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.

Hiding your procrastination

I guess procrastination is similar to addiction in how people justify it, how they can't control it, and how they hide it from others. Personally I've been lying about stuff for years, sometimes making up big stories, so that I don't have to explain why I didn't do something. Lots of the time I lie and say I did something that I didn't do, mainly with on-going long-term projects. I find it much easier than explaining why I didn't do something. I don't know why I didn't do it, I just couldn't. There is no rational explanation to give to co-workers, family, and friends. So I lie. How do you hide your procrastination from others?

Count me in, too..

Yep - I lie all the time when caught out. I think the worst bit is I get a kick out of getting away with it.

I have always been a bit of a liar....I can still remember some lies I told as a very young child.

I actually have a really poor memory, and most of my lying is actually to hide that I've forgotten something more than procrastination.

I tell you what, though, I have not lied ONCE on this board!!!!!!! What would be the point, hey?!

It's kind of a rush being honest

The kick my son seems to get out of doing dangerous or scary things is kinda how I feel when I blurt out one of the awful truths I've been carrying around. Admitting what I've been thinking, feeling, and doing seems really frightening--yet exhilerating. Though sometimes after I've spoken with great feeling I wonder if I should have said so much!

holding stuff inside

You've been holding a lot inside, slider. It must feel like a tremendous release of pressure to get it out.

Oh dear, yes...

Yep, I have lied and lied to try and conceal my fundamental lack of meaningful activity. I live my life constantly expecting to be called on my laziness, but it never seems to happen somehow, which is extraordinary.

Obviously I do productive stuff sometimes, and I don't think it's bad when I do get around to it, but I'm sure the fact that I'm never pulled up for neglecting work is partly to do with the supposition of everyone around me that I'm an adult and it would be rude to do so.

I keep thinking it can only be so long before someone takes me to the cleaners, but each time, even when I become really feckless, colleagues tolerate it until eventually I decide to quit and go start the cycle with a new employer!

I lied today

I stayed in my office at the nursing home after hours today, working on my planner. I put off ~READING~ my planner and missed two things I had scheduled! After time-bingeing 2 hours on deciding what all my projects and lists should be, I realized that I had missed an appointment. I called the couple I had stood up and apologized. I also made up the excuse that I had been at the hospital visiting and forgot the time. They were very accepting, and we made another appointment (this time I put it in my phone calendar with a beeper to remind me as well as in my apparently useless planner). Well, the hospital is where I was SUPPOSED be before my appointment with the couple, so I did go afterward. So I lied about why I was late (which was time-bingeing), and I was time-bingeing rather than reading my calendar, though I was not consciously procrastinating about the two appointments--I was just obsessed with "playing with the time management tools."

Another way to hide

Is to not tell anyone your plans in the first place! This is one reason why it helps me to come here because it gives me a feeling of accountability. There's no reason to lie to anyone here because I've not promised anyone anything (not with a deadline attached to it anyway!), and we all know the excuses so there's no point. I'm sure I do sometimes make them without realising, but it's likely someone else will see it and give a gentle nudge to try to help me see it.

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I Hear Ya,

I've only been heavily lying about my procrst. since 2005, over the years, I have had some better years than others controlling my procrsat.but I went through Officer Canidacy School (in the US Army National Guard) while working for 60+ hrs a week at a high-responsibility, low-authority government job. I would sometimes get 60 e-mails in one day I had to deal with - not just answer, but do some work, attatch and re-submit it through e-mail.I built up 700_ e-mails and began to hate e-mail and aviod as much as possible.That's when my procrast whent into overdrive, as well as my perfectionism. I also have a slight obcession with organization at work - NOT getting work done, mind you, just keeping each morsel of electronic or hard copy info in check, for some reason, so that takes away from the possibility of getting much done. I began making up all kinds of stuff to people. I felt sooo guilty lying about things. I hate to lie, especially ove rtrivial things such as work projects, etc., because I can't control myself. AJNAT

Lying -- about other work

Instead of lying about work I've (not) done on a project, I often lie about work done on other projects. When someone comes looking for progress on Project A, I think it's better to tell them "I've been working on Project B" than "I've been goofing off online all morning."

Of course, people eventually decide you have problems setting the right priorities in your work, but that's better than being seen as a slacker.

--
flexiblefine
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheNowHabit/

Bluffing

Scenario:
You're time bingeing. Sure, it's a virtuous pursuit. Maybe you're delving into the history of 20th century design in the hopes that it'll help you with your design project. Maybe you're delving into psychological theory in the hopes you can learn why you behave badly. Maybe you're adding (down to the cent) all your expenses for taxes. Whatever. But you're supposed to be....

Doing something for someone for money, maybe? Overcoming an obstacle that prevents you from continuing a task? Getting started on something that feels vague or huge?

The phone rings.

It's a business associate who seems to be checking up on you. Suddenly you find yourself acting snottier and more efficient than you could ever really be. You're thinking on your feet. You're troubleshooting, problem solving, making plans with them. You joke, charm, deflect, feint... and get off the phone unscathed.

This time.

Ugh.

Gnothi Seauton ~ Know Thyself

you mean you answer the phone??

The phone rings.

It's a business associate who seems to be checking up on you. Suddenly you find yourself acting snottier and more efficient than you could ever really be. You're thinking on your feet. You're troubleshooting, problem solving, making plans with them. You joke, charm, deflect, feint... and get off the phone unscathed.

When I'm in procrastination mode, I generally hide - let the answering machine pick up.

Wait, this isn't normal behavior???

Are there people out there that don't lie when they are late for an appointment or didn't finish a project or show up for a meeting? My head is spinning with all this information. Are we really a select few who do this sort of thing. Procrastinators, time bingers...I'm still not sure what that means but I thought everyone did this sort of thing. I lied today about why a customer's job was delayed, certainly not my fault...no...not because I'm a big fat procrastinator...noooo. Man, I hate discovering all this stuff about myself. And to think I once thought I had no issues.

i do it

i have to admit - i lie. but this brought up something. the only thing i recall lying about is always connected w/procrastination. what an addiction!

Other people

Other people generally don't do those things as often as we do so they can be honest without drawing attention to it. But if us procrastinators were telling the truth about why we have missed a deadline or forgotten something, they'd soon stop trusting us, paying us, loving us......

Aack!

You just described my whole ministry! Time-bingeing alternating with bluffing (and to bluff myself, then I often overdo the tasks I do get to--the whole perfectionist thing).