is well spent. I get a lot more done when I bookend than when I don't - no comparison.

Oohh, yeah...

Feeling great now, thanks!!! :LOL:

Milo's CI 8:20am

I have my big presentation today (for those of you who have followed my last few CIs).

I was up till midnight last night as predicted, and the night before, too. And up this morning at 5:30 to get to my other job early so I didn't get in trouble for disappearing for 3 hours in the middle of the day ;). So I haven't had much sleep in the last 2 days...I think I'll be crashing tonight (it's amazing - a year ago I was living on less sleep than this ALL THE TIME!).

BUT it was worth it because I am now all organised and ready to go. Am going to spend an hour now just going over the presentation in my head.

I am excited and terrified all at the same time. The national director of the company will be there so if I impress him enough, I might get work all over country.

Ooh!! And I thought of another 'getting started' tip in the car on the way to work. I was trying to calm my nerves and so I started singing "Eye of the Tiger" in my head. Corny, I know, but if you try it yourself you only get to the second line of the intro music and you're already feeling energised!! And then I sang that new song "I wish I was a punk rocker" at the top of my lungs the rest of the way in :lol:. I think I'll be doing the same on my way to the presentation venue!!!!!!!

Way to go, Milo!

I love singing in the car. Especially raucous songs that you can't get away with in the shower. Sounds like you're psyching yourself up in a great way! And it's not idle enthusiasm either, 'cause you've DONE THE WORK!! Gotta love it. I met a deadline for a big project last week and a big part of why it was a success was that I worked overtime (in a balanced way) to meet it the day before! So the day of, I just got to double-check and fine tune my work all day. Of course that was a really, really necessary part -- correcting little errors (which always creep in) and getting confident of the job I'd done, before I sent it off to the printer for them to make 59,000 of! In the middle of the project I went to a Chinese restaurant and the fortune I got was "Happiness is sometimes the result of hard work." I thought is was perfect, because it feels good to have really made the steady effort. Couldn't have done it without all I've learned here, by the way.

So, I'm glad to hear you have the attitude to step into that room and shine! Good going!