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.

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Garfield cartoon removed because it is copyrighted material that we do not have the right to post. -pro

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Sorry about that, Pro :)

Sorry about the thread starters, Pro :) Will be more careful with the selection next time :)

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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Recycler CI 7:45pm EST

Hi Garfield, Jon, & all!  Um, I have a hat very similar to that lol ;)

Today:  walk, gym, work, mailed in continuing education registration.  I tried to follow up on something with my real estate agent; however, I don't think it's working out.  Walked home, ate dinner, washed face/sponge bath/moisturized.

Now to take my time to get ready to sleep:  do some easier yoga poses and use my back massager -- which some areas seem to be loosening up :)

Have a good night, everyone! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

e's wednesday check in

I woke up with a sore elbow and was reminded of how I can get myself in trouble when I get too enthusiastic. One would think I would have learned this by now, but no, a lifetime of poor choices does not a smart e make.

I did have a good day, though. I came in late to cover some late afternoon hours and was able to take care of an errand on the way home. I also cooked breakfast for my family and did dishes this morning as well as a load of laundry. I think I am going to see if I can change my working hours to 10-6 each day so I can continue to pick away at things I otherwise don't have time for.

I was able to handle all the reference questions for today, and spent a lot of time cruising around the e resources getting to know them.  It was pretty low key. Now I am at home and want to get on task tonight with some faxing to universities and my practicum. f

so... first unpack my briefcase

e check back

okay, i unpacked the briefcase, sorted out medical appointments, started a brief to do, then got caught by the college financial aid brochures which needed to be read and fell asleep freaking out about how expensive college is.  I need to do some more reading, but it is now 11:30 and I need to be at work on time tomorrow. I am going to sort through some more papers for tomorrow and then prepare to do some faxing.

Pro's online!

Are you back Pro!?  We've missed you

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

I'm just letting in the new members

People write every day about joining - have to respond. That's the main reason I'm logging in.

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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.

Hey Pro, you have no idea...

...how you have helped me.  I post, no one notices except you, and you encourage me, sensing that I need encouragement, I guess.  What a blessing of God you are!!!!  I am greatly distressed by the "hijacking" of the site to others' desires and purposes!  I am praying that this site remains the place of peace that it has been for me...a truly peaceful place!!  Do you realize how few places there are where you feel safe??  I have depended on this site for structure, even when I could not add my own comments, it was comforting to read the comments of others, learning from their lessons learned and their resolve.  Please don't muck that up for me, this is the Number One place for me to find calm and centering energy right now!!!  It is easy for someone to take what you have begun and add a little side item to it and hijack it off to another purpose and direction!  I am adamantly in favor of what you deem to be the healthiest site and activities for us. Because I have grown to trust you and your judgment because of your responses to me!  Please don't be hurt by other people hijacking your creation to places you did not intend, just remember that what you began cannot be annihilated by anyone...because your intentions are pure. I appreciate you and your efforts to reach out to people like me.  There's noplace on the internet like this and I need and depend on it.  Likewise, others who want to veer off from it, taking the members that you have attracted, they do not realize what they are doing.  I would have been with them at one point, but after much experience and soul-searching, I find myself sympathizing with you, the creator of this family.  We need to be able to give you our opinions, but ultimately this is your creation and we need to respect that and live by that.  Thanks for what you ahve added to my live!!!!!  I post very seldom, but I lurk very often.  Post a time for a group discussion, and I will be there!  If you think that is what we need!!!
peggy

Ditto Peggy

Icouldn't have said it that eloquently, but same here.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

me, too! Thanks, Pro!!!

Hi!

Chiming in, too!  Thanks, Pro! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

Hey Pro! (waves!!!)

Hi Pro!

See you next time! :)

Hugs! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

Journey 9 am

Almost back to regular schedule!  I did my normal Wednesday morning workout, spinning class AND yoga class.  I was very, very tempted to skip yoga but I told myself I can take tomorrow off if I do both classes today.  I got on the scales yesterday and I'm up a lb. from two weeks ago - probably due to a giant bag of peanut m&m's that begged to come home with me from the grocery store.  I will ignore them next time!

One more work-at-home day tomorrow to take dd to PT, and then she will be allowed to drive again, thank goodness!   I am more productive if I can keep to a regular schedule, even if it gets boring sometimes. 

I've read my email, had no voice mail, and next item on the agenda is to work on processing that email inbox to empty.  It got out of hand last week.  I'll work on this 15 minutes and then report back. 

See you in a few!  Hope everyone has a productive, enjoyable, and successful day.

Thanks for the humor Edge!  I love Garfield!

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

great job!

Hi Journey!

Great job on the workout, spinning, AND yoga class!!!  Hey, I'm impressed!!! :)

Have a great night! :)

Recycler

Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)

thanks recycler!

I'm kinda proud of myself (blushes)

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 11 am

Read and processed all new email, and spent 1/2 hour catching up on old mail.  Still not finished but have spent enough time on email for the day. 

I've done 4 small tasks that showed up in email and mind sweep, made my todo list and set my MITs for the day. 

Now I'm taking a small break to clear my mind and visualize a successful and productive day, then start on SM project.  I'll work for 45 minutes and then take another short break. 

See you at noon or so.

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 12:15

I've managed to work on the SM project for about 15 minutes of the last hour! 
I don't want to do this, so I'm avoiding it by web surfing and randomly straightening things up on my desk.  Taking a quick lunch break then re-focusing! 

Journey

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 1:30

still moving slowly on SM but moving . . . I've promised myself I can buy a book on half.com if I get a certain amount done by 2:30. 

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

journey 2:50

made lots of progress on SM!  Once I got rolling, it wasn't bad.  Isn't that how it always is?
Most of the time anyway.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Journey 4:30 faffing

Had to go to a meeting at 3:00 and been faffing off since then - posting to get myself back on track with this SM thing.  Did I mention that I REALLY don't want to do this?  But I guess that's why they call it work lol

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

i know how you feel jo

nm

c ci 9am

he he, edge.

did banking (dreaded task).
now start working on itask 1

c ci 1:30am

wrapping up here folks.  did my weekly status like a responsible person.  Imagine that.  That's a couple of weeks in a row there.

Hope every one has a good night and a good Thu.

c ci 10pm

stressful day with many people interrupting my MIT with other, smaller, possibly MITs, but it's hard to tell.

Tomorrow i'm pledging to be a MIT / main thing / schedule my priorities day.

Now i gotta do status.  I think it will come out well, but i still dont want to do it.

Today i felt that feeling of "why do i always have to feel this stress doing these simple tasks like walking upstairs to get a book."  "why me"  "when is it going to end"

First, that was unpleasant to feel that feeling again.

But i realized that since i've been accepting my lot and giving my life to god, i have felt that MUCH less often.  So much so that the feeling didnt feel familiar anymore.  I thank HP for this progress.  Of course now  i have to maintain it, day by day.  I'll always be recovering.

I got over it pretty quickly, and tho i feel the anxiety again now, i am accepting it rather than woe-is-me-ing it.

8:48am CI for Lark

Good morning. I hope everyone does well today. Rain is moving in later this morning here, so outside stuff is high priority. There were a few snags for me yesterday, so I did the best with what I had. Supplies etc. which didn't arrive will be here today, and I didn't freak out too much yesterday.
Today:
morning routine
spiritual (not ego) time
finish project A before rain
finish project B next
work half an hour on decluttering (it's been slowly working!!)
donate one bag of stuff
tidy workshop

Lark didn't freak out too much

Good for you!  I was frustrated just thinking about you making that 60 mile drive for nothing.  I would have been pissed.  Heck, I WAS pissed!

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

kromer 8:20

Not terribly motivated today, so I'll start with small tasks:

*Email DC
*Make bed/tidy room

*Do Spanish HW
*Look at to-do list for day
*Go to Spanish at 10
*Go to biochem at 11

kromer 12:20 CI

Cranky and tired, so I'm going to take this step by step, work in the chatbox and check in frequently.

*Reschedule blood drive appt.

*Do Spanish textbook reading+workbook stuff
*Email R
*Stop by health center to check appt. time
*Print out safety training stuff, biochem papers,  biochem notes, SAT II stuff
*Make diag. of receptor struct
*Try making confidence interval binding graph
*Make simple graph for uptake

*Go to appt.

kromer 7:10 CI

Not blazing, but making progress

Next:
Walk home, have dinner
Try int programming + control
Finish 1st biochem paper
Read bio paper+write summary
Compile BLT graphs, write results section on BLTs.
Finish Spanish HW

Read through Harambee material and take notes on curriculum ideas

And that'll probably be about all I get done tonight

Mark CI 8:12 AM

to do:

  • clock 8 hours
  • significant progress on quiz create
  • read 50 pp JD
  • read The NY
  • assemble lamp
  • clean office
  • practice piano
  • go through 2 boxes

done:

  • pay bills
  • errand - buy formula + gas
  • cardio

Edge's CI - 1:07PM

Morning, everyone :-)

What I did today:
x clip nails
x kitty litter
x replace soap in bathroom

What I would like to do today:
- shower
- morning med
- finish Ar homework
- cancel cycling?
- dishes
- tidy room
- pick up photocopies
- work on Ice's website and newsletter
- reply to Jen
- email scrab.dic. to M
- reply to Morgan
- evening med

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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's CI - 4:35PM

Helped dad prep lunch. Feeling a bit sleepy now that I've eaten.. Ok, onto Ar hw.

What I did today:
x clip nails
x kitty litter
x replace soap in bathroom
x shower
x morning med

What I would like to do today:
- finish Ar homework
- cancel cycling?
- dishes
- tidy room
- pick up photocopies
- work on Ice's website and newsletter
- reply to Jen
- email scrab.dic. to M
- reply to Morgan
- evening med

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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge's Closing CI

Carrying what's left of my to-do to the next day =/

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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

Edge/Clement - carrying over todos to the next day

This is a BIG issue for me and one reason why my past attempts at daily planning have been unsuccessful.  It's easy, especially when using an online planning tool, to just carry over the uncompleted tasks to the next day.  And, before you know it, your tool is full of carried-over uncompleted tasks and you feel very inefficient and unsuccessful.

I have found that it works MUCH better to start a new, fresh, unspoiled to do list each day. 
And forget about what happened or didn't happen yesterday or last week or the last 20 years lol.
Start over every day with a new list of things to do TODAY and think about what is most important to accomplish TODAY.

Now, mind you, I'm not saying that I always do this!  But I find that when I approach it this way it works better for me.  The funny part is that I find I have to use TWO tools - one to hold all the stuff I want/need to do, and one to hold the stuff just for TODAY.  It's easy to get bogged down in trying out new tools and messing around with the system - that's another form of procrastination for me. 

So, what I'm trying to say in the long rambling post is:  Start each day with a clean slate. 

Best of luck

Jo

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” - Stephen Covey

Good idea, Journey!

I think you might be onto something there, Journey :) Going to try your method :-) I hate feeling guilty at the end of the day - it dampens my spirits and checks my motivation =/ Going to try to finish everything today, but if I don't, will work on a new to-do tomorrow :)

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Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action - Walter Anderson

clogged todo list

i know THAT feeling--the ever increasing todo list carried over from the prev day, and dayS.  yeah, it's a bummer.

But i think you're right, jo, that starting with a fresh "to do today" list is very helpful.  Sometimes i feel like i need a "to do this hour" or even a 'to do right now'.

I like how kromer posts in the chatbox things like "open book" because i often need to break it down that small to get started.

i know how you feel

happens to me nearly every night. :/

Carrying over things...

This is often a sticky situation for me. Being accountable is one of the main facets of any 12 step program. With procrastination, sometimes what I don't do on one day just doesn't need to be done the next. The need passes. Before entering into a 12 step group, that was usually a relief to me. Now, when I try to do a 10th step before bedtime, it kind of gnaws at me. Lately, my procrastinating seems to be affecting me the most (not getting work finished and getting paid less for a period of time, being surrounded by clutter more, not getting bills paid quickly, etc). Does anyone else have any ideas?

forgiveness?

lark, i am with you.  I think the perfectionism i feel condemns me.  I expect to be productive and get everything done (that's ironic--lol) and when i dont i condemn myself.

My spiritual tradition contains the idea of repentance and forgiveness.  I'm not sure i can locate this idea exactly in the 12 steps.  This "starting over with a clean slate" is extremely important part of my recovery.  It lets me not "excuse myself" for not getting things done--to face them as the 12 steps say--but also to recover from that failure and try again.  The more strongly i can believe in this, the more honest i can be with myself, and the more cleanly i can separate from that past failure, and the more hopeful i can be with the next day (or hour :)

BTW i love these kinds of questions and the answers that people post.  I feel like it helps me connect with people here and learn about myself at the same time :)

I can see a little bit of this idea in bookending or check-ins.  We check in before something, and the whole idea of checking in at the end is a kind of closure, an end of the past task, no matter how good or bad it went, and the beginning of the next.