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.
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 10:50pm (good night)
I haven't played Tetris all day, but I'm going to play one game now before going to sleep (since my bedtime routine is done before 11pm).
pro's CI - 10:40pm
I'm moving in slow motion here. Gotta speed it up.
1Focus 9:55 goodnight
It's almost 10:00 and I haven't started my bedtime routine. Time to go.
goodnight, 1Focus!
I should be starting my bedtime routine, too.
pro's CI - 9:40pm
I'm sure of my decision to close a piece of my business tomorrow. I feel a little nervous about it (especially the giving-up-the-income part), but I really want to do this. Right or wrong, it's my decision!
Time to start my bedtime routine. Tomorrow morning is the gym, and I want to get there as early as I can. When I get back I'll do the deed. And then, having been freed from this odious burden, I will be able to concentrate on catching up on my accounting and back tax returns.
Remember
Like a band aid.
Do it early.
Do it quick.
It may hurt, but the sooner it's off, the sooner you can finish healing.
Let the chips fall where they may.
quick cut
I'll make the announcement short and sweet and try to keep discussion to a minimum. I really don't want to be put through the emotional ringer about this again. I want it to be over; I want to disengage.
1Focus 9:29
I've been out of the house pretty much all day, didn't get much done, but they were big time-consumers. Oh well.
Already done:
Get out of bed when DD3 comes and gets me (normal weekend pattern)
Take care of kids
Ready for church
Church (I really struggle with this one, maybe I'll talk about it later)
CUOP
Take DD3 to spend the night with her cousin
Clear my head
Evening routine
CUOP
I want to:
Bedtime routine.
Ran out of time:
Something constructive
One big focus:
Clean up financial responsibilities
. must make phone call to unschedule monthly committment that will cost money
head clearing
Congratulations! You did it!
And did you see my solution to the endless to-do item "answer customer email"? I'm refunding their money. :P
There was no way...
...I was going to log on here without having done my head clearing first :P
pro's CI - 8:40pm
I'm feeling veeeeerrrrry angry. Think I should move away from the keyboard...
slider's 7:20 pm CI
Did everything on my list! Too tired now to woo-hoo about it, though.
Guess I'll vegetate for awhile with the kids watching The Simpsons. I see things all around me that really need tending to (enormous clutter and household disorganization, plus chores never gotten to). Maybe if I rest awhile, and eat, I'll feel like at least decluttering the dining room table. It would make the place look better and give me a start on finding what other time-bombs lurk in the heap of mail. (I felt so much better when I finally tackled the taxes.) What I DON'T want to do is fritter way my time uselessly on all the variety of time-wasters I typically engage in. If I'm too tired to function, I ought to go to bed, dammit! (Now how do I voice that frustration in terms of an "I want"?) Ooh--spooky. I caught an echo of my dad sending me off to bed in what I just said. Boy--if I don't go to bed just because I'm still resisting my dad, 30 years later, geez, what a moron! It certainly isn't getting even with him! My greatest demand-resistance seems to be to my internalized father and the Inner Parent I modeled after him in so many respects. (In fact, since my father is an adamant atheist, my entire career may be one great big rebellion! I already had to analyze that in seminary years ago, but now I'm re-thinking my conclusion that it is NOT.) Ha! I am constantly amazed by the resourcefulness of my inner pieces to really mess me up. The members of my inner committee are all vying for my attention in some really irritating ways. Must be journal time!!!!
Try this
I want to go to bed early.
But I don't!
That's the problem! I OUGHT to go to bed early, but I donwanna!
Okay, try this then...
I want to get up in a good mood. To accomplish that, I need to get some sleep. Therefore, I will be going to bed on time.
pro's CI - 6pm
I lopped some stuff off my to-do list because what I do this evening depends upon some decisions I need to make.
pro's CI - 4:45pm
I was going to read my Mac book to do something I wanted, and then answer my customer messages. Except that instead of reading my Mac book I spent the time posting here! I'm still going to try that, though. But first I'm making dinner (early dinner because I didn't really have lunch).
Sunday CI
New rule for Jester - no check-ins on Sunday. Just CUOP and replying has been recreational and restorative.
See you Monday, gang.
maybe I'll try "one focus"
I keep bouncing from thing to thing today, never committing to any particular course of action and thus not getting anything done. According to the book that has become my bible-du-jour ("Too Perfect"), this indecisiveness is a symptom of my fear of making mistakes.
So I will take the bull by the horns, decide what to do next, and JUST DO IT - no second-guessing my decision.
What I'll do: Read my Mac book for at least one hour. I'll check in afterwards.
Yes!!
I LIKE it, Pro.
PS - bible-du-jour - very funny! I wish there was a market for standup comedy for educated, intelligent people!
I just want to mention...
Yes, "respond to customer messages" has been on my list for days and I never do it (1Focus rightly nailed me on this). But I think maybe if I do something I want to do first - something for me - that I'll be less resistant to answering customer messages later.
Right now the thought of doing this makes me feel almost nauseous. It's a physical sensation of repulsion and resistance. I resent it unbearably - for no good reason except that people expect me to do it.
But if I do something I want to do first, then maybe... It's an experiment. I'll report back. :)
As long as it's an experiment...
I'm anxiously awaiting your report.
*ahem*
swallow that frog
*cough, cough*
Did you hear something? 8)
interim report
So far I've spent the time posting in the PA forum. (burp)
LOL
this is great free entertainment
(forget the strip joint)
1Focus 2:08
I'm realizing I need to identify a different set of routines on the weekends. I can't seem to take on as much.
I really feel like crap today. Sundays suck worse than Saturdays.
Already done:
Get out of bed when DD3 comes and gets me (normal weekend pattern)
Take care of kids
Ready for church
Church (I really struggle with this one, maybe I'll talk about it later)
CUOP
I want to:
Clear my head
Something constructive
Take DD3 to spend the night with her cousin
Evening routine
One big focus:
Clean up financial responsibilities
I swapped font colors on done and do in order to make the to-do list more positive and inviting :P
what carrot will motivate my inner donkey?
your major focus of cleaning up the financial mess got me thinking. what i'm wondering is, is there a POSITIVE, viscerally appealing goal that i could work on IF my financial mess were cleaned up?
e.g.
--use the dining room table for guests (instead of bills and taxes)
--use the garage for hobbies, instead of boxes of financial records
--find a bar or suppler club for sale and make an offer to buy it
--travel to africa and run guns to the oppressed people in darfur
whatever...
using rewards to inspire action
When I quit smoking, I put the money I'd have spent on cigarettes in a jar every day I didn't smoke. Over time it really built up (even though cigarettes only cost 65 cents a pack back then), and I used the money to buy myself a nice present.
I'm not sure how this applies to rewards for doing your accounting... Maybe for every hour we work on our accounting we allow ourselves an hour of doing something delightful?
yes, this will work.
yes, this will work.
the reward has to be selfish, out-of-the-ordinary, or hedonistic. perhaps this is because of the element of anger lurking in the rebellious procrastination?
buying groceries won't work. spending $50 at the gourmet food store WILL work.
seeing the friends i see anyway won't work. having a beer or two at an, ah, strip joint (sorry ladies) WILL work. why? because it's something i DON'T ordinarily do.
or maybe the extraordinary reward should be for an extraordinarily difficult task. maybe a daily reward - like milk at bedtime, or posting on this forum - would work for everyday chores, like posting that day's receipts to the bookkeeping spreadsheet.
weekend wonkiness
>I really feel like crap today. Sundays suck worse than Saturdays.
Me, too. I want to do stuff, and I feel absolutely frozen. I'm down and I don't feel good about myself. I don't know how to snap out of it.
I haven't played Tetris yet today. That's something.
slider's noon CI
Well, I hate to have to report that I've been procrastinating, but I have. Last night I signed out at midnight, but I didn't go to bed till 1:30 am, just farting around online and with a book, and with my eyebrows. So stupid to stay up longer when I was already tired! And I set my alarm for 6:30 instead of 6 because it was so late. Even so, I didn't get up till 7, when my phone alarm (I use it for backup) woke me (the clock alarm had no impact, though when the radio went off it must have been playing "Jose Cuervo, You Are a Friend of Mine," because that song was a prominant part of my dreams just before I woke up!) The result of all these delays was that I did a very slap-dash prep for Sunday School and even felt a little shaky on the sermon because I didn't take time to get grounded and tuned in to the Spirit beforehand. Nobody else seemed to notice, and I got compliments,even, but I didn't feel as into it as I would like. Though if the message got across, maybe God has a better chance when I get out of the way! :lol:
Done:
--morning routine
--church
--Sunday School
--CROP Walk handouts copied and in car
--reminded DD that we're leaving at 2:15 (it's weird having my own daughter in the mix this year. DS already went thorugh this, but everything was here at our own church and he isn't so scattered as DD--I have to constantly remind her about shoes, hair, backpack, etc.)
To Do:
--rest till lunch
--eat lunch
--find confirmation class notes
--go over lesson and schedule
--any materials to gather or copies to make?
--put new bibles in car
--call families of kids who were absent to remind of location (we have 5 churches together for this class and the location revolves)
--make sure I have all handouts: class, parents, CROP Walk materials
--put tv/dvd player in car
--leave for church at 2:15 (earlier if I have to go by store)
--make sure DD is ready to go, too!!!! (reminder at 2 pm!!!)
I don't think I want to go get my laptop today. I'm really tired. But we'll see when class is over at 6:30.
Should vs Want to
I want to re-label my To Do list as Things I WANT to get done. I caught myself shoulding myself, and I do that all the time. So what I ~want~ is to push myself a little to be fully prepared so I can do a good job today and connect with the kids. I want them to have a good and interesting time and actually learn something meaningful. They will be a reflection of me, so I want to be ready to enjoy what I present.
Jose Cuervo and the Holy Spirit
(1)
"Things I Want To Get Done"
YES!
(2)
"Nobody else seemed to notice, and I got compliments,even"
This is what always happens to me, after a sales meeting, performance, etc - when I have been internally beating myself up for not doing perfect preparation. To see ourselves as others see us!
(3)
re dreaming the Jose Cuervo song before ebgaging in ministry - you're MY kind of Pentecostal, baby!
Btw, I like the 5 churches-cooperating thing. Fun for the kids to have a big group.
pro's CI - 11:45am
I'm trying to decide whether to go to the 1pm meeting (which I've been going to regularly), or just go to the step meeting in the evening. I need a step meeting, and the only ones I've seen near me are on Sunday evening. I could go to two meetings, but I'm not sure I need two meetings.
pro's CI - 11am
I did my morning routine slowly this morning, but I did it... (hey - it's Sunday).
I think I will make it a rule for today that I do not play Tetris. That's eating up too much time, and I need to break the pattern.
pro's CI - 9:30am