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, 22 August 2006
It's been quiet here! Not too many check-ins besides mine yesterday. I hope more people are here today. I'll bookend anyway, but it's much more fun when others are here!
Tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday I'll be out of town and offline. Back Friday.
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slider's last CI--10:30 pm
Done:
--morning routine
--DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP KIDS!!! (SET ALARM ON CELL PHONE)
--be thorough in going over notes to ascertain ALL needed tasks (DID PARTWAY)
--set cell phone reminder for fun event Thursday evening (AACK! Must cancel--band event got switched from Friday to Thursday)
--called nursing home secretary about mailing labels
--called nearest storage unit for price on smallest size; will stop and look on way home w/DD (DIDN'T--had to turn around and pick up DS earlier than I thought)
--holepunched a stack of minutes, financial reports, and notes from council meetings and put in order in binder
--remembered DS is done with class at 12:50 this year, called to see where he is
--pick up DD
--stop for soda on way home with DD
--tell DD to put up her clothes in dryer
--move my clothes from washer to dryer
--hang up when dry
--pick up DS from sectionals at 4:30--SET TIMER (got called to go earlier)
--call woman who had surgery today
--researched smart phones, pdas, and laptops
--researched timers (trying to find ADD-friendly device to serve as reminder all day, phone is maxed out easily)
--researched cellular plan options/deals
--added media network plan to my cell phone in preparation for switching to a smart phone and plan upgrade
Looks like a lot, huh? But it was all MOSTLY tasty--didn't deal with eating any slimy frogs!
Still to do (TOMORROW):
--finish prioritizing today's tasks--I have 6.5 hours! (NEVER DID)
--call cpa (DH and I have to go sign a power of attorney so she can straighten out our taxes)
--complete nursing home schedule
--send faxes to nursing home directors when I finish the schedules
--decide when to schedule other urgent tasks this week:
----don't forget newsletter article & wedding bulletin
----schedule home communions for remainder of month
--let baby hognose snake go TODAY (didn't yet due to workers in cemetery and rain)
--discuss and make a plan for after-school chauffering
--finish schedules
--copy schedules, stuff and label and postmark envelopes at 11 am Wednesday at nursing home (with a few extra copies to take a pastor's meeting on Thursday, so they can see them already)
--call M to cancel Thursday's fun event
Tonight:
--clean up rest of mess from organizing minutes
--eat supper
--brush teeth
--wash and moisturize face and medicate peely eyebrows
--read a little
--set alarm for 6 am
--go to sleep! (by 11:30 at the latest--should do earlier!)
LOL!
it was all MOSTLY tasty--didn't deal with eating any slimy frogs!
AND you still got a lot done. Well done! :)
Good day!
Sounds like a really positive day, slider! Well done!
Flylady has a good timer - very hardy, check it out. But it's not an alarm clock-type (ie, you can't set it to go off at 3pm, but you can set it to go off in say, 45 minutes time).
pro's CI - 10:50pm
I'm done for today, and I'm not going to work tomorrow or the next day. I want to enjoy my time in the country. So shoot me!
Oh... MAYBE I'll answer customer messages in the morning. Maybe. I'll see how I feel (and how early I get up).
I'm not going to pack tonight, either. I'll do it tomorrow. I'm tired. I want to go to bed early and get up early.
We're not going to shoot you!
Taking breaks is something we all seem to procrastinate about - you're setting a good example!
Client emails
I understand your feelings completely. BUT if you do blow off the client emails, DON'T beat yourself up about it and call yourself 'bad', just accept it as what it is, you're simply tired and need a break.
You had a good day :)
and...
I'm not going to sit here in New York tomorrow writing client emails instead of driving up to the country first thing so I once again ruin my trip out of town (like I did last month). I'm leaving first thing in the morning. Screw my clients.
REALLY bad attitude, I know.
But I understand
I suspect that when we reach the "screw it" point, it means we really need to refill our own tanks. Sometimes just the assurance that we WILL refill our tanks ASAP allows us to limp through one or two more chores on fumes--but only if they're either really basic and simple or really a crisis. I caught myself today refusing to get dressed because I was resentful about working on my day off. I've only worked about half-assed today, and only on a few selective things. Part of me has been screaming all day in the background, "It's my day off! Screw EVERYTHING!" while another part has been hollering in the foreground, "Do what you know you OUGHT to do!" Meanwhile, the executive part of my brain, the part in charge of deciding what I actually do value and prioritize and in charge of determining for ME what it is I "ought" to do--well, that part has gone AWOL, if I ever really had it. I suppose it's in there or I wouldn't even understand what the problem is, but I sure don't seem able to access it and get it online very often! Still, just acknowledging the inner conflict and allowing the DONWANNA voice to speak, made it all more bearable. I was half-assed today because, actually, that was the compromise between these two inner voices. You did some good things today, pro, and you've been taking steps to take care of yourself and to begin to address the most serious procrastination items on your plate. Consider: you could have blown off the entire day, not taken care of yourself, binged on actually harmful things, or given in to addictions. Ya done pretty damn good, considering! Perhaps if you refresh yourself tomorrow you can regroup about those clients. Perhaps, deep down, you have given up on them already--in which case the thing to do is let them know that. If not, figure out ONE ACTIONABLE STEP you can take on their behalf, do it, and report that you have at least done that! Good luck, pro! And good luck on the job--if it turns out, I hope it really suits you!
> Consider: you could have
> Consider: you could have blown off the entire day, not taken care of yourself, binged on actually harmful things, or given in to addictions.
Not too likely I'm going to act out on addictions. I've been clean and sober for over 9 years, and have no desire to go back to that.
But you're right that I need to refill my own tank now - I worked all day. I deserve the evening off. And I deserve two days in the country without working, too. (I think. :?)
Hey--whatever it takes...
...to get over eating two nasty frogs! (you're not a hognosed snake, after all!) (But you might be surprised at what a good night's sleep accomplishes all by itself).
pro's CI - 9:50pm
I'm tired - I want to go to bed. I don't even want to answer customer messages. Why the hell should I at 10pm at night? (Bad attitude, right?)
The Windows hosting company finally got around to setting the permissions I requested, but the installation still fails. I think I have to abandon this. No one will help me (not the DotNetNuke people, and not the Web host), and I can't figure it out on my own though I've tried as hard as I know how.
I just sent a message to the Windows hosting company begging for them to help me with this. If they refuse, I'll ask for a refund of my money, and find a Windows host that will help me (or just stick with Linux).
I'm disgusted. What a waste of time.
I just can't do it.
It's late, I'm tired, and I've been working all day. I just can't stay up late writing reports to clients. It's not going to happen. I might be able to get myself to answer customer messages, but that's it for tonight.
At the same time, I simply can't bear to write "excuse" messages to those three clients - I'm sick of my own excuses. So I'm going to get up early tomorrow and do it then, before I leave on my trip.
pro's CI - 9:05pm
I met someone tonight who has a connection with someone very senior at a major international magazine, and he says he can probably get me a job. I'm not sure I want a job, but I went to the magazine's Web site. I saw a Senior Editor job that I'm qualified for but don't want (that work is killer), and another job that probably pays much less but interests me more. I wrote to him to say that was the one I was interested in, and to give him links to my bio and resume. Who knows if it will come to anything.
I'm not feeling like working anymore tonight - not at all. I don't know how I'm going to do this. I don't seem to be able to write more than two client emails in a day. I'm going to have to send apologies to the others... But ugh - I can't do that. I'm always giving them excuses. I'm just going to have to force myself to do it.
I'm getting a migraine - really already have it. I need to take rescue meds, and need to take out my contacts. Maybe if I get into my jammies and make myself more comfortable, I won't mind working.
pro's CI - 8:30pm
pro's CI - 6:10pm
I wrote to the two clients I've completely screwed up with - the very late ones. The three others I owe responses to are essentially on time (so far). I have to write to them each week, and the other three got messages last week.
I'm going to spend a few minutes answering customer messages, then go to an AA meeting, and then answer the other three clients (if I can!). I did the hardest ones already, so I think there's a chance.
Go Pro Go!
(I know, you already ~have~ gone for a couple of days ;) Don't know if you'll even see this but I'm sending you the 'well done' vibes on writing to those clients! :) ) Sometimes I find doing something I really didn't want to do drains me, and it takes me a while to recover. But every time I face something like that I get a little stronger, and it doesn't take so long to recover next time.
thanks, Normy
It was rough - especially dealing with the feedback from one of them. But I responded without being defensive and it turned out okay in the end.
Now I'm exhausted! LOL
WTG Pro!
You wrote to those clients! That's FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!
Sabotaging my breaks
I've done it again. I think I posted yesterday that I was going to 'chill out and get to bed on time' or something similar. I actually cleared out my Email, and responded to some questions. I went to bed on time, but still wanted to read (which is what I'd planned on doing earlier) and ended up going to sleep late.
Tonight, as you know, I was supposed to be on a course, but it involves being with partners and my partner couldn't make it this week. So I thought I'd come home, have something to eat, and chill out. Instead I've been putting client/contact phone numbers in my phone, making venue bookings, took an important phone call, but mostly I've been CUOP. Now it's 10.20 pm and I'm tired and hungry.
I'm getting obsessive about CUOP (I managed to not do it a couple of times when I wasn't here for the day - how do other people do it - do you just skip the days you're not here?). It's just that sometimes I'm worried about missing a gem that someone's posted, like the Four Agreements that Teri posted yesterday - if I hadn't gone back over the posts that were made whilst I was sleeping I would have missed it.
Get something to eat and go to bed!
(BTW, I had a very productive day at payroll today - just thought I'd mention that as I keep encouraging everyone to celebrate successes! :D )
WTG, Normy!!!
You always encourage others - I don't want you to be encouragement-less! You did great today!!!! :) You should feel good about the things you did today.
I catch up on posts when I have the time. If I'm very rushed I may not, and then at a later point I might catch up on them all.
Thanks pro
I ~do~ respond well to encouragement ;)
slider's 3:30 CI
Done:
--morning routine
--DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP KIDS!!! (SET ALARM ON CELL PHONE)
--be thorough in going over notes to ascertain ALL needed tasks
--set cell phone reminder for fun event Thursday evening
--called nursing home secretary about mailing labels; they will be ready by end of day; I will copy schedules, stuff and label and postmark envelopes at 11 am tomorrow (with a few extra copies to take a pastor's meeting on Thursday, so they can see them already)and I will send faxes to nursing home directors when I finish the schedules.
--called nearest storage unit for price on smallest size; will stop and look on way home w/DD
--holepunched a stack of minutes, financial reports, and notes from council meetings and put in order in binder (need to clean up rest of mess from that chore, but timer went off to pick up DD)
--remembered DS is done with class at 12:50 this year, called to see where he is (will have to discuss and make a plan for this, which will be different next week when the dual-credit college course begins)
To Do:
--pick up DD
--stop for soda and storage unit on way home
--tell DD to put up her clothes in dryer
--move my clothes from washer to dryer
--hang up when dry--BEFORE PICKING UP DS if possible!
--pick up DS from sectionals at 4:30--SET TIMER
--finish prioritizing today's tasks--I have 6.5 hours!
--call woman who had surgery today
--call cpa (DH and I have to go sign a power of attorney so she can straighten out our taxes)
--decide when to schedule other urgent tasks this week:
--complete nursing home schedule
----don't forget newsletter article & wedding bulletin
----schedule home communions for remainder of month
--let baby hognose snake go TODAY
Doing well!
That's a long list slider, and you're doing well - keep at it! And tell us how the baby hognose snake gets on (sounds so sweet! I've never heard of them - could be the ugliest thing in the world for all I know, LOL!).
the snake that smiles
Hognose snakes have little upturned noses and very big mouths (for swallowing toads and eggs) so that when their mouth is opened it looks like they are smiling. They also spread their necks like a cobra, but it's a bluff. Couldn't let this guy go after all 'coz folks were working in the cemetery. Maybe now...though it's thunderstorming....
Hey, could be our mascot!
Eat that frog!
I wanted to post a picture but couldn't find one that wasn't copyrighted in a hurry (don't want to get sidetracked!). But there's one of the little beauties pictured here.
todayfirst 4:15 PM
Well, I got pissed like I usually do when my days plan gets messed up, so I didn't exactly do what I said this afternoon. Then again, I did keep at myself to accomplish SOMETHING even if I was confused about what I SHOULD do, so that's an improvement over sometimes when I completely sabotage myself... and I've almost completed my changes to "Project X" and it hasn't been too terribly unpleasant.
Done:
- Weekly review
- Source control task
- Double check fix to project X
- Work on changes to project X (30 min)
- Jot down ideas for new document (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Plan test approach for new hardware (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Work on my big program (30 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Lunch
- Reevaluate
- Source control task 2
- Respond to request for document #2
- Project X (30 min) ...more like an hour
- Work on my program (20 min)
(not going) Todo:
- Source control task 3
- Work on my big program (30 min)
- Continue jotting ideas for document #1
- Rest (10 min)
- work on document #2(?)
Tonight:
- Backup PDA
- Water flowers
- Give dog heartworm pill
You're being hard on yourself
You've achieved an awful lot today - celebrate your successes. It might be useful to think about where things started to go awry - it was after lunch wasn't it? Was it resistance to starting something you didn't want to do, wanting to have a longer break, being thrown off track by that call, or what? What could you have done differently? How can you avert trouble next time it happens? (Hmm, think I need to answer my own questions here, re last Thurs to Sun!).
slider's 1:45 CI
Been a bumpy morning. Realized that why I sometimes delay getting showered and dressed is that I have a conflict about HOW I will dress, because I am indecisive about what my priorities are and who I will work for (myself or family vs. church/nursing home, probably other conflicts lurking around in there, too). Basically, my Superego/Inner Parent is so overridingly perfectionistic that it ignores the needs of my Id/Inner child TOTALLY, and my Ego/Adult goes spastically passive, so the Child acts up, throwing monkey wrenches in the works of the martinet in charge. In the end, nobody gets their way! :( Realizing all this, I decided that I will work for myself today, and I gave myself permission to wear shorts. I decided to postpone some fairly urgent but not end-of-the world things until tomorrow, taking a few preliminary steps toward them today. Then guess what? I forgot to shave my legs while in the shower, so I went ahead and got dressed in slacks and a nice shirt, LOL! (It won't embarass the kids when I pick them up.) I've completed my morning routine. Instead of breakfast I had lunch!
Done:
--morning routine
--DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP KIDS!!! (SET ALARM ON CELL PHONE)
--be thorough in going over notes to ascertain ALL needed tasks
--set cell phone reminder for fun event Thursday evening
To Do:
--finish prioritizing today's tasks--I have 8 hours!
--call cpa (DH and I have to go sign a power of attorney so she can straighten out our taxes)
--decide when to schedule other urgent tasks this week:
----don't forget nursing home schedule, copying, and mailing (didn't finish it yesterday)
----don't forget newsletter article & wedding bulletin
--let baby hognose snake go TODAY (I caught one after I stepped on it the other day, and I plonked it in my terrarium to observe 8) ). I thought I might call the Houston zoo about it--they are becoming rare--but when I time-binged researching them, I found that they do not eat well or reproduce well in captivity, so there's little likelihood the zoo would want it. They'd rather see habitat and breeding colonies preserved. So I have spent a fair amount of time thinking of the BEST place to release it. No such place, of course, but since I have found 3 or 4 of these things around here over 5 years, the habitat must not be too bad--groundskeepers, cars, and cattle notwithstanding. This one is a hatchling--so somebody successfully reproduced this year! But now I have to get the critter out of my terrarium--which is planted with cactus!!!! Ouch!
indecisive...
"I am indecisive about what my priorities are...In the end, nobody gets their way!"
This sounds like what I would do to myself. I can't decide what's most important... so nothing gets done!
me, too - can't decide, so I do nothing...
This is a big problem for me. Figuring out my priorities is very difficult for me, even with the best intentions. So often I've been unable to decide what to do and ended up doing nothing.
I reviewed "First Things First" this morning, and he gives some questions to ask yourself to figure this out - very helpful. I'd strongly recommend reading this book. It's practical and spiritual at the same time.
Making Choices
It's one of the things Andrea Perry talks about in this book I'm (not) reading (I say 'not' because I'd planned to read it tonight, and I'm CUOP instead).
This is the book I said last week that I'd post about at the weekend, but I procrastinated Thursday to Sunday so I haven't done it yet.
packed up my computer, be back later
I swapped in the extra battery, dug my bump case out of the closet, and packed up my stuff to work at Starbucks (where I can't procrastinate with email unless I'm willing to pay for internet access, which I'm not). I'll check in in a few hours.
Where's Normy's energy-thingy?
I'd love to post that graphic to show that I'm sending you good vibes. I'm sending them anyway!
Here it is!
todayfirst 1:20 PM
I did well this AM but I've been wasting time since I got back from lunch. Time to get back on track before the whole afternoon disappears. Now someone just called me with something unrelated they want me to do. I can't decide if I really get interrupted with stupid requests way too much or if I'm just being a brat and overreacting... it makes me want to quit (or at least quit for the afternoon). Why does this make me sooooo freakin' angry every single time? :(
Done:
- Weekly review
- Source control task
- Double check fix to project X
- Work on changes to project X (30 min)
- Jot down ideas for new document (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Plan test approach for new hardware (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Work on my big program (30 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Lunch
Todo:
- Reevaluate (doing this as I type...)
- Source control task 2
- Source control task 3
- Project X (30 min)
- Rest (10 min)
- Work on my big program (30 min)
- Respond to request for document #2
- Continue jotting ideas for document #1
- Rest (10 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Work on my program (30 min)
- work on document #2(?)
demands on us
>Why does this make me sooooo freakin' angry every single time?
My guess would be because you don't feel you really have the right to say on to anyone. I'll bet that even when you say no, you feel guilty, right? Afraid you're being bratty?
It's okay to say no sometimes - in fact, we have to. People make so many demands on us in the course of a day that if we don't learn to say no, we lose total control of our lives.
un-No
I called them back and tried to express why I thought it was a waste of time... but I'm going to end up doing it anyways. This is how it usually works. Now I feel worse. *sigh* 10 minute break and then I'll try to get back on track.
just a wild guess (based on my own thinking)
Well, if it were me, that would be why I was angry. :P
But of course, you're a different person.
powerlessness and learned helplessness
Beware! Feeling powerless over and over conditions a being not to even try any more--so much so that caged wild birds will sometimes fail to leave even when the door is left open. This dynamic applies to battered women, hostages, and employees! Be glad for your anger--as long as you have it, you'll probably keep trying to make changes. It's terribly frustrating to feel anger and rage and not be able to accomplish anything with it, but at least it shows you haven't given up. Don't suppress it, though, or it will make you sick (perhaps deranged--BTDT). But find somewhere to channel that energy for change! It may be yourself that you have to change--if the environment cannot/will not.
pro's CI - 1:05pm
I'm feeling seriously freaked out. I just looked over my to-do list. I'm extremely overdue in responding to two clients, one day late with another, a fourth is due for a response today, and a fifth tomorrow. Yet tomorrow I'm going out of town for two days. I have to respond today. Realizing what I have to do in one day is practically giving me a heart attack. I think I will go work in Starbucks, where there is not the distraction of the internet, and write these emails.
pro's CI - 12nn
slider's first CI--10:00 am
I was so tired last night I never did a final CI. The 8 pm meeting I went to (in which I served as a consultant to another congregation) lasted until 10:45! When I got home I did read some of the posts, and then I just went to bed. I had a very busy day yesterday--and there are many things that I will have to carry over today. Today is supposed to be my day of rest, because I have a wedding this weekend that will use up my normal day of rest (Saturday). I gave myself permission last night to sleep late today, then do the catching up from yesterday.
To Do:
--coffee and breakfast
--brush teeth
--shower, shave legs
--dress and makeup
--call cpa (DH and I have to go sign a power of attorney so she can straighten out our taxes)
--make plan for the day:
----don't forget nursing home schedule, copying, and mailing (didn't finish it yesterday)
----don't forget newsletter article & wedding bulletin
----be thorough in going over notes to ascertain ALL needed tasks
----DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP KIDS!!! (SET ALARM ON CELL PHONE)
todayfirst 8:10 AM EST
Good progress was made at work yesterday, though I've been slacking off at home. It's not that bad but the pain in my knee seems to make my whole self feel tired faster. It gets a little better each day though. I am going to keep the work momentum today and I think I will get a bit more done tonight.
Done:
- Weekly review
- Source control task
Todo:
- Double check fix to project X
- Work on changes to project X (30 min)
- Jot down ideas for new document (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Plan test approach for new hardware (15 min)
- Break (10 min)
- Work on my big program (30 min)
- Project X (30 min)
- Lunch
- Reevaluate
pain IS tiring
Hang in there, though!
pro's CI - 7:45am
eh, you reminded me
I didn't put taking my own pills on the list! Good luck today in tackling your morning routine, meditation & prayers, and planning!
Taking tablets
Ever since I said I never remember to take my vits in the morning without looking at my Morning Routine I've remembered - every day. Funny how sometimes it just takes telling someone else about it.
.net
I'm here... Did you make any progress with the .net installation or are you still waiting for the admins?
still waiting for the admins
ASP.Net is installed on the servers, but DotNetNuke requires certain NTFS permissions that I'm unable to set myself because they disabled this within Plesk. So far they've set the directory permissions for me, but they haven't added the ASP.Net worker process to the list of of groups with full permissions in the application directory. I believe that's why I continue to get an installation error - at least, that's the only mistake I can find in my setup, after spending a couple hours yesterday scouring every detail of it.
I'm very disappointed with the level of technical support at this hosting company. I was led to believe that customer service was excellent, but it turns out it's only excellent if you're asking easy questions that it takes no skill or effort to answer. Support at the administration level is dreadful. :(
If I'm unable to get this working pretty soon, I'm going to go with Joomla for this proposal. I'm afraid I'll lose my potential client if I don't produce a proposal pretty soon.
Urk!
I didn't see cuop on your morning routine list! ;) Hope you're done with that! :)