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.
By My Own Bootstraps
Overwhelmed. By an extremely negative IRS audit which didn't go our way (much paperwork and negotiations ahead!). My mother's death (she had Alzheimers, which makes you feel relieved at their passing, then you feel guilty that you feel relieved, etc.), the trying last month of her life where she was impossible to control or care for and the last week where I spent 24/7 in the hospital trying to get her to leave all the tubes in (I failed); trying to act as executor of mother's will with all that paperwork, trying to fit in an after-cancer recheck appointment, helping daughter with birth of new granddaughter last Thursday, watching grandson this week at my house during spring break. I am driven by deadlines, which is good for me, also driven by the life-and-death importance of some of these issues (cancer), and trusting God that He said He wouldn't put on me more than I could bear! Whew! He must have more confidence in me than I have in myself!
This week:
- Make the cancer recheck appt. (most important!)
- Make appt with IRS agent to plan strategy
- Visit with daughter/new baby to help forestall post-partum depression she had last time
- Find a counselor experienced with cancer survival and make an appt
- Find out what our bank balance is
- Pay March bills
- Have fun with grandson this week (he is delight of my life, 11 years old and very close to me)
Please send prayers my way or happy thoughts. I am quagmired, for sure!. Glad I found you again. I keep telling myself it won't always be like this.
peggy
welcome back peggy!
was wondering where you'd been, keep in touch ok?
Journey
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
pro's last check-in for Sunday - 11:41pm
I washed the dishes, opened the bed, and brushed my teeth. Bedtime! I'm tired.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 11pm (gotta get to bed)
I cleared my spam folder. Now I need to open up the bed and brush my teeth.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Recycler CI 5:50pm
Hi!
Fortunately yesterday was when I got the bigger projects done! Today I got the little projects done, but also took a nap! ;)
Today I got these done:
Took Trash out
cleaned 2 bathrooms
did 1 load of clothes & put away
ran dishwasher twice; have put away 1 load so far ;)
ate soup for lunch like I was supposed to (clearing pantry)
recharged cell phone
cleaned out purse
sorted items on front stairs
deboxed 4 items (3 dolls + 1 fashion)
put empty boxes by front door to take to trash
During the week, I will try to do an evening check-in (because I will be at work and other activities during the day.)
I hope everyone has a great week! :)
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Greyfox CI 3
Hmmm, not too bad. This is my third check in today. I must be feeling more comfortable. Thank you all.
Thanks to Elisaveth and the chatbox mode I got the dates of past schooling in my grad transfer application. Movingalong stopped in for a visit but had other tasks that needed completing. It was nice to meet Movingalong too, even though briefly.
The chatbox is a good tool. The program is a good tool, and so is this website.
Greyfox CI
So far today all has been accomplished... still not ready to get started on something else.
I really like what Journey suggested about focusing on one thing for 30 days and it becomes habit. It is so true that focusing on everything that feels like it needs to be done within 30 days can be way too overwhelming, even feeds procrastination.
Will check back lin ater when I get the rest of my day figured out.
e's sunday ci
hello, all! Today has been a much lower paced day tody: it seems that Sundays are my days to take continuous naps! However, it has not all been a wash, although I have things on my plate again that bring up dread for me, namely completing my taxes in time to file a necessary document for my son's financial aid application. I also can feel myself getting worried on his behalf about any acceptance letters: no news yet, although because he applied last minute (sound familiar?) we may not hear until the end. In any case, if he does not get in then we don't have to sell our souls to pay for it!
Today laundry waa done again, bathroom sink and tub were cleaned, bedroom was vacuumed, o was the hallway, the pantry, the dining room and half of th3e living room. water and meds were taken as well, and I gave my husband a massage to help his headache. I also folded and put away all the dry clothes, so the living room does not look like a linen closet blew up. I don't know why I find it so hard to put away clean folded clothes! I don't like finishing things of any kind, and don't understand why it is such a pain. I will do 95% but the last 5 % of any given task is the most painful! Does anyone else identify with that?
In any case, I got my son to do some ironing, the other one to do his math homework, finished making the egg lemon soup my husband started. I ate too much sugar today, but otherwise feel prtty good. I also printed out the letter that I wrote two weeks ago to the bank and got my husband to sign it: now I need to fax it off so that is off my plate.!
tommorow's MITs
transfer money
pay bills!!!!
call tax guy
fax all the tax crap to his office for 2007
compile the remaining financial aid stufrf
call on practicum status
hand wash
find phone charger!
file reciepts
portfolio work!
Journey 5 pm
Back from babysitting! I got some pix of his little ringlets before they have a chance to cut them off. He's such a little curly top.
I have started sorting the laundry and dinner is cooking. Now I'm going to do some 15+15s and try to finish the laundry and dishes. I should be able to get some dusting and vacuuming done during the week, because it looks like I'm going to have to take off a couple of days to take care of my daughter. I think she overdid it yesterday with the knee and now it seems worse. Lucky me, I can stay home and wait on her hand and foot while she takes vicodin and watches tv lol. But I really think she needs to stay off her feet until we can see the orthopedist.
Now a 15 min World of Warcraft break.
Jo
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
pro's CI - 4:15pm
I finished cleaning the toilet and cleaned the sink, and finished watering the plants. Now I'm doing the ironing.
To Do:
- Clean tub.
- Sweep, vacuum, and wash floors.
- Dust.
- File papers in pile.
- Go through magazines.
- Bring recycling and trash downstairs.
- Buy toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Wow Pro!
WOW Pro! From the way your day got started you really got it goin' now!
Greyfox
(P.S. Thanks for moving my forum/post.)
pro's CI - 3:10pm
Cushion covers are on, plants are half watered, and I've picked up a lot of stuff from the floor (in preparation for vacuuming). I have more stuff to put away. I also washed the toilet bowl, but not the rest of the toilet (yet).
I think what I'll do next is work on the bathroom (which I dislike - get it over with), and then work on my piles. I need to file some papers and toss some magazines.
At some point I need to bring recycling downstairs, and buy some toilet paper.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 2:10pm
Dishes are done! Have to finish putting covers on cushions, then onto clean bathroom.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 1:40pm
I'm done with lunch and I've been picking up my apartment, putting stuff away. I'm going to finish washing the dishes now, then clean the bathroom.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 12:25pm
Dish drain emptied, lunch made (eating). I'm checking in so I don't take too long to eat lunch.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
kromer 9 (Pacific Time) CI
Wow, I'm having a bad morning!
I have so much work that the thought of starting *anything* makes me panic.
So I'm not going to post me whole list--I'm just going to post a couple things at a time.
I'm going to:
*Email A.
*Finish econ. chpt.6
*Get dressed for church and leave at 9:30ish
kromer 12:55 (PT) checkback
OK, did the above, back from church (and donuts :blush:)
Now I'm going to keep going with econ, read chpt. 7 (half-done, very boring :( )
When that's done, I'll read a paper on protein folding DONE
Then, I'll organize my biochem notes DONE
I'll check back when those three tasks are done with a new set of tasks.
kromer 9:50 CI
OK, I didn't get through the econ (I had to go to interview events this evening), but I really need to move on to biochem
Next up:
*Review lect. on protein folding
*Review lect. on ClpX/ClpP
*Do problem set problem 1
*Read problem 2 and take some notes
pro's CI - 11:50am
The bed is made up. I just need to put the pillow covers on. Now I need to make some lunch.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 11:15am (moving now)
I washed most of the dishes (as many as would fit in the dish drain), then jumped in the shower). Now I'm going to put clothes on, empty the dish drain, wash the rest of the dishes, and keep going:
To Do:
- Make bed.
- Put things away.
- Dust.
- Vacuum.
- Clean sink, tub, and toilet.
- Wash bathroom floor.
- Do laundry.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
I found a clean pair of pants...
...so laundry can wait, if necessary. Just have to iron the pants. (This is for tomorrow.)
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
pro's CI - 10:45pm (stalling)
I'm still trying to get through the dishes.
I'm being less efficient this weekend than I have been for a long time. I'm very anxious about the visit on Monday (people I haven't seen for decades), and I think I'm diving into the computer to put it out of my mind, instead of doing what I need to do (like clean, do laundry, etc.).
I just bought Replay AV. Very nice. But that's not what I should be doing.
Yesterday I downloaded every podcast receiver I could find, and they are all terrible - either lacking in features or totally buggy. I wish I had the time to write one myself. It would be a fun project. But I'm so rusty with Windows programming it would take me forever.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
encouragement to pro
Sending encouragement to pro ...
Remember to stop "should-ing" and start "choosing". You can do it!
-- movingalong
thanks, moving!
:)
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Journey 10 am
Good morning!
Work last night was successful and I was in bed by 1 am so I'm up and ready to go this morning.
I'm supposed to babysit for a couple of hours today so I need to get a few things done around here asap. But anytime I get to spend with the little munchkin is well spent so I don't mind. I'm going to introduce him to Froot Loops today. As Grandma I can do that stuff and let his parents deal with the consequences lol! The child is truly one of us, he loves to eat. When I kept him the other day he got the kitchen cabinet open and had the cheetos out before I knew it. Luckily he couldn't figure out how to get them open.
Anyway, first of all, I need to get cleaned up and dressed, then figure out what to do about dinner, and gather together all the paperwork for my daughter's knee injury. I have warned my boss that I'll need to work from home several days next week to take care of her, so that will give me some additional time to get a little housework done. I'm rambling, so I'll stop here and get dressed!
Journey
Anyway
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
9:32 CI for Lark *and 11:16pm)
Good morning everone. Posts usually begin slowly on Sunday, but we're doing well this morning. Great. I had a few minor disappointments yesterday, and my first inclination was to say "Screw it." and go into drift mode today. Last week was okay, and there's no reason why this one can't be the same--or better.
Today:
X morning routine
X spiritual time
Xget kerosene for heater
Xcharity luncheon
X price fence
X finalize project with client
tidy workshop
X begin next work project (just start!)
X visit friends tonight
check in before lunch
Falcon CI - busy sunday
I need to make my place look less like a disaster area & more presentable before company comes.
Tools: Lively music CD, cup of tea, my new pocket timer, sheet music
Plan: Do a couple of (10+2)x5 hacks before I go to class. I'm on an internet surfing moratorium, so I won't be surfing on my 2 minute breaks. Instead, I can go over my music for choir, which always makes me feel good.
O.k., tea is brewing, Gabrielle Roth is on the CD player, timer is set. . . Ready. . . Go!
Falcon
Falcon CI - chipping away
Well, the place still looks like a wreck, but after an hour of tidying, I can definitely see a difference.
I'm going to take a catnap, then get ready for class.
Falcon
Falcon - back home
O.k., I'm back from class, I've had lunch & a shower AND I set a tentative date to visit a friend on the opposite coast -- been putting that off forever for no good reason, so I'm glad to have finally done it.
Next up: call friends while cleaning kitchen. If they're not home, then do a couple more (10+2)x5 hacks.
I have it in my head there's something else I need to do today, but can't think what it is (hmm, I did the bank, called the restaurant, reviewed my workshop notes. . . it'll probably come to me in the middle of the night!)
Falcon
Falcon CI - more chipping away
Still chipping away at the chaos, and things are gradually looking a little better. To do in the next couple of hours:
Falcon
Falcon CO
Woohoo! Did all that! Have a good evening, everyone!
Falcon
pro's CI - 7:40am (and the thread starter)...
Not sure about a Geraldine Ferraro quote right now!! She's on everybody's sh*t list.
I took a break from all housework yesterday, so I have lots to do today.
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Recycler Sunday Projects
Hi!
Here are my goals for today:
Upon return from morning activity, put away stuff
Start a load of clothes
Unload dishwasher & put away
***Plug in cell phone to Recharge***
Eat Soup for lunch
Clean out purse
clean front stairs
debox 4 dolls
***discard empty doll boxes***
veg ;)
Good luck, everyone, with your projects today! :)
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
CI Greyfox
Saturday was productive and I still managed to get some important things finished; but I want to know how to keep from breaking self promises, like meeting in the chatbox for paperwork session. Any insight could be helpful?
Today's tasks:
Spiritual
Small Group
Pot-luck brunch
Visit with homebound friend
Plan next week's tasks
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Previous check-in, moved by pro from duplicate day thread:
Good Morning
Thank you for being here. (Hope you're okay I started today's session/ forum).
I failed to check in yesterday
, mostly tired and avoiding the paperwork session. Maybe I am not willing to give up my misery just yet. No doubt misery is not good and as bizarre as it seems, misery can be comfortably uncomfortable.
Saturday was productive and I still managed to get some important things finished, but I would really like to know how to keep from breaking self promises. Any insight could be helpful?
Today's tasks:
Spiritual
Small Group Mtg
Pot-luck brunch
Visit with homebound friend
Plan next week's tasks
Have a great day!
Greyfox self-promises
Greyfox said "I want to know how to keep from breaking self promises"
Hey, if you figure that one out please let the rest of know the answer lol!
Seriously, although I struggle with the same issues, I have found that what is helping me is to identify one thing I want to work on and focus on that for at least 30 days. When that thing becomes a habit, then I can move on to something else. Trying to change everything at once is too overwhelming.
Some good reading material about this is Steve Pavlina's blog (the 30-day trial) and the Zen Habits blog (Zen to Done). Those guys can express it much better than I can. But always the caveat, don't get lost in blog-land - I can easily spend all day reading about procrastination instead of getting to work!
Jo
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
Hi Journey
That is very funny! When I get it figured out how not to break self-promises I will let you all know. lol.
Thank you for the reading suggestions. They are good. And it is wonderful to be in an atmosphere that feels 'normal'. And, absolutely it is sometimes easy to get lost in blog-land.
Congratulations on everything you have going. I really enjoyed reading your blogs last night. It helped me feel it is okay to just write what I feel and be honest.
Greyfox thread starter
Hi Greyfox,
Looks like you and Edge had the same good idea at the same time! So there were duplicate threads, & pro has consolidated them. But that doesn't usually happen, and it's great that you took the initiative to get a thread started. There's no rule about who puts up the CI thread starter for the day -- it's just whoever thinks of it first. Some of us even like to get one started the night before, to start setting intentions for the next day.
I saw your Sunday thread starter before it disappeared, and it looked nice & cheery.
Falcon
response to Falcon
Thanks Falcon. :D I did not think the group would really mind if I accepted a little initiative and got the day started (even though I am an infant recovering procrastinator). Edge and I got started almost simultaneously for today. I am grateful Pro moved my post/forum. Maybe another time I'll catch it earlier.
Greyfox
Edge's CI - 8:46AM
Morning. Resigning from my job today. Boss doesn't know it yet. Nervous :-)
What I would like to do today:
- write resignation letter
- teach dana to create newsletter
- call ice for shereen dvds
- call dad about Visa
- call Tara
- call teacher and appologize - get book names to study from
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
Thanks, guys! (Edge resigning)
I really appreciate the good wishes :-) For a moment there when I was talking to my boss it looked like it might turn ugly (my boss has a bit of a vindictive temper - one of the main reasons I left), but they quickly settled down afterwards, and I think it went well enough :-)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson
Good luck, Edge!
Hope it goes well! Resigning from a job can be nerve-wracking, but if it's the right move it can be very freeing, too.
Falcon
Edge resigning
Good luck!
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey
Good luck with everything!
Good luck with everything! E-hugs!
Recycler