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.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Welcome to Thursday, everyone!
"I believed and I still believe that every moment is there to be savored and to be improved upon and invested with humor and with beauty and solemnity. We don't ever get to skip a single part and sort of fast forward to the life still to come."
~Garrison Keillor
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PiP's gotta toot her own horn
Last night ('till 4 am!) and today have been SO PRODUCTIVE!
I was able to focus and got SO MUCH done on my resume. Enough that I feel confident taking it in to a professional for a last polishing.
Today I needed to:
1. Go to the Salvation Army and get some bread [Done!]
2. Meet with friend M. to get help on the last "sticky" parts of my resume [Met! Brainstormed! Made quantifiable progress!]
3. Call recommended career/resume specialist and ask for an appointment. [Called! Got a 9 a.m. TOMORROW morning!]
4. Email job description, cover letter, resume, and recommendation letter to specialist J.W. so she can help me when I meet with her in the morning [Sent!]
5. Call to check in with job reference as promised. [Done! Was worried that I couldn't give her "better" good news like having landed an interview since speaking with her last, but she was nothing but supportive:)]
6. Call T.W. to get questions answered about application. [Done! Had sent an as-of-today unreplied-to email last week. Was relieved to hear a friendly voice after the first ring! Got all ?s answered.]
MITs for the rest of today:
1. EAT! I've been on such a roll thatI haven't stopped to have a meal in... too long. I gotta remember, even as good as this feels, to nurish myself instead of setting myself up for a crash I'll beat myself up for later.
2. Prepare for tomorrow's appt.:
3. Email J.A. @ S. to request a consultation appt. (hopefully for early next week), and ask what steps I can take in the meantime.
4. Got a reply email saying it wasn't too late to submit my S.D.S. packet. Finish filling that out and get it in the mailbox by tonight.
5. Bake something (reward activity).
6. Send K. email with requested pics. Update her on my progress. Ask for the help that I need.
Thanks to everyone for their own inspirational progress! Will check back to see how every else is doing and report on my own.
CHARGE!!!
-PIP
wish me luck!
Emailed resume friend w/ updates.
Got photos of the entrance of the building where tomorrow's appointment will be. I know EXACTLY where I am going!
Sent quick email to close friend letting her know I'll be able to get back to her as soon as I can take a "water break." I have a habit of falling off the face of the earth with friends when things get rough, and it damages my relationships. This way, she knows I'm here, I just can't talk this minute.
More to report, but it'll have to
wait 'til tomorrow.
-
PiP
Well done, PIP!
We're all rooting for you!
Pip Pip Hooray!
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
revving up:)
George! Journey! Went back to read my progress report from yesterday
to bolster my confidence and improve my mood. Thank you both for your
encouragement: it's doing a double-duty for me today!
Falcon Thursday CI
Hi everyone,
I haven't checked in for a few days, but I've been scrolling through the postings and being inspired by you all!
Tonight:
Falcon
Recycler CI 7:15pm EST
Hi Pro Buddies!
Festival time here in my neighborhood, so getting a headstart on the weekend :)
Today: drove to gym, stretched, work. Got some projects done today. Had dental appt (replace old filling). Slogged through afternoon, still getting some things done. Miraculous recovery at 5pm ;) Went to neighborhood festival for dinner. Started a load of clothes to wash. Next: Maybe do 1 more load of clothes. Write email to international friend. Go to sleep early.
Have a great night, everyone! :)
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
journey 6 pm
Well, I guess I did ok, too. Made some progress on MIT #2, not as much as I would have liked, but some. Took a while to transition from MIT #1 to MIT #2 - maybe an hour wasted there and half an hour wasted after lunch. Coulda been worse.
Headed home now, have an offsite meeting in the morning so I probably won't check in til later in the day.
tonight: pick up dinner and bird seed, fold some laundry and prep for tomorrow. dishes should be ok til tomorrow as I've been keeping up with them while working from home (nice!).
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Convalalria checking in on Friday at 6.45am, 2.30pm
Good morning all!
The plan for today:
The room tdying is overwhelming.....not urgent but important and part of getting organised. Did a little. Now have 5 individual piles to deal with.
I have 40 minutes to do something constuctive before I go home.......
The plan for this afternoon:
Ag ci
on way to the accountant...back later! (ugh)
Journey 2:30 Update 4 pm
Worked on MIT #1 most of the morning and had a meeting at lunchtime. After meeting, drifted into lala land for an hour! Guess I'll call that my lunch break :)
Half an hour more on MIT#1, then moving on to #2.
Update 4:00 Spent most of the day working on MIT #1. I have reached the point of diminishing returns, the last hour I worked on it has been so much wheel-spinning. I can't focus on it any more. Moving on to #2 for the rest of the work day.
Still, it's a nice feeling to know that I thought about what needed to be done, decided what was the Most Important Thing, and spent my time and attention on that instead of jumping around from one meaningless trivial task to another . . . which is what I was doing when I came here a year ago.
Have I told you guys lately how much I appreciate you? I don't think I have . . .thanks for being here!
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Jo - thank you for posting that quote. It's all you can do, you can make amazing strides within those confines, and that's what everyone else is working with anyhow!
Lark at 12:15pm
Hi everyone. Today's better than yesterday. Thanks again for all your support. The one MIT from yesterday is still lurking, and I'm where I hoped to be about two hours ago. I didn't feel like checking in, but doing so sort of commits me to finish it today. The same friend who I helped the other day--The no good deed goes unpunished deal--has continued problems, and no one else is available later today. I have keys to open my twelve step meeting tonight (the only set), and can't find anyone else to take them. That'll mean a 30 mile drive each way just to get to the church. Please pray someone will either answer their phone or return my call. I feel esentments!!! Enough complaining...
Today:
Finish MIT
Try to solve tonight's meeting problem.
Keep my cool
Lark at 5:45pm ,I did okay
Well, everything turned out okay this afternoon. No resounding successes, but I made it! Between elation and contentment, I'll just have to settle for contentment. Thanks eveyone for helping me get through this yucky week.
way to prioritize, lark!
<<<Between elation and contentment, I'll just have to settle for contentment. >>>
Sounds like recovery to this adrenaline junkie!
Journey 9:15
Good morning peeps.
I've been to the gym, and I was early to work but didn't use the extra time wisely:)
Day starter is done, email has been read, and now I'm going for coffee!.
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
kromer 8 CI
Another busy day today.
Must-do:
*Go to 3 hours (!) of genetics class
*Check that SMARCA4 data is correct
*Check that rand. run code is correct
*Prep for Harambee mtg (cap at 1 hr)
*Go to Harambee mtg
*Read 1st A+D paper
*Credit card app
*Wait for cable guy
Should-do:
*Read class syllabi
*Balance checkbook
*Buy primer, furniture oil, brush, stepladder
*Tape off molding in my room
*Email G+D about couch
I'm going to start by trying to find credit card app (and filling it out once/if I find it).
Update 8:45--couldn't find credit card app, so I'll pick up anther one on the
way to school. I was a little worried about bouncing a check, so I balanced my checkbook. Now I'm going to gather my stuff (inc. Harambee stuff) and go to campus. Genetics will keep me busy until 1, then I'll come home.
Update 11:30--half-hour break in genetics, so going to get credit card app and fill out as much as I can. At 1 I'm actually going to go to lab and read A+D paper, then I'll go home. Back at 1 and then after I read paper.
Update 1:15--did credit card app+emailed program admin about getting proof of income, went to genetics recit, took a 15 min break and now I'm off to lab. I'll go home after finishing A+D paper; next check-in from home (around 2:30).
kromer 3:20 CI
A+D paper took a little longer than expected to get through--I still have about 15 min. worth of looking things up, but I've gotten through most of it and am home now waiting for the cable guy. I'm going to look of the last few things from the paper, then check SMARCA4 data and rand. run code. Updates as each task is completed, new check-in when all 3 are done.
Update 4:05--going very slowly, but finally done looking up last few things from paper. Now I'm going to check SMARCA4 data.
Update 4:40--checked SMARCA4 data, now I'm going to work on setting up cable modem and then check rand. runs
Update 5:10--checked rand. runs, now I'm going to run to hardware store, then spend 20 min working on taping molding, then prep for Harambee mtg.
Update 6:05--went to hardware store, then taped molding (ended up working on hall rather than on my room, but I think I've done almost a room's equivalent, I'll spend another 10 min after mtg). Now I'm going to spend 50 mins preparing for Harambee mtg, then order pizza and leave.
kromer 9:40 CI
OK, back from Harambee mtg (earlier than I expected, yay!). Now I'm going to spend about 15 min taping, then take notes from the mtg and decide what do to next.
Update 11:15--done (very slowly), plus emailed G+D about couch.
I've done pretty well today, so I'm going to let myself skip syllabus reading and instead work on problem set for 30 min, then go to bed.
kromer inspires hope!
It is amazing to me how well you calculate the timing of your tasks and MITs, and how easily you transition from one thing to the next - thanks for being an inspiration, kromer!
GeorgeSmiley 6:35 AM, with rolling updates
An early check-in for me.
Next, I will be finishing up getting ready for the day.
I'll be back by
7:157:20 or so to put in my MITs for the day.UPDATE 7:20 AM: MIT # 1: Spend the next 1-1/2 hours on Project R so I can give my editor a clear indication of when it will arrive finished to him.
ALSO: Resolution: When the urge comes to delay, come here for help.
7:38 AM: I'm making progress, but temptation to stray remains very powerful. The writing continues to be a struggle.
8:14 AM: I'm blocking again and really don't know what to do.
8:35 AM: Still blocking and getting more panicked, which is trying to send me into procrastination mode.
Instead I'm trying to find things to inspire me out of my block, staying focused on the subject matter of Project R.
GS, 9:10 AM; 10:10 AM; 11 AM; 1:25 PM
I sent a note to the Project R editor asking him to call me in about an hour and confessing to major blockage.
I've been attending to other items on my list... a form of procrastination perhaps, but they are things that need doing, so I think they're legit, while I try to unblock.
UPDATE 10:10 AM: I've winnowed the list with (appropriate) deferrals or knocking some smaller items off. I did get briefly distracted on the 'Net, but curtailed that.
Now I'm back trying to develop Project R further.
UPDATE 11 AM: Good conference with the Project R editor. Helped me see a way into this complicated story. Got me fired up. And relieved as well. I was feeling horribly guilty on top of everything, and now I feel at least somewhat like I can move beyond the guilt I've been feeling...
UPDATE 1:25 PM: I've made a little progress but still fall victim to distration. I'm recommitting to focusing back on Project R. In the next 30 minutes I want to polish the beginning of it and then outline what remains.
End of the evening
I made some progress but there were a lot of external distractions, including a short term editing task from another client that took some of my attention.
I'm signing off for the night but I'll be back in the morning.
Best to all until then...
GeorgeSmiley