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.
Finishing my Thesis
Hi, I gave a (very long!) introduction in the introductions section - "Pulling myself back from the Brink". (http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/4281) I am going to keep a log here of each day. So that I have some encouragement and record of how I am doing with getting to the end of my long due thesis.
11 August 2012
Most of the day was spent procrastinating watching tv or on the internet. I was worrying about not knowing how to start my final chapter of my thesis. It is 9.30pm now. My behaviour today has cost me $71 in tuition fees today.
I read the The Little Guide to Un-Procrastination by Leo Babauta. I am have decided to face my fears and conquer this problem slowly but surely.
I will start working in 10min slots from now for one hour and go to bed by 10.45, so that I can wake up at 6.30 everyday from tomorrow onwards.
Any other academics in here?
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Thank you so much Jalla for
Thank you so much Jalla for your comment and ecnouragement. Yes, staying in the present is a blessing, but it needs a lot of work. I keep trying to do that in the last few days. Hope you manage to soldier on as well with your work!
23 November
r 25x10, thesis work. Writing has been very slow. Need to edit and rush through faster.
I had some time at noon after I got in, where i had trouble starting. Had to pump myself up with my power move to get moving. The key is to force urself to do the physiology change, even when you are down and out, seemingly.
In the evening,gave in again and was obsessively surfing net for a while, but the got on PA chat and managed to get back on wagon again.
Need to come back from break all pumped up, focus on positive things and treat negative thoughts like a random itch that I can just ignore and move on.
6x10 marking stuff in the morning unrelated to thesis.
Thesis- sending you good juju!
You are not alone, kiddo! I'm right there with you....same struggles. Studying and writing are very isolating, lonely endeavors. I'm finding I have to take "social" breaks from time to time, or I spiral down and get depressed. TV seems less harmful than Internet for me. Once I surf....I'm perched on the board, scouting waves, and catching them all...and before you know it, the whole night is gone. Then a vicious night of self-hatred kicks in as I kick myself for losing valuable, critical time I need to meet my goal. So, I hear ya! At least with TV, I can use my dvr to watch 10 minutes of something, pause it, go back to bursting, take another 10 min to continue watching program, back to bursting, and so on. Point in sharing all that is that you're not alone! And when in doubt....never underestimate the power of an image to redirect you: Beef stew. Lemon Meringue pie, peach pie, lemon-lime soda, chicken noodle soup.....it's all good! Best of luck today!
nights of self-hatred
I can really relate Chattydo to the above.
The following posts have helped me learn about my bedtime procrastination:
Bedtime procrastination?
going to bed late, help please
I've struggled less with this since I've started to work the 12-Steps (in another fellowship) though I slipped badly with web surfing earlier in the week feeding my bedtime procrastionation. Funny how I procrastinate on something so self caring, self loving and resting. I need to be vigilent!
Thank you Chattydo! Yum all
Thank you Chattydo! :D Yum all that food sounds good i must say!
22 November
Back on the wagon!! 6 hours of work.
34 x10 - Thesis work . Tomorrow, work through the day with courage and you can achieve a lot more. Need to keep impoving. CANI - Constant and Neverending Improvement.
2 x 10 - Marking
GO THESIS!!! Nice plan!!
Thesis,
all the best wishes for your final plan. Stick to it as if someone will cut a finger off if you didn't! :P
You will be the next person to finish here, I can feel it.
FREE YOURSELF, work hard, 1 focused burst at at time will bring you bliss. Treat them with concentration and appreciation. ;) You can do it, they're only 10 minutes.
Hugs,
Wolke
Thank you so much Wolke!
Thank you so much Wolke! :) Really appreciate your wonderful support and your quiet confidence in me! I am off to bed now! Goodnight
FINAL PLAN
Chapter Five – 21 November
Introduction –22-23 November
Chapter One – 23 November (4 hours)
Chapter Two – 24 November (Finish chapter in 3 hours)
Chapter Three – 25-26 November (2.5 days)
Chapter Four – 27 November
Spare day - 28 November
Send Draft to supervisors – on 29 November morning
i can relate very much to
i can relate very much to most of what you wrote in your long post, pulling myself back from the brink. being productive and doing the work makes me happy and feel good about myself, and when i procrastinate and waste time, i feel horrible. why i continue to repeat patterns that make me feel horrible, i cannot fathom, but i continue to do so. i am reading the procrastination equation right now, and hoping to glean some words of wisdom.
one day at a time
happy tuesday, thesis! we can do this! now that wolke has finished, is there anyone else working on a dissertation/thesis?
I'm thesis, too!
Hi PhDMom and Thesis, yes! I am working on a thesis, too, and have been stuck for almost ONE YEAR now. I've worked on it quite a bit in that time period but haven't made very much progress.
Now, with the support of my advisor, I am adjusting my outline and about to start from where I left off.
Definitely need help and major support.
I have a hard time with the forum here because I feel like there's so much on there that I don't have the sense that I'd really be accountable to anyone, but I am interested in ideas that anyone has and definitely have found the chatroom helpful.
Hope to be in touch!
emily, aka slowpoke
Hi slowpoke and
Hi slowpoke and phdmom,
Thanks for dropping in here to say hello! :D I totally empathise with you guys. It has been a struggle, up and down. There are some days when it starts off well and then it all goes to the dogs. Mind keeps returning to the isntances of failures and comes up with all the reasons why it will continue happening. But the consequences have been terrible. Financially, emotionally, relationship-wise, selfworth-wise, career-wise. MUST MUST MUST change.
I am slowly trying to turn my mind towards the light instead, dwelling on my past successes and believe that all things are possible through our higher power. I am trying to chunk it down at this point. Chunk chunk chunk into small achievable tasks even though they may be tiny and only have a break when that small task is done, even if its writing 75 or 100 words. We need to get used to task completion. Writing a dissertation is ideal for never having that feeling of task completion because it seems so big and huge. So we need to make smaller tasks and feel elevated at completing them. That's what i am ttrying to do. I hope to master it.
hi slowpoke
nice to meet you! i am also figuring out how to use this site in a way that is helpful to me. i will have to try to the chatroom as well. it seemed to me to be a bit disjointed and less interactive, but i will try it again. i hope to commit to come on the website at least more consistently and possibly daily. glad to have more dissertators along for the ride!
Hi back, PhD Mom
Thanks! Glad we can connect. It's true, I do sometimes struggle to connect in the chatbox - I think you have to be in there regularly to really work with others in there/have the attention of people, but sometimes just reading what other people are doing helps keep me motivated and makes me feel accountable/not alone when I'm working. Anyway,if you want to meet in there sometime we can. What are you working hours/schedule like?
schedule - what's that? i
schedule - what's that? i would say "lol", but this is no laughing matter! the kids are out of the house from 8:30- 3, and it's rare that i get to it early, though i've tried both ways- dissertating first and then vegging, but the resistance is so strong that i'm trying to strategize and give myself permission to faff until lets say noon, so that at least there's a chance of still getting in some time every day. my main faffery is watching tv online, and on a good day, i am doing housework while watching, so relatively productive. but i can work around your schedule - when are you generally in chat? or is there a way to get notified to my email if someone posts on my posts or something?
20 November and more important thoughts from today
17x10 so far.
Work longer periods, 5x10 or 6x10. When you have momentum, it's easier to continue.
- Oprah strategy to overcome adversity
1. I am god's child. ----In T.R's seminar, he did an exercise where he asked people to touch their hearts and think of a time when they felt guided and blessed, where the world bent its rules to accomodate you. It has been true for me over and over again. I need to keep my eyes on that and not let recent patterns cloud the truth of who I am.
2. I can do all things through God who strengthens me. He makes all things possible.
- To go from bored and tired to ENGERGISED is instantaneous with change in physiology. Practise doing it RAPIDLY.
- Everyone has to go through stress, trouble, difficulty in their lives. The question is what am i going to do with it? Are you going to grow through it or allow it to become part of you?
- If you want to take over the island, you need to burn the freaking boats. No more, I should, I should, I should. Only MUSTs. What sort of standard am I willing to set myself? That's how I can grow.
19 November
18 November - 10 x 10.
19 November - Plan
Finishing this section - 1 hour (6 x10)
Goomg back now and finishing earlier section - 1 hour (6x10)
Sorting out discussion section - 2 hours (12 x10)
Expanding and editing conclusion - 1 hour (6 x10)
Chapter is done and dusted with 5 hours of focussed work! That was easy.
One day at a time ...
Great to hear your progress. Let's each keep working on our recovery, one day at a time!
Well done thesis
Fantastic job thesis- you are doing great! heres to a great week of writing ahead.
Hi Jalla, it's actually what
Hi Jalla, it's actually what i need to do today, but i just wrote it in the present tense :D haha. But i will take your congratulations in advance so that im more inspired. :)
LOL congrats for today in advance so!
Have a good day
17 November
2 x 10 - Done so far to sort out teaching related stuff.
15 November
14 November - 11 x 10.
15 November.
Plan for the day
I will tackle editing one page at a time. Instead of looking at time alone, I need to have a measurable estimate of progress. I also need it coz I need to get used to the feeling of task completion instead of time completion. So I need to make sure I get up only after each task is done, so that I rewrire my brain to enjoy the feeling of empowerment which comes with completing tasks. If that means, breaking up into a page or even paragraphs to edit, that is what I have to do.
I can 3x10 before event today and then after lunch 1.45-3.45 - 10x12. 4-6-10x12. 6.30-8.30 - 10x12. = 33x10.
1. Edit Page 30 - 20mins.
2. Edit Page 32-33 - 10mins.
Had a workshop. been an hour since. Taking action NOW.
3. Edit page 34 -10mts.
4. Edit page 35 - 20mts.
i could have written most of your comments
hi thesis, i am new here, been struggling with the dissertation for too long now. i can relate to your struggle, and most of your posts, i have said or felt many times before. wishing you the best of luck, and i'm with you on this journey.
12 and 13 November
12 November - academic work 15 x 10
Total 13 November - 15 x 10 plus thesis work 9x10 = 24 x 10.
13 November - academic work about 13 x 10.
Now I want to do 12 x 10 tonight. Each ten minutes makes me feel stronger and stronger.
3x10 mts done. Getting throough editing. 2 pages into section.
Total - 5 x10 done of thesis work done. Another 8 for the night.
Update only did 4 out of 8. Surfed some stuff which i didnt need to as i was looking up some relevant work.
Steady progress every day Thesis
Sounds good thesis, your amount of work done is steadily growing every day.
Keep it up! Don't forget to aim for the 19th ;)
11 November
Did 4 x10 and got distracted by reading something health related and then allowing myself to surf other stuff. Maybe a bit of anxiety behind it. Going to have lunch now and then back to work.
11 November - Update
I did 8 x 10mts in all. This is part of my recovery. Something is better than nothing. Need to have courage to keep moving forward.
Something is better than nothing
I am going to adopt this as my mantra! Well done thesis. I have been following your posts, and I love to see that you are grinding on.
Hooch
11 November - Update
8 X 10 in all. You have to realise that if you give in even a little bit, you tend to slide downwards. It shouldn't ideally. But I can't start procrastinating even a little bit especially in that direction, it will go on forever. And you will regret. I want to fully understand and REALISE the fact that there is no bliss in that, there is no release of tension there, in fact it just adds to it. All your experiences point to this. There is no contradictory evidence which suggests that you will feel better at the end of the day. I have never felt better after procrastinating.
Keep the end in mind. Push throught resistance.
Best of luck!
Best of luck to you thesis! Sending good energy to you and hope you have a good week ahead with writing.
Thank you so much Jalla!
Thank you so much Jalla! :)
Hi thesis, that's 4 steps closer to your goal! :)
Hi thesis,
well done for having done work on your document! Every step is one and let's not underestimate their value. :)
Just wanted to let you know i'm working late tonight so we can crash-burst together if you like!
A little SPRINT to our end goal (if all steps counted together ;)
See you soon. Solidarity and mindfulness wished to you.
Hey Wolke! i was doing my
Hey Wolke!
i was doing my teaching-related work today like i had mentioned a couple of days ago. So was not in this morning. I sent you an offline msg about yday!
Thanks for your constant encouragement and cheer. Hope you went well yesterday night. I will be in early tomorrow morning (your night 8.30-9pm) So yeah, hope to work together then if you are working late.
Go Wolke!!
10 November
9 November - 5x 10 before i gave in. Did not break myself out of pattern by doing something outrageous. That worked the next day.
10 November - 17 x 10mts. - Important note, when stuck with something and procrastination is coming on, just switch section, it really helps! Thanks Wolke!
Awesome thesis.
Keep it up!
"See you" at my 8am your 7pm Sunday.
:) Wolke
8 November - some reminder of what worked for the future.
13 X 10 mts - Finished section
Everyone around me has been finishing up their thesis and i got really scared and worried today. But then I thought of what I can do, that I can do anything that I set my mind to. That if they can, i definitely can. Kept chanting, Fired up, ready to go with my new anchor-clap to back of palm. That put me in state. Walked like I was king as well, that always helps. Chunked it down. Did not think of whole project or time or what has happened in the past. What can i do now to make myself feel better, that was the only question.
Then I got cracking and kept pushing through even when i didnt want to click the timer and wanted to do soemthing else. When i finally wasted time, it was because i did not bite it in the bud. Never never never give in. That's the motto which will help. Alright new timetable is to sleep by 11am and wake up at 7am. I can do this.
Excellent work thesis, good mindset.
Hey thesis,
I (think i) tried your anchor clap with back of hands, briliant. :) We're kings and queens and let's do this!
Thank you for reminding me too of some things that work for me.
I haven't finished yet and will be on this site all day and often also evening to crack my deadline for the 19th of November. I've been sleeping too late in the morning, but need to admit to myself that if I dont get up early I will not make it and not graduate. For for me it will be 7am if i had an early night or 9am start latest if i worked until 1 or 2am.
I am about to find out what kind of difference TEN DAYS can make. I hope you join me for the ride, it's always more pleasant with you around and my mindfulness book has taught me that I should not suffer more than necessary, so i'm going to try and enjoy these important days.
Lots of good energy vibes sent ~~~~~~~~ and keep FIRING UP .
Wolke
25 October - What works for me
Update for 24 October - 8 x 10mts.
How I got started:
In my head, I stopped trying to think of the whole project and supervisors' expectations and timeline and fees and everything. Instead, I asked myself, what can I do now? What little thing can I do now? Can I do 10mts now which will help me feel better.
I also told myself that while work seems hard and difficult and unpleasant, the truth is not working is truly more harder, difficult and unpleasant. I told myself that if i did not believe this, look at myself at the end of a productive day vs a terrible day and note the difference. This is not some thing that i am trying to convince myself is right. This is the truth. Your only bliss is in work. The other way is just frustration and anxiety.
I also attempted to offer all unrelated websites as an offering unto the higher power. If I have given it as a present, how can i take a present back? This helped me the last time when I quit smoking for 3 years. I quit by offering my cigarrates to the higher power. Then I couldnt bring myself to take it back.
I did a 10min before my first smoke for the day. I noted that i used to do this when i was going well as opposed to feeling tempted to smoke first during the time when i had trouble starting and keeping at it.
Everytime i came back to my desk, I clicked the timer before sitting down.
I didn't even go to the chatroom in here and I decided to work on my own to train myself because lately i have been dependent on other people to work and most of the time i will find an empty chatroom and that then becomes an excuse not to work. I want to empower myself to work.
What made me distracted: So I managed do 8 x10 after a long time which gave me some momentum. But then I felt sleepy and that made me feel distracted and I just read somethign unrelated somewhere and then went and googled stuff on politics which i didnt need to do. And then i got distracted for an hour at the end of the day and felt really anxious after that. Thus I fell down. But then I am now reaffirming my commitment to give other websites as an offering unto the higher power. I should be ashamed of trying to take back a gift that I have given. I am reaffirming my commitment to my healing.
Way to go!!!!!
Well done - you are doing GREAT!
Wolke to Thesis. Your plan sounds good!
What a brilliant idea to give certain things (where we like to linger), as a gift/sacrifice to a higher power.
Just visualised to send you Muse and momentum and the strength to continue to sit down and start timer and WORK.
- When I work on here every day I think of you at least twice wishing you good progress. I hope it arrives like thunder and strengthens you a little bit extra in your work.
Best wishes,
Wolke
(thesis)
So glad you keep finding inspiration to move forwards. I know what you mean about the chat box - the Australian afternoon/early evening is a bit of a 'dead' time globally and I've sometimes given up when no one else was there.
Cheering you on and admiring your persistence!
Plan for Today
4.00 - Finish section
5.30 - Finish tuning up next section on pil.
Will update at 4pm with 9x10mts at least.
24 October - Not giving up
Alrght, I am not going to be ashamed of myself and feel guilty and bad and worried that I am looking bad in your eyes because I haven't been posting and updating.
But what matters is i am back here. Finishing involves having the courage to get up each time you fall down. Keep getting up, keep marching, keep moving forward. Inch by inch. Anythign worthwhile which has ever been done anywhere, built anywhere, written by anyone, involved putting one foot in front of the other, one brick at a time, and minute by minute.
Am I going to roll over and die/play dead? NO! I might be many other things, but I AM NO QUITTER! i will grit my teeth and move forward, I will take the hits and keep moving forward. Here is my bliss. Here. Look back and see where else you have found happiness. Yes, just here. Word by word until I am drenched in the shower of bliss that follows accomplishment. You will be a DR soon. Believe.
Inspiring thesis
What an inspiring post, thesis. You WILL be a DR.
Beautiful! And good to remind ourselves that our bliss lies with what we do now, even if it is a struggle at times. Great things don't come easily.
I think here nobody judges you for falling, only praises you for getting up again.
We all fall. And we all attempt to rise and get up again after. I read at someone's user name (i think) a chinese proverb along the lines of "Fall 7 times. Raise 8."
You are courageous and determined in your attitude.
Look forward to working with you again.
Best wishes and hug,
Wolke
Fall 7 times, Rise 8!
Fall 7 times, Rise 8! Beautiful! Thanks you so much wolke! You are right, I will stop thinking that everyone here will judge my slowness after my hare like start at the beginnig. Like they say, it is not about how you start, but how you finish which is important!
We will finish with courage in our hearts, determination, and the firm conviction that all things are possible!
GO THESIS!!!
YOU CAN DO IT ! !
Stay on your bike, and you WILL finish.
GO GO GO!!! 
Vrrrmmmmmmmmm!
Thanks woilke for your
Thanks woilke for your timely reminder :) I am going to keep moving forward although I have been lost in between. Hugs!
13 October
Mind clear - Check
No regrets - Check
In the present - Check
Positive/Encouraged - Check
Confidence in inner Self/God/Higher Being - Check
Starting Timer - Check
Will report at 11pm with at least 5 x10 mts done.