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.
Wednesday, 27th of September, 2006
I have no idea what Humpday is but it's the only Wednesday one in the list!!!!!!
HI EVERYONE!
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pro's CI - 12:10am (THURSDAY!!)
I'm late again. ::sigh:: But I'm finally done with my bedtime routine - showered, teeth brushed, etc.
this is TOO WEIRD
I mentioned that while I was driving up here I called an old flame - someone I was involved with over 20 years ago.
Well, I just got an email - this minute - from someone I was involved with almost 30 years ago!!!! This is so bizarre. On the same day I'm contacting an ex from decades ago, another ex from decades ago is contacting me!
This is so weird. The person who contacted me was more interested than I was (wanted to marry me). With the person who I contacted, it was two-way love. I'd prattle on some more about this, but pretty soon I'll be betraying my gender and then I'll be sorry!!
Meanwhile, it's 11:15pm and I've made ZERO progress on my bedtime routine. I've been doing stuff online.
Horoscope
I came across a horoscope for today that said that the alignment of the stars was bringing out stuff that was long hidden/buried and that it's a good time to have a look at it and work some things through! It's intriguing when horoscopes seem to come true.
Spooky..
That's really strange! :o
Go to bed so you can get up in time for your hike!!!!! (that you are REALLY looking forward to so don't want to have a migraine!)
must be in the stars
Yah - very spooky. Weird! Some strange energies must be floating around in the ether.
I'm tired and late to bed again. Better go now.
I'm sure these dreadful daily migraines are from allergies. My nose will not stop dripping. I'm taking allergy meds, but September is the worst month and they are not helping - or not helping enough.
pro's CI - 9:30pm
I got here early enough that the inn owner was still here, and was able to reboot the wireless internet, which wasn't working (as it often is not). So here I am, online!
I'm in the place where I used to own my house - out in the New England boonies. I've been coming here once a month since I sold my house. In many ways, I enjoy my monthly visits more than I enjoyed living here. I still love it here, but I'm always happy to go back to New York. And since I'm no longer profoundly depressed, I interact with people more openly now than when I lived here.
I did something sort of nutty when I was driving up here - made a phone call that could trigger a cascade of events that may or may not be good. Eh! I'll know how insane my future will be tomorrow.
Friday I'm going to dinner and a movie with some friends I haven't seen in a while - looking forward to that. I made those arrangements while driving, too. (I get bored while driving, and start making phone calls.)
Since I nearly forgot I was supposed to come up here today, I got here too late to go hiking this afternoon, but it will still be beautiful tomorrow morning (clouding up later), so I'll go hiking in the morning.
In the afternoon I have a doctor's appointment, and some thoughts of going shopping in town for some things I can't get in the city (it's a long story). I also want to get my car washed (another thing that's hard to do in New York.)
Here are my ta-da and to-do lists. I have a modified bedtime routine since I'm not home.
Oh - forgot to ask..
You have me very curious - what was 'that' phonecall about???? Could you give a hint (ie, busines, relationship....family???). Or you could just spill the beans entirely :P.
okay, I'll tell ya...
I called an old flame. It seems like only yesterday, but when I thought about it I realized it was over 20 years ago. ::cough!!::
I saw this person about 8 years ago (9th step time), and the possibility of re-igniting was still there. I didn't want to then, but now I'm reconsidering. That was more than 10 years after the fact, so I don't think it's impossible that the door might still be open.
My relationship history has been generally disastrous. This was my best and longest relationship. In the 20 years since, I never was able to get back what I had with this person - nothing else ever came close. (I was the one to end it.)
It was insane to call for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is the reason I ended it. Another reason is that we're both 20 years older, and I don't know what this person's situation is now. It may very well be that nothing comes of it.
I didn't call and say, "Let's get it on" or anything - I just said it would be nice to talk and maybe get together. See, I'm too lazy to date and get to know new people - I prefer mining my past relationships. :P
Hi pro!
Sounds like you have a great couple of days lined up - yay!
Glad you can get online to share it with us :)
PA withdrawal
I'm glad I could get online, too. I was scared I wouldn't be able to, and I'd go into PA withdrawal tonight. I really like checking in here - it's very anchoring for me.
I had a nice day today (once I got here), and I expect tomorrow to be really nice, too.
Tomorrow might also be really weird, if I get a call back from the person I called while driving up here - someone I knew over 20 years ago. (Pro is going insane. :D )
Ooooh.....
Now I'm MORE curious!!!!!
You've called an ex, haven't you???? ;). So long as it wasn't The Sociopath, I'm behind you!!
Hee hee - it's funny what you're compelled to do or think when you're alone with your thoughts for too long!!!!!!!
no, not the sociopath!
Yah - of course I called an ex. What else could be so insane? :D
The sociopath lives here, where I am now (rural place). The person I called lives in New York.
I wouldn't call the sociopath. That's dialing pain. Nothing good could possibly come of that, not to mention that I view the sociopath as a dangerous monster - no nostalgia there!
1Focus 8:34
I'm exhausted for some reason, blowing off the whole evening and going to bed early.
Proudly Accomplished:
Morning Routine
Work Routine
• Meet with contractor 9:30
• Interview applicant 10:30
I chose to run out and get the chickens some food, poor girls have been without for a day.
• Contemplate department structure to implement upon hiring
• Daily work
Going out to dinner with family, I can't blame DW for not wanting to cook.
Blew off:
Work Plan
• Make calls regarding Project P
Evening Routine
• Help in kitchen
• Dinner and hang with family
• Farm chores (include kids)
• Clean up kitchen
• 30 minutes in garage
• Scoop catbox
• Office chores
I want To Do:
• Early to bed (lights out 10:00pm)
One big focus:
Garage storage project
• Hang wall slats
gettin it done last CI 8:40
Well the day is now done. I hurt more than I was hoping I would today, but still managed to get a few things done. I really don't do pain too well for more than about a day.. I get all antsy and don't want to rest like I should. I want to time binge instead to catch up.
Took DD3 to school/picked up
cleaned DD3's room
Put laundry away (DH helped)
Scheduled an appointment with a new chiropractor and made child care arrangements for DD0. I hope i like this one - shes takes insurance. I really like my old one but she doesn't do insurance, so I'm not getting the regular care I need b/c I can't afford her. Not looking forward to calling her to tell her I'm switching.
Blew off:
Folding towels- can't contort to get in the dryer.... :(
Preparing Dinner- We went out instead
scarlett CI 7:11 pm
Woo, nearly pulled what pro pulled - I'm leaving town tomorrow and I forgot I need to pack.
Last night: bedtime 11:07pm (target 10:15 pm)
This morning: wakeup 7:25 am (target 7 am)
Focus for today:
EXEC SUMMARY - DONE!
Done so far:
Eat breakfast
Take pills/allergy meds
Check work/personal email
equip needs to B
email A & E re: WS
RSVP email
email E and A re: WS
email Bob tiles
follow up on chairs
email NT
email Al re: seats
email SK re: seats
updated and emailed upcoming reviews
budget to J
feed cats
make/eat dinner
Postponed:
demo review - type up comments
Frog 2b
Frog 3
slate – what happened?
update grid
file photos
process emails (15 min)
Wilson – windows? Call K
update start/finish grid
update $$ on each tab in spreadsheet
monthly report
Tonight:
scoop pan
8 pm mtg
bed @ 11
Blown off:
gym or home workout - again :(
WTG!!!!
Well done on getting the Exec Summary done - you rock!
scarlett CI 5:43 pm
Oh my goodness, I am out of here. That was epic.
Last night: bedtime 11:07pm (target 10:15 pm)
This morning: wakeup 7:25 am (target 7 am)
Focus for today:
EXEC SUMMARY - DONE!
Done so far:
Eat breakfast
Take pills/allergy meds
Check work/personal email
equip needs to B
email A & E re: WS
RSVP email
email E and A re: WS
email Bob tiles
follow up on chairs
email NT
email Al re: seats
email SK re: seats
updated and emailed upcoming reviews
budget to J
Postponed:
demo review - type up comments
Frog 2b
Frog 3
slate – what happened?
update grid
file photos
process emails (15 min)
Wilson – windows? Call K
update start/finish grid
update $$ on each tab in spreadsheet
monthly report
Tonight:
gym or home workout
8 pm mtg
bed @ 11
1Focus 4:52
Proudly Accomplished:
Morning Routine
Work Routine
• Meet with contractor 9:30
• Interview applicant 10:30
I chose to run out and get the chickens some food, poor girls have been without for a day.
• Contemplate department structure to implement upon hiring
• Daily work
Blew off:
Work Plan
• Make calls regarding Project P
I want To Do:
Going out to dinner with family, I can't blame DW for not wanting to cook.
Evening Routine
• Help in kitchen
• Dinner and hang with family
• Farm chores (include kids)
• Clean up kitchen
• 30 minutes in garage
• Scoop catbox
• Office chores
• Early to bed (lights out 10:00pm)
One big focus:
Garage storage project
• Hang wall slats
work day
Only blew off one thing? WTG!!!!
One thing
I keep my list short on purpose }:)
scarlett CI 4:15 pm
I want CHOCOLATE. I want to reward myself for busting my ass as I am. Oh, well, I'm going to a concert tomorrow night and taking the day off on Friday. That will do. And there's ice cream at home in the fridge. With rasberries!
Last night: bedtime 11:07pm (target 10:15 pm)
This morning: wakeup 7:25 am (target 7 am)
Focus for today:
EXEC SUMMARY
Done so far:
Eat breakfast
Take pills/allergy meds
Check work/personal email
equip needs to B
email A & E re: WS
RSVP email
email E and A re: WS
email Bob tiles
follow up on chairs
email NT
email Al re: seats
email SK re: seats
To do:
budget to J
finish exec summary
monthly report
Postponed:
demo review - type up comments
Frog 2b
Frog 3
slate – what happened?
update grid
file photos
process emails (15 min)
Wilson – windows? Call K
update start/finish grid
update $$ on each tab in spreadsheet
Tonight:
gym or home workout
8 pm mtg
bed @ 11
Plodding through
Great job working past your initial resistance this morning. Keep at it!
slider slithering in
Hmm. Sliding for me implies lying around like a turtle, sunning, then sliding into the river--and not accomplishing much either way. Slithering, now--that sound so much more sinister! Gotta examine where that comes from! Nonetheless, I'm just not doing much. I went over to church more or less on time, did what I needed to there, got my kid to the dentist, then took him out for lunch, then back to school. A parishioner died this morning, and I've been waiting for the family to call me about arrangements, but nobody has....I read a little, did some research for a novel I'm writing, then ~slithered~ from research to cuop. Cuop isn't bad, but today I'm aimless. I feel like I'm in suspended animation, waiting for the emergency (the death and funeral preparations) to become full-blown. I know there are tons of things that are really needing to be done, but all I can muster is the thought that I ~should~ do them. I just don't ~want~ it enough at the moment to tackle them. So I guess it takes a crisis for it to matter enough, and I've already got a crisis coming my way, and none of the household things seem so bad...so I vegetate. Or piddle, at best. Of all the resons pro listed in her article, I think my biggest problem right now is the one where your soul is trying to send you off in another direction. I KNOW that's the truth for me. But for financial and a few other practical reasons it seems best for me to grit my teeth and stick it out for 2 years (when DS graduates). But the gritting is taking a toll. I don't know how long I can make myself do this work. The procrastination level is already so high! I love the chaplaincy, but not the parish. I guess I need to sit down and do a real analysis of the possibilities and the various effects. It doesn't help to have DH nearly stroking out with his blood pressure two days after I told him I really wanted to quit! Ah, maybe I can just think of a way to keep it more enjoyable for me, think of rewards for eating all the frogs (one problem I have is being too serious and not rewarding myself nearly enough). Well, I WILL think--right now, until I have to pick up kids. Later, y'all.
slider, I'm so glad you're thinking about this
>Of all the resons pro listed in her article, I think my biggest problem right now is the one where your soul is trying to send you off in another direction. I KNOW that's the truth for me.
(I'll just ignore the pronoun for pro - "her". I'm still stubbornly mysterious on that score. 8) )
Back to the topic... I'm so glad you are thinking about this. It's certainly been my strong impression reading your posts that this is the problem in your case. Even if you don't take immediate action, the fact that you're thinking about it and talking about it is hugely self-validating, and a very important step forward. I'm happy for you - cheering you on!!!!!
To thine own self be true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sounds like a tough situation
and quite a lot of food for thought. Knowing that you need a new direction is the first step... maybe actively planning your new direction would give you energy to tackle other things?
In any case, I wish you strength for dealing with the family and good luck in your musings.
To-do list
Just start with a reasonable list of things to work on. Then pick one and do what you can.
1Focus 1:59
Proudly Accomplished:
Morning Routine
Work Routine
• Meet with contractor 9:30
• Interview applicant 10:30'
I chose to run out and get the chickens some food, poor girls have been without for a day.
I'm so psyched about the applicant I interviewed today, I need a few minutes to conteplate how to fit him in. For the first time in 5 years somebody applied for this job that actually fits the job description.
I want To Do:
Work Plan
• Contemplate department structure to implement upon hiring
• Daily work
• Make calls regarding Project P
Evening Routine
One big focus:
Garage storage project
• Hang wall slats
pro's CI - 1:15pm
I'm all packed, and heading out the door to get my mail and my car.
Have fun!?
I hope you still get to check in with us.
I have internet access!!
Often the internet access is down at the inn where I'm staying, but I arrived here early enough that the inn owner was still here and able to reboot it, so now I have access. :)
I went to a meeting tonight, which was very nice. This is where I got sober, and I love coming here once a month and going to the Wednesday night meeting. Tomorrow I'm going hiking in the morning and I'm really looking forward to that. I did it last time I was here, too. It's glorious - like being in heaven. I go to a very beautiful place.
scarlett CI 11:45 am
Haven't gotten as much done as I'd like, but it's a start and I've been working steadily. Not much else I can do!
Last night: bedtime 11:07pm (target 10:15 pm)
This morning: wakeup 7:25 am (target 7 am)
Focus for this morning:
EXEC SUMMARY - 45 min so far
Done so far:
Eat breakfast
Take pills/allergy meds
Check work/personal email
equip needs to B
email A & E re: WS
RSVP email
To do:
demo review - type up comments
Frog 2b
Frog 3
monthly report
budget to J
call NT
slate – what happened?
update grid
file photos
process emails (15 min)
Wilson – windows? Call K
update start/finish grid
update $$ on each tab in spreadsheet
Tonight:
gym or home workout
8 pm mtg
bed @ 11
Getting started
Getting started on things is always the most difficult thing for me. My favorite excuse is "not enough time to fininsh," but that doen't mean we can't start. Way to go!
not enough time to finish
This is an issue that Robert Boyce talks about extensively in his writing about procrastination (he did a lot of controlled studies). Most adults rarely have big blocks of time to do things, so if you wait for those big blocks, you never get it done. He says the trick is to use small pockets of time effectively - learn to do a little bit then stop.
I have huge difficulty doing this, but I'm working at it. I especially have problems with stopping, and he says this is essential - no time bingeing. He says that time bingeing CAUSES procrastination, and you should make yourself stop at the preplanned time no matter what you are in the middle of doing.
pro's panicked CI - 11:30am
OMG, OMG - gotta leave. Can't believe I forgot I'm scheduled to go out of town today!!!!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm supposed to go out of town today, and I ALMOST FORGOT!!!!
I'm not going bike riding or anything else. Yikes!! I gotta get out of here!! I'm afraid I have an afternoon appointment that I'm going to have trouble making.
What happened to my Outlook reminder?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
at least...
...the appointment is tomorrow, thank goodness.
But I've still gotta get outta here - FAST.
Geesh.
Outlook reminder
Maybe when you put an out-of-town appointment in there you should do a couple of alarms for the 2 days prior to remind you in advance, perhaps???
Have a good time!!!
don't know what happened
Usually it works fine. I don't know what happened this time. I must have turned it off by accident. At least I got here!
Checking In
Thanks for the feedback from my very first post in the cant work forum.
:jawdrop: I must say I am impressed with the length and scope of the to do lists i see posted here.
As a newbie, I am not sure I understand all the acronyms used here, but here is my list for today:
Ta Da:
Up at 7am
Fixed breakfast
Dropped kid off to school on time
Cleaned up kitchen
TO DO Today:
Walk around block OR put on workout tape and exercise inside
Call Health Ins. Co. re:primcare phys.
Find tax papers
Prepare Dinner
Buy a small cake to congratulate school staff on student test scores
Pickup kid from school/drop off cake
Evening:
Clean up kitchen
Put away laundry
(This is such a great idea. An interactive to do list with built in accountability. Hope I can hang! DeeBo)
Perfect description
An interactive to do list with built in accountability
and remember we're an unbiased ;) 3rd party who only wish you the best.
You can't go wrong with your list. Notice some of the "filler" which makes mine seem longer. Start small and add slowly.
Make it work for you!
Put as much or as little as you like on your list. Everyone does it a little differently. Start small and build, if you like.
Welcome to the crew!
Yay, Deebo!!
Congratulations on your first check-in post!! :)
Sure, you can do this! The format is up to you. We've just all developed our little quirks on how we like to format ours.
Your list looks good. Keep checking in and reporting your progress!!
pro's CI - 10:45am (AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I woke up 2 hours late again. This time I went to sleep at a reasonable hour. I just slept for 9.5 hours. I think I'm making up for all those previous late nights and early mornings.
And then, as if that weren't bad enough, I just spent 1.5 hours doing work for my business that is precisely the kind of work I said I would no longer do and I'm no longer charging for. Is there anyone here competent in head examinations? I need one.
I haven't even had coffee yet.
Oh, dear.
I think I'm making up for all those previous late nights and early mornings.
I know it takes me a while to make up for sleep deprivation and get back on a schedule.
I just spent 1.5 hours doing work for my business that is precisely the kind of work I said I would no longer do and I'm no longer charging for.
This is neither your One Focus nor your other priority, the emails. Is this what you want to do? How long would it take you to extricate yourself?
As best as I can examine your head from here ;), I see a proactive person who's making some dramatic changes that take time to implement. Life - not a linear path, as much as we wish it so.
You can do it! I know you can. Little steps, patience.
disengaging
I think I'm just taking some time to disengage from my business. It's a transition time. I don't see myself being this involved for much longer.
oh wait...
I was thinking about blowing off today and going bike riding, and then working one day this weekend because it will be raining. Maybe I'll do that, and then I don't feel so bad about my late start (and the fact that I'm blowing off my Pilates routine).
Crosspost...
Sounds like a bike ride could help you to clear your head and get a fresh start. Not to mention - fun on a pretty day!
Hmm, maybe I want to build a brief walk into my day while the weather is pretty.
Blecch.
Having freakout. Finishing Exec Summary in time remaining seems impossible, don't know where to start. :?
well, have started.
i'll do what i can...
1Focus 8:54
Proudly Accomplished:
Morning Routine
• Out of bed 6:25 (target 6:00)
• Ready for anything
• Feed DD0
• Breakfast
• Unload dishwasher
• Head to work
Work Routine
• Meet with staff/general plan
• CUOP
• Time Sheets
• Clear my head
• Specific plan for the day
I want To Do:
Work Plan
• Meet with contractor 9:30
• Interview applicant 10:30
• Daily work
• Make calls regarding Project P
Evening Routine
One big focus:
Garage storage project
• Hang wall slats