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.
15 things
Hi all,
Been away for a while -- nice to be back! Sounds like a lot of folks have been doing some serious frog-eating. Makes me feel inspired to get some things done, too!
I have about 15 little odd jobs that need to get done around the house -- most of them probably will take 10 minutes or less. I'm going to see how many of them I can knock off in the next couple of hours, and will check back in.
Falcon
Welcome back Falcon
J.
Not too bad
Not too bad -- I got 9 of my things done (And meanwhile the list somehow expanded to 17 things, but at least I'm still over half-way there.)
Falcon
Forum not useful
I joined this forum to help with my procrastination. I have spent the past 3 hours going back and forth to this web page rather than working. This is just another way for me to procrastinate---not very helpful.
Lol, Joe
I did that a lot when I first joined too :-) In the end you learn to turn it into an anti-procrastination tool rather than another way to procrastinate :-) You just need to pace yourself.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
Tomorrow is PAYDAY
it is for me anyway . . . so if you're a regular user of this site and it's helping you, it's time to make another contribution if you can! I'm sending mine now. It's not much, but I hope it helps! I know Pro spends a lot of time and money on the site. Financial problems go hand in hand with procrastination so some of us may not be able to help out, but if you can, please do.
J.
Journey 10:45 I'm a college student today!
OK, today is a weird day and I don't expect to get 8 hours worth of work done but I'm going to try to get in as much as possible.
My husband's truck and my daughter's car are in the shop, so I have the only available form of transportation. So I'm hanging out at school with the daughter. I can work remotely but I don't know how well I will be able to concentrate in this situation. I have a couple of things that really need to get done today:
Monthly Status Report
2 conference calls
preparation for sad test, do the test if I can do it remotely
edit document for the yucky project - not so yucky anymore now that it's 75% done
J.
Julie's 10 am CI
To do:
Morning routine
Give T her meds
Clinical visits (10-3)
Meditate
Call about student pictures
Email JG about conference
Spanish-finish Chapter 4***
Barnes and Noble
Buy tickets
If time:
Unpack suitcase and put things away
Fill out graduate faculty form for work
Look over L’s document
Gather receipts for expense report
Mark CI 10:40 AM
next action: assemble shelving
to do:
phew --> dat's a lot!
Amy's CI
Wednesday:
Print paperwork
Work on materials for class
1 hour of school homework
Clean off table in office
Sweep
Vaccum
Make cookies
Walk
Try to work on
Take pictures of house
Watch classroom video
Need to be completed but can wait
beginning
Thanks to the suggestions of Edge and others who came to my rescue yesterday, I went looking at some articles on procrastination by Steve Pavlina and have come away feeling... refreshed, hopful, even optimistic. I am no longer 'finishing' anything, instead starting anew on projects that here-to-fore were odious obligations.
Todays starts:
make this list
celebrate accomplishments
stretch
drink green tea
begin from where I left off on the annual report
take frequent breaks to recharge
thank my higher power
repeat
This beginning thing seems
This beginning thing seems to be working: while I have not 'finished' anything, I have made several forays at revising the annual report and I feel good about that. Water and tea are being drunk, I go out on the balcony for a stretch and make little organizational forays for diversion. Celebration is a bit scary, though, I seem to want to play computer games, which can become an extended break if I am not careful.
dread crept in....
I was happily beginning things all day when all of a sudden I began to have that feeling of pending doom. My happiness was waning, I realized that I had been creeping into spider solitaire mode and that I was feeling less than adequate. I also realized I felt... lonely. And that loneliness had something to do with inaction for me. When I get lonely I bury myself in a good book, have a phone conversation, or generally try to dispell the feeling by doing an unlonely thing. But at this later part of the day I am alone in the office and there is no one to speak to, no one to crack a joke with, and nothing is left but the work. And the work can sometimes be filled with decision making... decision making that can feel fearful. Which leads me to procrastination, which is a catch 22 circuit. ugh.
Also, I wish it would just get itself over and rain.
Feeling lonely
You're not alone, Elisaveth :-) Keep it in mind that when you're at the office feeling stuck, anxious or frustrated, many of us are feeling the exact same thing at the exact same moment in probably very similar situations elsewhere :-) And at various intervals of the day, we'll be checking the check-in threads to share our frustrations, quirks of day, and various other experiences, so by posting here you're really connecting at a slower pace with others.
I know what you mean about "feeling alone" when there's no one actually around you to talk to, though. When that happens, I just write up a long-ish post on my online journal. It feels less isolated because I know some of my online friends will be checking it soon, and it helps pass the time until someone actually comes around or is free for me to call.
Other times when the feeling grows too strong and you have too many pressing tasks to get out of the way to be able to chat with anyone, it might be a good idea to try to get yourself out of that mood. I usually put on some music and try to lose myself in the task at hand, so I'd suggest keeping a good collection of various genres of music at hand. When it gets really bad, I tune into an online radio where the DJs cut in every now and then to say their bit. It feels good hearing someone else's voice and knowing what they're doing right at that moment. Breaks the monotony and makes you feel less isolated.
But don't let this feeling bring you down :-) You should read some more of Steve Pavlina's work. I'd suggest listening to his pod casts; some of them are pretty good and might prove encouraging as well as insightful.
Hope you feel better soon *hug*
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
thank you, edge
Thanks for the suggestions, Edge. The music will definately help: my boss has an amazing cd collection which I can jack up as loud as I want. I definately think that Steve Pavlina is onto something: the only thing that worries me about him is that he has managed to get so much in order in his life that he doesn't seem human! Today feels like a much better day: the sun is out, the mountains were visible above the fog so Athens seemed ethereal this morning. I am over my flu so my body feels better as well, so I am much more optimistic.
I began to do some Artists Way journalling yesterday when I got into funks and found it really helped. Just the opportunity to put the feelings into words has helped move them along towards resolution.
Glad to hear it, Elisaveth :-)
Lol, don't let Pavlina's irrational pace take you aback - it just goes to show that he's pretty good at what he does. I'm currently following his 30-day trial theory (30 Days to Success). Basically what you do is adopt a habit that you want to get used to, but only for 30 days instead of saying that you're going to stick to it for life (which is much more daunting and usually leads to failure). This is supposed to make you feel less overwhelmed and help you stick to whatever you're attempting to do. By the end of the 30 days, you would have become so used to the new habit that you wouldn't mind taking it one for longer, or it you didn't like it you could just forget about it and try out something else.
I tried vegetarianism that first month I attempted this, cut off all types of junk food the next month, and this month I've enrolled in NaNoWriMo, which is a creative writing challenge where you're supposed to write 50,000 words by the end of November :-)
So far I've been able to see all my trials through, which is extremely unusual for me. It's given me confidence in myself and in my ability to do what I say I'll do.
Yup, some pretty interesting articles, Steve's got.
And I'm glad you're journaling. When things get too intense for me, I just get it all out on Word. It drains the frustration out of you and helps you look at implementing solutions instead of worrying about the problem.
Anyhoo, I talk too much, so I'm going to go study now :grin: but I'm really glad you're feeling better, Elisaveth :-) If you come across any music tracks that you find extra conducive to work, put them up here somewhere, we can share play lists :-)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
holy cow, 50,000 words!
Hmmm, I am beginning to think you are just as successful as Steve Pavlina! I am currently very proud of my new habit of drinking 640 ml of water first thing in the morning: if I can take that for 30 days I am cooking with gas! 30 day challenges seem about 29 days too long a committment, but as you say, you dn't have to do it after that: it is just a trial.
I agree with you wholeheartedly about the writing: when I am writing 3 page of longhand a day somehow I get out of my own way and problems seem to solve themselves.
Play lists....are there some already here?
re: holy cow, 50,000 words!
Lol! I wish! That guy isn't human! But I am making baby step progress, which is just about all I can manage right now, hehe.
Good job on your new habit! I'm sure if you stick to it for that first week or so you'll be able to pull it off, easy (if you haven't already)! I'm actually going to try that one myself - we never drink enough water, do we? I know I could use it, the weather is pretty dry lately, it's easy getting dehydrated :-)
There aren't any playlists posted here as far as I know, but we could always start a new thread for that in the Off-Topic Discussions board. I'm going to go through music library later on and see what I can find. Should be interesting, not to mention useful :-) Music really does help blunt the edge off unpleasant tasks.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
oooh playlists . . .great idea
J.
spider solitaire mode
been there! It does seem to help to have other people around.
J.
Rexroth 07.13 GMT
My main job today is a meeting with psychoogist. It is important and I know that as I've lost a lot of sleep.
Todo today
up post this
prayer reflection meditation
deal with phone messages emails post
email solicitor (keep putting this off)
bath and wash hair
out to bank for various bits
onto psychologist
back and rest and think
photocopy part of landlords file and write letter
clear up kitchen etc.
write journal
prayer and reflection
bed and sleep
Regards Rexroth
Rexroth 17.15 GMT
I've copied the landlord's file but I haven't rested and I need to rest and colate the papers and maybe the letter can wait till tomorrow. Session with psychologist need to be written up and I had forgotten this.
Regards Rexroth
Rexroth 21.57 GMT
Friend phoned, she was ill and someone she knew was very ill indeed. We talked or rather I listened then I wasted time on internet.
Now for sleep.
Night Folks
Rexroth
Edge's CI - 8:29AM
I'm kind of starting to get worried. Going to do what I need to do, salvage what I can.
Important
- Pass by work
- Finish off the leftover bits from unfinished chapters
- Cover as many chapters as possible
- Talk to B about DVDs
- Collect cash for B's birthday gift
Regular
- Shower
- Morning med
- Evening med
- Reply to Jen
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
Edge's CI - 6:37PM
Changed a few things in my list.
Important
X Work on catalogue from home
* Send M catalogue samples and finished descriptions
X Finish off the leftover bits from unfinished chapters
* Cover as many chapters as possible
X Talk to B about DVDs
Regular
X Morning med
X Evening med
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson