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.
Norske's Bookending - Turning work into pleasure
My problem is essentially that I have at best a distorted understanding of the time required to complete tasks. I therefore subconcieously feel that nearly any amount of delaying a task is acceptable because no matter what I will in the end manage to complete it. Recently this hasn't worked anymore (not that it ever really did - I was functioning far below my true potential) so I've decided to rebuild my work ethic from the ground up.
I've started by removing the most immediate outlets of my procrastination. I've eliminated my access to computer games and my usual internet forums. I have also decided that I will no longer listen to MP3s while working because this also easily becomes an outlet for procrastination - I just start browsing my collection and end up wasting untold hours renaming and reorganizing things.
The final step of finding enjoyment in all of my work still remains. I've always been interested in two of the subjects which I'm studying (Double major) but I still procrastinated even in those areas. I want to reach a higher level and truly excell, if I can make my "work" something I naturally do this goal will be easy I think. Easier said then done! :D
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I've decided to bookend at
I've decided to bookend at the start (9AM) and end (5PM) of my work days and will do so for the next two weeks. I'm going to be travelling a bit and won't have access to the internet so a few bookends might be missed but not much, and of course the time around Christmas and all Saturdays are not workdays. :-)
Plan for today: Work in one hour chunks on my research paper taking fifteen minute stretch breaks after each chunk. (I can't believe I'm starting work on something not due for a month, this is rare for me!)
Welcome Norske!
I've only started bookending since I found this site, and I've found it helpful. I've got a similar problem to you, in that other things will distract me and I've got to find a way to cut them out. The most successful thing I've done is to get shelf space where I work, and do my admin from there, instead of at home. It was previously possible because all my stuff was at home, and one place I work had no staffroom.
I also have been guilty of thinking there's loads of time - probably doing it now actually, so I'd better be off! Keep posting, it's good to see you here!
Normy
Got Sidetracked and got work done :)
Thanks for the comment Normy! I do exactly the same thing. I constantly imagine due dates to be amazingly far off. It's as if my conception of time is slightly distorted. Then the due date slowly creeps up on me and before I know it reality has caught up with me (AKA. Crunch Time!). Then of course I promise myself I'll never do it again...
Over the last few weeks I completed the majority of the project. I still had a last minute crunch time, but nothing like I've had in the past. My professor was very pleased with my work and things are generally going well. Now I need to guard myself from falling into my old habits of procrastination. This remains a threat but the fact that I'm learning to enjoy my work makes other distractions less appealing.
The advice to make "procrastination activities" also productive from this site has also been useful. Instead of browsing forums while wasting time I now check my online investments and resell electronics on Ebay. Most of it is still procrastination, but at least I'm earning some money. Fixing broken things such as iPods is actually very profitable. Last week I bought a broken one for $10 and just replaced the hard drive, $140 profit.
Just trying out bookending...
Today:
1. Develop my class and activity schedule.
2. Purchase textbooks.
3. Read first 100 pages for German and take notes.
Bookending
How did the Bookending go Norske?
Normy
Wow didn't think anyone
It actually went pretty well. After making that post I absolutely wanted to be able to get back here and say I managed to complete all of that. I ended up getting so caught up in my work though I forgot the oringal motivation for doing it! That's why I never wrote the other side of the bookend. :O
I'm now begining to think that just getting started on something is the hardest stage of all. Bookending forces me to actually work out what I'm going to do and gets me started doing it. From there it's an easy road.
I'm back here now because I realized I've wasted almost the entire day time-binging... Surfing forums and doing other stupid stuff. Well, I need to get this work done so before 1 AM tomorrow morning I would like to:
1. Write up my case Analysies
2. Complete my German reading and take accompanying notes.
3. Finally buy the solution set for my textbook.
I'll post back here at 1 AM and see how I do! Thanks for your support Normy, it really makes a huge difference knowing someone is reading your bookends!
I agree
I know it makes a difference to me if I know someone else is going to be coming back to see how I did, so it's only fair to pay it back!
Normy