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.
TL - BE - 5:00 PM
OK - took a few days off from this board - missed you.
To Do
Have a take home test (got today) due tomorrow PM - i'm going to work just 1 hr right now. I just need to get started :)
Glad to see new members posting - it's great and works!
Excited:
I'm excited b/c my advisor told me it's possible that I can do graduate work in environmental finance. We don't actually have that degree plan - but I can do research on it for graduate school. So I'm motivated to get my school work done.
Gwen D's To Do & Ta Da
Today is lockout day.
I got here ON TIME! Very important. It affects my self-esteem all day when I'm late. I've been jamming on tasks, but now I need to organize myself for the next phase.
I have to do these things by end of day.
1. Talk to Janice about the bids (can I have just one?)
2. Talk to Sonja about the union
3. Call Kathryn or the newspaper and ask about booking P. for photo shoot
4. Design 2 covers!!!!
And that's over and above a million other things I'm sure will poke up at me. This job is exciting and is totally reformatting my brain.
Okay. I'll check in later.
Gnothi Seauton ~ Know Thyself
Next DAY
I booked the photographer
I learned how to submit requisitions
I got embroiled in a political situation with bids between vendors and got out of it this morning
I fixed problems in a supposedly finished project for hopefully the last time
I adjusted templates for the site and archived a post mortem on that project
I ate dinner and stayed up too late,
but I got rested anyway and now it's Friday at 11:30 and I have to begin to make adjustments to a file I don't know anything about!!! Because I was procrastinating on dealing with it. And I have to design a cover, because I was procrastinating on doing that too! (Either it was procrastination or not having a manager tell me what the deadlines were and the contingencies and checking in with me, and having other people request a million things. Yeah, it could be that.... but it still feels like it was procrastination. Ugh.)
Nervous. But --- FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY!
There's no time to waste!
Slider's Bookend Section
Had to get out the door too fast to bookend before I left this morning, so I'll start now.
Ta Da:
*got up, dressed, put on makeup, etc., and got to chiropracter appointment at 8am
*checked voice mail and marked calendar and set phone chime to go by funeral home after leaving nursing home today
*ate breakfast (a little problem here, because while eating I started reading a book, and then I didn't want to stop. If I hadn't had to answer the phone, I might have read too long).
To Do:
I love Normy's categories of neutral, stinky and fun, but I don't have time to think that through.
-Go next door and picked up lesson sheet for nursing home service today
-Do communion visits (keep short today)
-Get to nursing home ontime
-Review notes, appointments, and voice mail at nursing home
-Go by funeral home at 6 pm
-Order Sunday School kit online, reply to SS dept
-check on kids' packing status
-check on completion of kids' chores/animals
-do my own packing
-check email
-try to remember if there's anything else that needs doing before we leave!!!
I will check in this evening.
slider's evening check in
Ta Da:
*got up, dressed, put on makeup, etc., and got to chiropracter appointment at 8am
*checked voice mail and marked calendar and set phone chime to go by funeral home after leaving nursing home today
*ate breakfast
*Do communion visits (keep short today)
*Get to nursing home ontime
*Review notes, appointments, and voice mail at nursing home
*Go by funeral home at 6 pm
*check on kids' packing status
*check on completion of kids' chores/animals
*went with daughter to a movie when she needed a chaperone to see PG-13 movie with her best friend before we leave on vacation--didn't plan to do anything like this, so it feels sorta like procrastinating (since there is packing to do, etc.), but then I realized that this was very high on HER To Do list, so I agreed to it
To Do:
XGo next door and picked up lesson sheet for nursing home service today (VOID--ran out of time & elected to do without; had more time to look up lessons after lunch than to pick up sheet before communion call)
-Order Sunday School kit online, reply to SS dept (will do in office tomorrow b/c I forgot I need church account #)
-do my own packing
-check email
-try to remember if there's anything else that needs doing before we leave!!!
Did think some more about the three categories. I think it was Normy who said something wasn't really stinky but she seemed to have a hard time doing it, so it counted as stinky. I pondered why I'd have to put this morning's communion visit in that category (it took me three weeks to get around to scheduling it). I don't dislike visitation, though they can be draining. After I thought about it, I realized this one IS stinky--literally. She's a chain smoker, so her house smells like an ashtray. Which is better than what other parts of her house smell like, since she has stinky dogs who apparently toilet in the house. There are fleas, and her chihuahua has bitten me LITERALLY every visit (until today--they were nowhere in sight. I didn't ask). Plus, her son (in his 60's) is retarded and says inappropriate things the whole visit and has no sense of reverence for the rite of communion. On top of that, this woman's grandaughter is one of the biggest alligators in the congregation ("alligator" is a technical term for being antagonistic and pot-stirring and destructively negative). I bend over so far backward to be accepting that I was managing to deny the odious aspects of a visit like today's. It darned sure IS a stinky chore!!!
Accolades to all of you for the things you accomplished today and for the courage to face your procrastination. I will probably be offline most of my vacation until the 31. Blessings!
TodayFirst's Bookending Section
I got a lot done yesterday and got unstuck on one thing that's been plaguing me for a couple weeks. Slow start so far today... already spent about an hour browsing and reading emails and such. I guess I feel like some of the pressure is off yet there is still much too be done.
fellow programmer?
TodayFirst, you are a programmer? Me, too. Dontcha just hate it when you get stuck on something - and half the time it turns out to be so stupid, but it can take hours or days to find.
yup
That is so totally frustrating.
todayfirst 4:00PM
Been working on that program off and on this afternoon. Made some progress but not as much as I'd like. Having trouble concentrating and feeling in a bit of a fog. ok, one last little push and I'll go home.
Creativity Breaks
It's difficult when the job just seems to extend like an ocean. You need a 'creativity break'. Do you have something totally different you could do for 15 mins in every hour? Like decluttering filing or something where you can let you mind wander? Your mind's going to rebel if you keep it thinking all the time!
You've done well today, todayfirst - progress is good!
great idea, Normy
I've done this before and it works. I'm feel absolutely buried under all the tedious things I have to do. If I worked 45 minutes per hour and played the other 15, I'd get a lot more done than if I didn't do it at all!!!! And I wouldn't be as miserable as I am now (though I am doing it).
Todayfirst 12:25 PM
A siesta would be nice... too bad I'm at work.
Tada:
- Email a vendor to request a info/sample devices. :)
- Spent about 45 minutes working on this program
Todo:
- Just work on my program... Not sure how I can intelligibly break this down further at this point. It all looks very interdependent.
8:50 AM EST
Todo:
- Email a vendor to request a info/sample devices. I hate asking for help... better do it first :(
- The rest of the day is really uncertain as I have only one other task to work on. I'll try to break it up by into chunks by alternating between a couple different parts to avoid complete brain drain... start with 45 minutes writing some skeleton code, then maybe check back in.
pro's bookending section
I'm having a lot of difficulty organizing my work because I'm so backlogged in so many different areas. I'm years behind on my accounting (and haven't filed my tax returns for that time, either), and I have a long to-do list of other items that I procrastinated on, got behind on, and now are overwhelming. I have so many things I have to do that I never get to the things I want to do - that would move my life forward. I'm running as fast as I can just to stay in place - like Alice in Wonderland.
My life feels out of control. I feel forever behind. I'd really like to get back on track - I just don't know how. Maybe what I need to do is start removing things from my to-do list. I suspect this is so. I need to make some choices.
pro's CI - 5:50pm
I took off my shoes and had something to eat so I feel a little better. I think now, since it's already 6pm, I'm going to focus on setting up my new computer while watching TV. Then, at least, I'll be ready to go for tomorrow.
pro's CI - 4:25pm
Oh drat - just realized I 'previewed' this but never posted it. I wish I could turn off that forced preview!
I'm back from the optician, and I bought the USB hub I needed. Here's where I am now:
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
- Showered and dressed.
- Made and ate breakfast.
- Cleared out spam folder.
- Checked messages and returned phone calls.
- Answered business email. (I need to find a way to do this faster.)
- Talked to car insurance company about both claims (and got okays).
- Talked to body shop about estimate (need to call him back).
- Scanned estimate for burglary damage.
- Talked to renters insurance agent about theft (not covered - $500 deductible PER EVENT).
- Called back body shop, got estimate, and had him fax it to insurance agent.
- Called optician and talked to her about my eyeglass problem.
- Went uptown to see optician and have my eyeglass problem fixed (glasses need to be remade).
- Finished setting up email on my new computer.
To Do
- Move data files over from old computer to new.
- Install software on new computer.
- Handle crap in mail pile.
Right now my feet hurt and I'm hungry, so I'm going to have something to eat and take a break.
LOL!
Oh drat - just realized I 'previewed' this but never posted it. I wish I could turn off that forced preview!
That's forever getting me as well! :P
pro's CI - 1:45pm
Called optician about problem with my glasses (that was one of the more unpleasant things on my to-do list), and now I'm going uptown to have them remade.
I'm going to make one more phone call, then I'll leave.
Be back later...
Good going Pro!
You are truckin' along. Well done.
thanks, I need encouragement today!
Thanks, Gwen. Today is filled with yucky stuff I appreciate the encouragement! Maybe I should do like Normy and take time to do something I like for a while.
Feedback
It's definitely been working for me, this little experiment. I actually did my accounts last night after I posted (couldn't bookend because my computer auto-shutdown, and I don't like to switch it back on or I'll get sucked back in). Didn't get the bookcrossing thing done because of the auto-shutdown, so went straight to the cool bath and wind down for the night.
BUT, the point is I didn't resent still working in the evening, because I'd probably done more fun things interspersed throughout the day than I normally do in a week. So I've got more of the Important Urgents done without so much whining on my part, and I've woken up in a positive mood. :)
pro's CI - 1:10pm
Talked to the body shop again, arranged for the estimate to be faxed to the insurance company, answered some business email, copied some more files over to my new computer and installed some more software.
Feel mired in trivia. I'm going to go take a walk (and perhaps cheer myself up by buying a USB splitter at Radio Shack).
pro's CI - 11:50am
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
- Showered and dressed.
- Made and ate breakfast.
- Cleared out spam folder.
- Answered business email. (I need to find a way to do this faster.)
- Talked to car insurance company about both claims (and got okays).
- Talked to body shop about estimate (need to call him back).
- Scanned estimate for burglary damage.
- Talked to renters insurance agent about theft (not covered - $500 deductible PER EVENT).
To Do
- Call back body shop at 12:15pm (he said to call back in an hour).
- Finish setting up email on my new computer.
- Move data files over from old computer to new.
- Install software on new computer.
- Check messages and return phone calls.
- Handle crap in mail pile.
I'm sure that handling all this will take all day, and yet I have so much else that I have to do, and more still that I want to do. I must get some of this stuff off my to-do list!!
I feel like everybody else can get their "life done" in the course of their waking hours, but somehow I cannot.
pro's CI - 11am
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
- Showered and dressed.
- Made and ate breakfast.
- Cleared out spam folder.
- Answered business email. (I need to find a way to do this faster.)
To Do
- Move data files over from old computer to new.
- Install software on new computer.
- Check messages and return phone calls.
- Handle crap in mail pile.
I hope that what's on my to-do list now doesn't take me the entire day. I get so frustrated when that happens. There are things I WANT to do, versus HAVE to do, and I never seem to get to do these things.
pro's CI - 10:20am
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
- Showered and dressed.
- Made and ate breakfast.
- Cleared out spam folder.
To Do
- Answer business email.
- Move data files over from old computer to new.
- Install software on new computer.
- Check messages and return phone calls.
- Handle crap in mail pile.
I hope that what's on my to-do list now doesn't take me the entire day. I get so frustrated when that happens. There are things I WANT to do, versus HAVE to do, and I never seem to get to do these things.
Things I want to do
That's why I've taken to putting the things I want to do mixed in with my other stuff. They always seemed to be left till after I'd finished my other tasks, and of course the other tasks are never finished, so I the whole day would be one long slog.
I've had a fun few days these past three days, and got lots of the things that I ~want~ to do (as in enjoy, not just wanting to get rid of) done, without detriment to the need-tos. (It probably helps that my want-tos don't take as long, LOL!). I'm pretty certain, too, that I wouldn't have been able to keep going so long if I didn't have the want-tos to look forward to. I'd probably have crashed and burned earlier in the day, and procrastinated and got neither need-tos ~nor~ want-tos done. I'm not sure how I can work this system when I'm on my payroll days - we'll see when I get to it.
this is the story of my life...
> That's why I've taken to putting the things I want to do mixed in with my other stuff. They always seemed to be left till after I'd finished my other tasks, and of course the other tasks are never finished, so I the whole day would be one long slog.
I totally relate to this. This is the story of my life!
I'm going to try your approach, Normy!!
pro's CI - 9:20am
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
- Showered and dressed.
Still thinking about what to do today. I'm afraid that whatever I do, I'll get bogged down doing it and never do anything else. I hate that.
I need to go through my master to-do list - remove things that I can simply decide not to do, priorize the things I must do, and make a schedule.
To Do
- TBD!!
pro's CI - 8:20am EDT US
I got up at 6:45am, and it's taken me all this time - 1.5 hours - to get my apartment straightened out so I can take a shower and get dressed (which I haven't done yet). I stayed up late last night, and then felt too tired to do my clean-up tasks in the evening, so I had to do them this morning.
My ta-da and to-do lists aren't in any particular order...
Ta Da
- Finished washing clothes soaking in tub and hung them up.
- Washed dishes.
- Replaced filter in water pitcher.
- Made up bed.
- Collected pills I need to take today (medication and vitamins).
- Ran archive utility in Outlook to reduce size of mail database.
To Do
- Call back car insurance company.
- Call homeowners insurance company (to report break-in).
- Bring stuff to storage and get some stuff I need.
- Bring clothes, shoes and books to donation place.
- Take morning pills.
- Shower and dress.
- Sell notebook on eBay:
---- Move mail files and other data over to other computer.
---- Install needed software on other computer.
---- Find manuals.
---- Find and use utility to wipe hard disk.
---- Restore manufacturer configuration.
---- Clean notebook (vacuum keys, wipe away dust).
---- Photograph notebook for eBay ad.
---- List notebook on eBay.
- List three other things on eBay.
...
The problem is, this to-do list could go on forever. :(
Straightening up
and it's taken me all this time - 1.5 hours - to get my apartment straightened out
And you told us housework wasn't an issue! Pro you just need to get into a routine, girl. Don't try to do it all at once - add 'straightening up' to your list and do it 15 mins at a time between other tasks or when your brain needs a rest.
it's not that...
> And you told us housework wasn't an issue! Pro you just need to get into a routine, girl. Don't try to do it all at once - add 'straightening up' to your list and do it 15 mins at a time between other tasks or when your brain needs a rest.
No, I keep up with my housework. This is stuff like washing the clothes that were soaking in the tub from last night, washing last night's dishes, changing the water filter (only has to be done every few months), etc. It wasn't like I had a big backlog of housework - just some once-in-while tasks that I did in the morning instead of last night.
My apartment is very neat, clean, and clutter free. When I'm procrastinating on work, I clean my apartment. ;)
My backlog is in other areas!!!!
OK I see
I call that stuff housework - I lump anything to do with the running the household together as 'housework'!
The only area in my house that's cluttered now is in here - the study/computer room (we call it The Lair). (Actually, that's not quite true - the wardrobe in the bedroom is cluttered too - behind closed doors!). I just don't know where to put everything - I've got a little house, with rotten storage facilities, and too much stuff to put in it. A lot of it is stuff associated with work - yoga equipment etc. I'm open to decluttering ideas, but obviously I can't get rid of the work stuff.
Normy's Bookends
I'm going to continue working in threes today as it's worked so well for me over the last couple of days. I've started my day with a Neutral Thing and I'm going to end with a Fun Thing. The Stinky Things are getting less stinky as I progress through the list. At the moment I'm progressing mostly through the Urgent/Importants, with a few Non-Urgent/Importants (important to me!) thrown in for Fun.
I'm also going to be posting slightly differently so each thing is a response to the last one, so instead of most recent on top, it'll be in chronological order (I kept forgetting what I'd said in my last post the other way). I don't know how it'll work out (the boxes might get too small!), but I won't know until I try.
WTG, Normy!! and interesting strategy!
Cool that this is working for you! I'm having a lot of trouble organizing my work (for reasons I'll post about in another message).
Sounds like you're on a roll again today - WTG!!!!
Norm's First BE 10.45 am BST
1) Neutral: Morning Routine (including wash towels)
2) Stinky: Leave house (not ~that~ stinky, but it's one of those things I seem to have trouble with doing on time)
3) Fun: Breakfast meeting
The breakfast meeting went well. A fellow Bookcrosser and I went to a new Juice and Smoothie bar and they have agreed to become an Official Bookcrossing Zone. Yay! So we've set up a new Virtual Bookshelf for them, and the owner cleared some space on the real bookshelf. Then I went to the post office and mailed some books to Bookcrossers on 'Bookrings' (one book to England, one to Canada), so I've had a very productive morning so far.
1) Neutral: Start of Day Routine and Weekly Review (David Allen style - this will be my first 'proper' WR in months!)
2) Stinky: Menu Planning (from food in stock because of cash-flow situation following paying out for all that insurance!)
3) Fun: CUOP
More positive suggestions are invited for what I have so far been calling 'Stinky'. Thanks!
Norm's 6pm BE
Phew! Busy and productive day :) I've been doing lots of scrappy little jobs that I don't normally seem to get round to. I changed the order of things I was doing to fit in with DSO's schedule, and I have been a bit 'flexible' with the Fun Things, LOL!
*Morning Routine (inc wash towels)
*Breakfast meeting
*Shopping/Post parcels
*Start of Day Routine
*Bookcrossing - set up a new Official Bookcrossing Zone with my friend
*DDog walk
*Dinner and clear up
*Finish Daytime Routine (including packing for weekend - which I usually have to force myself to do kicking and screaming)
*Finances - checked bank balances, changed transfer names, shredded ancient stuff (and emptied shredder), got money out
*BIG FAT WEEKLY REVIEW
The Weekly Review (David Allen style) took me a long while because it's been neglected for months, and I did it thouroughly. My tickler system is now up and running again (it had got so fat that I couldn't get anything in or out of it!), I've dumped a load of out-of-date stuff, and I've got everything in the right place. Set up new actions/reminders for the next few weeks. Reviewed all lists. Synchronised diary and calendar. Blocked out time for planning.
1) Neutral: Evening meal and clear up
2) Stinky: Menu planning
3) Fun: check out Markeroni
Put off from today: Phone calls - Combination of donwannadoit and time ran away with me. On list for tomorrow morning.
Norm's 8pm BE
Slowing down, but still going in the right direction ;)
1) Neutral: Evening meal and clear up
2) Stinky: Menu planning
3) Fun: check out Markeroni
I wasn't looking forward to menu planning - I rarely do, but I prefer doing it to not having one. So I've also done the shopping list (DSO has asked me to do the shopping because he's fed up of going on his bike when I'm on my course), gathered together shopping bags and things for refilling, and I'm ready to go out the door in the morning without having to do the 'getting ready' bit I hate.
Going back to the order I had yesterday, as it's easier to do the stinky things first before I get a chance to feel like procrastinating, then it just gets easier.
1) Stinky: Accounts (this year's!) - max 1 hr
2) Neutral: Bookcrossing - input books onto database
3) Fun: A cool bath and an early night with my book!
There are a few things left over, so I'm just going to re-allocate a time for them to happen before I start with these three.
Stinky
I like stinky... it's descriptive and fun at the same time.
Re:: Stinky
It's a way to vent a little too. There just are some things that aren't fun to do.
It's good to be able to call it names.
Gnothi Seauton ~ Know Thyself