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 11 September 2008

It's Thursday...

 

 

good thoughts to all

Recycler CI 10:15pm EST

Hi Pro Buddies!

Super-late CI here for me. Just getting in ;)

Today: walked + treadmill, stretched, work. Somewhat did projects in the morning. Did errand at lunch that I had procrastinated 2 weeks about ;) In the afternoon, got a chunk of the list done, but had a lot of interruptions. Stomach hurts a little bit, just thinking about it. ((takes a moment to turn it over to HP)).

After work, clocked out, but had a meeting uptown, so just stayed at my desk & worked on personal projects until time for my meeting/dinner. Went to volunteer group; shared ideas. Rode train home. Next: I want to surf the Internet a little more. Then time to sleep!

Tomorrow: they are remodeling my stretching area of the gym. ((sigh)). Maybe I can sneak up there anyway. (at 6am surely they won't already be up there? ;) we'll see! ;)

Have a great night, everyone! :)

Recycler

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

'ywelcome jo! And a question...and an Ag update 5:55

How do y'all feel about changing MITs midday?  It makes me feel all icky - maybe because I have so often done it on self-will, that even when an Authority Figure changes my MITs I feel like I'm doing something wrong...others experience this?

Anyway going to call in my promise to chat, feeling unhappy about needing to miss a 12-Step meeting tonight because the accountant is really  needing stuff from me, and my earlier AP MITs got all sidetracked by others in control...grumble, grumble.  But first: I'm going to take Journey's advice: "Gotta take those breaks, they are necessary!"

I commit to NEXT calling my sponsor sad about missing mtng, eating a healthy dinner, watching 1/2 hour TV with J, and then coming back here by 7:30 to chat through the stuff my accountant needs by tomorrow. 

Changing MITs in the middle of the day

I'm sure this is just my OCD talking, but no, I don't - can't - change them.  If something comes up after I have set my MITs, I add one and call it something like "unplanned high priority task".  But that's just me, hehe.

Jo

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

Ag 7:37 bookending financial work

going to chat through it - that has always helped me to use the PA Tools of Breaking It Down and Visualizing, noting the blocks/emotions along the way....

Ag 2:22 a.m. finally finished

It was much rougher than I thought, but there was one thrilling moment where two different Excel formulas yielded the same result - be still my heart - in accounting terms I think that means something actually balanced!! :O

It may take awhile to disentangle from the debris of my procras addiction. I never closed any old bank accounts after opening new ones - and I opened new ones about every 2 years after messing up the accounts so badly that I was embarrassed to go there anymore.  So, my 2007 business and personal taxes have to be pieced together from 15 accounts (checkings, savings, credit cards, loans) at 3 different financial institutions. Yikes! ::jawdrop::

If I didn't have this site and you friends, I would never be able to face it. Thank God for PA and blessings on y'all. ((hugs))

Journey 5:15 co <3 THANKS GUYS! <3

OK, I've done all I can do on #5.  It wasn't much, but it's been a long day, and I'm tired.  Also had a very frustrating IM convo with boss, did manage to get one answer.  Tonight:  run two errands, pick up dinner, fold some laundry, do the dishes - should only be a few. 

Have a lovely evening everyone!  Thanks for being here for me today, if I didn't have this wonderful forum, I think today would have been a meltdown day.  But, as it turned out, although my self-confidence and determination were at a low point today, I used the habits I've built here and frequent posting to make this a relatively productive day.  I love you guys!  *sniff*  Journey wipes a tear from her eye. 

Jo

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

Journey 1:00 UPDATE 2 pm 3:30 4:30

MIT #2, which was to work on Project A for a designated period of time, is done.  Now for MIT #3, which involves actually leaving my desk and going to another building.  This is the kind of thing I really like to put off.  Going now before I can think about it too much.

UPDATE 2:00 MIT #3 is done.  Ah, the three most important things are done.  Anything else is gravy, eh?   Now, work on LC for an hour.   Well, first I get a 10 min break. 

MIT #4 - (LC) - done. 

Now, for MIT #5, which is . . .what?  ah, yes, one hour on project p.  This project is in the beginning stages, always hard.  I made a list of teeny tiny baby steps, and I'll find that list and do step 1.  After 10 min. break. 

4:30  Couldn't seem to get started on #5, so I busted the mini-pile that I brought to work with me.  one bill in there, the rest is shredder fodder.  I never took my break either - maybe that's one reason I couldn't get started.  Gotta take those breaks, they are necessary!

So, now break, then #5. 

 

 

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

Agnus CI 12:30 and 5:45

Hiya gang...been here for about an hour but was actually too busy working to check in - ha!  How in the world did that happen?!  Must be an HP moment... :-)

Already this morning had quiet time, sponsor call, Mom call, and been working fairly steadily on AP project since 9 a.m. - interrupted only briefly by a brief binge to shred a pile of useless papers from 2003 Embarassed).

Now to lunch and next MITs:

  • DONE - find out about afternoon conf call
  • REPLACED by new MITs post-conf call - AP project: TA structure for 20+Ps, draft MOUs for DLs and Ps, check workplan and schedule tasks and MITs
  • IN PROGRESS - complete the stuff I promised TJ and EP (bookkeeping task - high risk for procras... I commit to chatting through it if I get sticky).

Journey 10:45

MIT #1 was a quickie, and it's done.   Took a 15 min. break, and worked on MIT #2 for 45 min.   10 min. break, then back to MIT #2 for about an hour.  Doing well so far today, in spite of feeling a bit stressed out and nervous. 

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

good sticktoitivity jo!

Laughing thanks for modeling good PA practice today! You are doing right through the feelings...wow. Go-Jo!

Thanks Ag!

That encouragement means a lot on a day when I'd really rather go back home and hide under the covers, only coming out to watch soap operas and eat frosting right out of the can.    :O

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

Journey 9:30

Good morning all!  Been to the gym, read email, set my MITs for the day. 

Feeling stressed out this morning, mainly over financial stuff, beating myself up for not taking control of this situation earlier.  I know it's better to know the truth and actively work to improve my finances, but it was easier in some ways when I just didn't think about it and let the debt pile up.  Wait, that's not true - I knew it was there and it was even more stressful to have it lurking in the background waiting to pounce.  OK, I feel better already.  I can feel the tension going out of my shoulders as I type this.  Thank HP for you guys!!   There's nowhere else I can admit these feelings and get them OUT of the way of getting things done!

Now, I can have coffee.

Jo

 

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." 

GeorgeSmiley 7:30 AM

Alas, the first half hour--the time when I check my email and do a few administrative tasks--has gone by, in part from some surfing brought on my email... *sigh*

Starting now:

 MIT#1: Review all notes from Project R, highlighting material that might better fit in with revisions Editor and I have discussed. 45 minutes

 MIT#2: Resume editing Project T. 45 minutes.

Back here at 9 am

GS 10 AM; updated 11:10 AM; 1 PM; 2:30 PM

Well, an hour later than I said, but not because of procrastinating.

*I completed MIT #1 and identified my next task on Project R, namely a series of phone calls to fill in some gaps.

*I worked on MIT#2, editing Project T. 

At 9, per my usual schedule [which calls for a 9-9:30 in-box time] I checked email and then engaged in administrative tasks from my in-basket.

That's where I got hung up--I had to register a new credit card and set up online payment, and that took 30 minutes by itself. Since I didn't start that until 9:25 [I was doing other things from my in-basket] and it took a lot longer than I'd planned, that's how I got here...

SO... calls were supposed to start at 9:30. Instead they're starting now.

**MIT #3: Calls for Project R UPDATE, 11:10 AM: Calls put out

**MIT #4: Calls for Project P-11 UPDATE 11:10 AM: Calls put out

MIT #5: Also, some transcribing of previous interviews for P-11.UPDATE, 11:10 AM: NOT STARTED YET.

11 AM: Lunch meeting, errands.Done

 

1 PM: I actually returned at around 12:30 and went right into working more on Project P-11 calls. I'm going to spend another 30 minutes on Project P-11, then return to my in-basket. 

   **RETURN to MIT #5: Transcribe previous interviews UPDATE 2:30 PM DONE.

UPDATE 2:30 PM: Also, one of several calls returned and interview complete.

NOW: 30 minutes on in-box, then returning to map out rest of afternoon.

 

 

Hmmmm....

I didn't make it back here, although I did get more stuff done .

The main thing I did at the end of the day was work more on Project T.

It's been a good example of doing a little bit every day.

 

kromer CI 8:25

Having a hard time getting going this morning, so I'm going to start with something not-too-scary (working on probability pset) for 30 min, then leave for genetics class. Back at 1 after genetics with a plan for the rest of the day.

kromer 7:30 CI

Yay! Finished 2 of my MITs! (STRING interactome stuff+emailing PF)

Since my MITs are taking so long, a lot of my non-MITs are going to have to wait...I'm going to go home, run to hardware store and then have dinner and a real break. Then I'll make calls about Youth Group, then work on my pset (it's late, so I'm not sure I'll finish it, but I'd like to at least make progress on this MIT)

kromer 6:15 CI

Wow, this is the day of way-longer-than-expected MITs! I've spend 3 focused hours on my "STRING interactome" MIT, and I'm still not quite done. I'm going to email PF (so at least I'll have 1 MIT done), then take a 10 min break (because my brain is turning to mush), then push through the rest of this MIT. I think I should be able to get it done in about 45 more min.

kromer 3:20 CI

The P-H paper turned out to be much tougher going than expected (very dense equations, so it took me 2 hours of pretty good focus to get through 10 pages, and I still have 20 to go). So I think that MIT was not realistic. But I did read in lab for 2 focused hours, so I think I'll call that enough for the day. Now I've had a 15-min break: I'll let myself go get a soda, then I'll go to PF's lab, do STRING interactome stuff and email PF.

kromer 11:55 CI

I made a little progress on probabiliy pset, went to first 2 hrs of genetics, then had a 30 min break from genetics in which I ate lunch (and did a little websurfing). Now I'm going to set my MITs for the day and then go to the last hour of genetics.

MITs:
*Finish P-H paper (do reading *in lab* so I actually see my prof.) (got through 10 very tough pages, so I'll call this a success)
*Finish probability pset
*Try out STRING interactome, look at results, compute interactome stats (also should be done *in lab*
*Make calls about youth group
*Email PF about meeting

Other tasks:
*Figure out if connectivity increases with higher gamma
*Pick up check from SH
*Organize papers in room and lab
*Buy lightbulbs+laundry rack
*Do laundry
*Clean bathroom
*Figure out what tests have been done.
*Visualize results and do randomization runs for BIOGRID job

After genetics, I'm going to go to PT's lab and finish reading P-H paper, then I'm going to go the PF's lab, do STRING interactome stuff and email PF about meeting. I'll update as I finish each of these tasks. 

chickadee's CI

 

big MUT -

MUT 2 -still 1/2 to go

meeting 1-

meeting 2-

household chores

Yesterday I was experimenting with trying to be a bit active in breaks every hour or so. It helped my mood, and kept me from feeling chained to the desk, though I do not think it actually made me more productive. I will try it again.