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.
Journey 3:30 20+10 *
Home from shopping . . . last weekend the timer worked great so I'm going to try that again. Setting the timer for 20 minutes of grocery related stuff, then I'll get a 20 minute break.
Jo
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
Falcon CI - oh, dear.
I overslept this morning, but did get up for a bit at 6:30 as planned. Then hauled myself out of bed again in just enough time to pay the two bills that are late before going to class.
Oh dear. . . I'm tired, and my frustration tolerance is low. I was going to go to an event tonight, but realized that what I really need most is to go somewhere where I can meditate and center in, let my brain empty out of all the day-to-day stuff, and listen to my soul and the voice of the sacred.
I want to go to the beach -- best place to do that. But just checked the weather report and there's supposed to be rain & snow, even though it's warm & sunny at the moment.
So, trying to decide whether to risk it, whether to try & go early tomorrow when it's supposed to be nicer out (but my record on getting up early lately is lousy, and I'd have to go early to make it back for an afternoon event, plus I'd miss class. . .)
I dunno. And the fact that I'm feeling so frustrated by a small decision is showing how much I really need a mini-retreat. Hmm, maybe there's a forest somewhere I could go walking in -- might not take as much driving time & might get back before the rain? (Sorry, just thinking out loud!)
Will go eat some lunch, mull, and see what I come up with.
Falcon
Falcon - think I've got it
O.k., I'm reluctantly admitting to myself that, despite the deceptively sunny sky, it's just too cold & windy today to be sitting on the beach, and I don't have the physical energy right now to do much hiking.
I think I've got it -- I can go to The Cloisters in NYC. It's quiet, peaceful, full of beauty, and hopefully will have a spot or two where I can sit & contemplate for a while. And it's indoors, in case it rains. A bit expensive -- when did museums start charging $20 admittance? -- but worth it for a getaway.
And they're open into the evening, so if I decide to take a nap beforehand, I can (drat this fatigue, anyway! I'm tapering off the lexapro, so hopefully that will start to diminish soon.)
Falcon
Afternoon retreat
Well, as it turned out, I had a nice afternoon retreat at home. I listened to a relaxation tape, snoozed for quite a while, strolled to the park, then came home & lit a fire in the fireplace. Watching a fire burn can be the next best thing to watching waves roll on the shore.
I needed that. I feel rested and much clearer. I resolved something that had been on my mind, and let my brain process off all the everyday thoughts so I could get centered. And my cat had a great time napping and fire-gazing with me.
My place is still untidy, and my checkbook isn't balanced yet, but that's o.k. Sometimes getting clear is the MIT, and I think without knowing it that was the most important thing I'd been procrastinating on. The dishes & laundry will still be there tomorrow.
Good night!
Falcon
The Cloisters
The Cloisters is lovely, and so is the Frick. Central park is cheaper, though....
mini-retreat in your head
You don't have to go anywhere, Falcon, to find that quiet place inside yourself. Just sit down in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. You'll feel like a new person in 20 minutes. Maybe I'll do it myself, actually - I haven't meditated in a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Mini-retreat
Thanks pro! Mini-retreats are great! Sometimes, though, I need to get physically out of my everyday space & be in a different environment -- helps my brain get out of its usual trains of thought, I guess.
Falcon
falcon
in case you see this, I am currently in the chatbox doing paperwork
Thanks, elisaveth
Thanks for the chatbox invite -- sorry I missed it. Sounds like the paperwork party was a huge success!
Falcon
pro's CI - 12:50 (procrastinating by doing other stuff)
Looks like I'm alone here today - at least for now.
I dusted the filing cabinet and the top of another cabinet, washed the dishes, and now I'm getting ready to make lunch. I'm working up to the pile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
good job, pro
You can do this one item at a time. The hardest part is getting started.
pro's CI - 11:45pm (table opened - and dusted)
I live in a very small apartment, so dealing with my pile has some logistical aspects. My table folds in half, and I need to unfold it to have workspace to sort papers. I just did that, and also dusted the table and the computer desk (and the computer).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
feeling overwhelmed again
Now the table is open and I don't know what to do. The papers are in a huge pile on the kitchen counter - not even stacked neatly. I guess I'll pick up one piece of paper from the top of the pile and decide what to do with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 10:50am
I just made up my bed (for a change) - converted the futon into a couch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
dealing with being overwhelmed
My to-do list is long and serious. It starts with doing something about my desk. I'm sitting here, watching something on TV to calm down my anxiety, and trying to pick up pieces of paper and make decisions about them, one piece of paper at a time. I'm trying to tell myself "good job" each time I dispatch a piece of paper, no matter how small.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
getting started
having a hard time sorting out what to do. but here goes anyway.
1. eat breakfast (done)
2. shower (doing) did not do. trying to get over a really bad cold and decided not to do this one.
3. took son to band practice without shower and feeling sick.
4. need to pick up the house but feel really tired.
question
how does this work?
how to use the check-in board
Read this - it's at the top of the check-in board and gives instructions:
http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 10:30am
I started to make my very detailed to-do list for my Monday meeting with my new coach, and it's sort of making me want to attack some of it - at least to organize things enough to have some clue what I need to do. Hmmmm....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 9am
I woke up with a migraine, and the combination of the headache and medication are making me feel very tired and woozy. I can't decide whether I should push through it and go out, or lie down and watch another hour of TV. Maybe I'll try pushing through it and see if I feel better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
kromer 8:25 CI
A bit of a late start this morning...
Plan:
1)Start laundry (DONE)
2)Clean bathroom (DONE)
3)Tidy room (DONE)
4)Go to campus (DONE
5)Work on thesis
6)Hang out with A
kromer 11:40 CI
In lab!
I'm going to work on my thesis for 40 minutes-ish, then go out to lunch with A.
I'm going to fill in a few small, specific gaps in my thesis methods section, answering the following questions:
*What is a motif?
*What is TRANSFAC?
*How do we scan for motifs? (do my best, then email K. with anything I'm unclear about)
*How are weights for interactions calculated?
When I get back from lunch, I'll look for a new test dataset
Journey 8:15
Have to leave right now for yoga if I don't want to be late!
Yoga, then visit mom and dad and buy groceries. see ya this aft.
J
pro's CI - 7:40am
Good morning! No sunshine here today - it's raining, raining.
I have a homework assignment to do for my anti-procrastination coach, who I'm meeting on Monday (write down all my tasks and the steps to complete them). I think I'll go to a coffee shop to do that. If it's raining, maybe it won't be so crowded?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
anti-procrastination coach
what is an anti-procrastination coach?
welcome, 2bfree
It takes a while to get oriented here: check out the list of forum topics on the site content. Someone began a thread about procrastination coaches at the link below, and many (well at least me) are waiting to find out what that experience will be like because two people have just hired them.
http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/502
e's Thank God its March c/i
I had a nice evening out with my husband and a friend from work last night: the kids were out on the town together with friends and I got a good nights sleep! I am so thankful that March is finally here: the weather motivates me.
I unfortunately have a belly ache, so I am still in bed in the dark typing this, but I am optomistic that today will be a productive happy day.
Like Journey, I am going to task myself with one little thing at a time today, but some things that come to mind that I would like to do is
throw out dead plants,
clear off dresser tops
make hummus before the chickpeas turn to beer!
have some personal time with my spouse
tax prep: the tax guy has been working on my 2006! taxes, and they will probably be done by Monday. I need him to get cracking on the 2007 ones now, and I think I have enough information that I will just bite the bullet and hire him to do it again.
no more on my plate right now: the buffet of things to do is overwhelming! First for the soup....
e's check back
It has been a pretty pleasant day today. It is beautiful out, the birds have been waking me up in the mornings, but i have pretty much stayed in except for going out on the balconies a few times.
My son came home this week and informed me we are having house guests from @Wednesday until Saturday morning: basketball players from the American School in London. I am not in frantic mode, but the house needs a good clean, so today I am 'encouraging' people to get their rooms straightened out so it won't be a total pit.
So far I have: washed bath mats, folded laundry, hung up another load, made Revithia instead of humus, give my younger son short sprints towards getting his room in shape.
I was going to throw out a lemon tree that had not survived the move inside during the snow storm when I realized that, even though it did not have any leaves, the branches were green and little shoots were coming out all over. Apparently, the 14 year old has been watering it twice a day and may have saved it! This makes me happy, because I have a habit of killing plants: sometimes I procrastinate on watering them! This is a big bone of contention between my husband and I, not taking care of things. I have good intentions, but I don't always follow through. The jade plants are not happy, though, so I am going to see if I can get them to revive if I pare them back drastically.
I have lots of piles of papers which keep moving places in my bedroom. I am trying to decide if it is time to move a desk in here so I can have things the way I want them. Principals of feng shui would not support having paperwork in the bedroom, but I think it is not a bad thing for me, especially if it is here I will have a chance to see it every day. We'll see....
Falcon CI for Saturday
Thinking ahead for Saturday on Friday night. . .
I need to set my alarm for 6:30 and get out of bed at least long enough to get a glass of water or something. O.k. to go back to sleep for a while after that, but I need to train my body to wake up at 6:30 even if I don't get up yet. Been oversleeping a lot of weekday mornings, and it's uncool.
Then I need to balance my checkbook & pay bills BEFORE leaving for class.
Hope everyone had a happy Leap Day! It's finally March -- think spring!
Falcon
spring is here
The trees have just gone into bloom here and the pine trees are leaking resin all over the ground. The air smells fresh. sending thawing thoughts your way!