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.
Friday 19 September 2008
It's Friday--hope it's a good one for you!
I can keep starting today... I can do one small thing...I can work and have time for fun
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Recycler CI 7:30pm EST
Hi Pro Buddies!
TGIF :)
Today: walked + treadmill, work. Filled in for sick coworker (again). Did my own deadline stuff. Had Chik Fil A as planned ;) Kind of drifted through the afternoon. My work hosted a picnic after work with a live band, so I went to that. Rode the train home. Surfing web before going to sleep.
Have a great night, everyone! :)
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Journey 4:30
Well, good thing I decided to do the unplanned MIT before doing the "easy" task that I had planned, because it ended up taking all afternoon.
I actually did none of the items on my list of MITs for the day, but with good reason. Two high-priority items came across my desk today, both of them complex and fun. I got big thank-yous from the other parties involved and ended the week on a successful note! A good way to turn around a week that has been a struggle all the way.
I'm leaving early, my reward for working so hard today. Why can't all the days be like this?
Have a great weekend everyone!
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
2:40pm CI for Lark
I'm late today, but things have been keeping me busy. It's been very "off" with me lately. Hope next week will be better. There'e alot of unfinished things around here, so I'm not gonna be specific for a couple of hours. As long as something(s) gets done, it'll be alright with me. Hope you folks all do well too. See you later.
GeorgeSmiley 11:50 AM and updates
Hi all...
After a morning of fun (planned, not procrastinating), Gotta get some work done today.
I was up very late last night finishing Project T (an editing project) and completing a last minute re-do of an old project. Once finished I was still wound up. So I did my weekly overview last night instead of today, which was a good thing.
Today's MITs:
#1) Project O -- a pro-bono thing that I can wrap up in about 15 minutes. I'm gonna do that first.Finished at 12:15 PM#2) Project V. Frankly, I've been letting this slide, and now it's due TODAY. One reason I've let it slide is everything else was more urgent. Now it's urgent.
#3) 30 minutes sometime on Project U
#4) Project D. (an editing project).
Update 12:57 PM
OK, I'm freezing up and getting distracted, and I know why. Project V is a complex and somewhat boring one, although it will pay well when I deliver it. But it involves material that is a bit dizzying to convey and just doesn't roll naturally off the keyboard. Fighting distraction like mad.
Quick break for a snack, then back to work.
Aargh... update at 4:20 PM
I've managed to let a lot of stuff, including further tweaks on Project T, interfere with my work on Project V. And that's because I'm trying to avoid Project V. It feels too hard.
BUT I need to do it.
Starting again, after a snack.
The Hero's Code:
Show up. Pay Attention. Speak the Truth. Let Go of the Outcome.
Journey 12:30
Lunchtime, and I've done nothing on my list BUT not because I've been goofing off. I spent most of the morning helping a programmer get a change ready for this weekend, and it's part of my job to provide this kind of support when asked. The rest of the am I spent getting my delivery - new blackberry curve!! - and getting it activated. I love gadgets so getting a new bb cheered me up considerably. The old one was very close to expiration, the only thing that still worked was the phone. Now I have email and all the fun stuff on the new one.
So, now I'm getting started on my list of MITs . . . still have the easy stuff to do that I planned for the morning, so nothing intimidating there.
Another new unplanned MIT has arisen also . . .will need to fit that into the afternoon somehow but will take care of MIT #1 first.
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
drun C.I. 12:05 pm EDT, and Updates
-- [DONE] Quick Read today's C.I.'s and post mine.
-- Check email for important only, avoid distraction to web.
MIT #1: -- read current cv's for s.l. to review, DONE.
-- prep one or two, probably include notes w/ areas of concern. -- email to s.l.
MIT #2: -- call s.j.; --return call to mf.
MIT #3: -- draft reply thanks to ld.
MIT #4: -- go thru notes on jobs at B.C.; --who to contact; -- next MIT's.
4:15pm: I'm sorry to say I have worked on diversionary tasks, tweaked my Outlook Task list vs MIT #1; I'm mad at myself, I can't afford this. Hope this post will get me back.
-- Check one important email; then
-- Aim to have MIT #1 and MIT #2 done by 5:30pm;
-- Next Check In at 5:15pm.
Sorry, drun
keep it simple; Good luck to everyone today, drun
drun C.I. 7pm EDT
MIT #2: [DONE] --
call s.j.; --return call to mf.MIT #1: -- read current cv's for s.l. to review, DONE.
-- prep one or two, probably include notes w/ areas of concern. -- email to s.l. [Working On ... ]
Thank you, George ... drun
5:25pm C.I.
Only some progress on MIT #1; another situation in which I wonder why the compulsion to work on less important tasks is so great?
Probably should post this elsewhere but -- does anyone know how to get sponsor help; and/or coaching or counseling help in the NYC metro, Northern NJ area? Thank you a ton! drun5
The compulsion to work on less important tasks--a couple of idea
1) They avoid the unpleasant, more important ones (assuming the more important ones are unpleasant).
2) Less important ones are often ones that can be completed more quickly. Thus they convey a sense of accomplishment. They're "low-hanging fruit" as the saying goes.
That's why I do this, anyway.
The Hero's Code:
Show up. Pay Attention. Speak the Truth. Let Go of the Outcome.
Journey 9:15
Ah, this hasn't been the best week . . . I laid in the bed this morning thinking about just writing off today, calling in sick and staying in bed all day . . .and just call the whole week a loss and start over next week.
But, I didn't do that, I got myself up and went to the gym. I was running late so I only had half an hour to work out, but I did it anyway. Got to work by 8:30 because I'm expecting a delivery . . .they tried to deliver it yesterday at 8:35 am but of course reception doesn't open til 9 . . . so I was here at 8:30 just in case. Course they didn't show up :) but that's ok. I'm hoping the delivery dude figured out that he needs to come later.
So, I have my MITs for the day. I plan to start the day with some straightforward tasks that will be fairly easy, to get my momentum back, and have some success early in the day.
Onward!
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
inspiring, Jo!
What a good recovery example...you get up, suit up and show up despite your feelings and even your thoughts...and then you share on it honestly. I'm inspired - thanks, Jo. (((grateful hug!)))
re:inspiring Suit up! (vulgarity warning)
Thanks Ag although I don't feel very inspiring today lol.
But this made me laugh because it reminds me of a spinning instructor I had once . . . she had a habit of saying "Suit up!" and "Strap it on!" Now when she said "strap it on" she was referring to a SEAT BELT but it always made me me think of the OTHER kind of "strap-on". But sometimes you do just have to suit up and strap one on . . . and fake it til you make it lol
Jo
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Ag lol w/ jo
lol...and a little
!
:-)
Agnus checking in
Good morning, PA-pals! I've already had phone calls with sponsor, a sponsee, and a newcomer struggling with those first 90 "daze" clean in another 12-Step program. MUTs and MITs du jour:
9a.m. - 10:08 update - I'm going to do this now and be back 10:20 with God's MITs for Ag's day.Ag 10:27am
God's MITs for my day:
And then do the work at hand in reasonable order. Guess that's why He's God and I'm not...never would've thought of those as MITs! :-)
Ag 7:05 pm, 8:45pm
Good thing God as I understand Him is uber-merciful. I have not done one of HIS MITs yet today, but sure did many other people's MUTs...All my Authority Figures are leaving for various reasons, two of them for a week and the third, the major one, permanently. So the pressure on them is huge to Get Things Done before they go! And of course, that stuff rolls downhill...sigh.
But blaming others does not support my recovery. I take responsibility for my part: I took personal calls, during which I played some freecell, never did a work plan for the day. I even lied
that I had to quit early to make an afternoon appointment I suddenly remembered - when in fact, my best friend came to town unexpectedly and invited me for coffee.
Ick. I hate feeling so spineless that I would lie like that, instead of just saying that I deserve to meet my best friend for coffee. After all, I am self-employed! Why can't I just say to these AFs who control my income: "Hey, YOUR procrastination does not have to become MY emergency!"?
Oh, I remember why: Because of how often I make MY procrastination someone ELSE's emergency...
Having done all I can work-wise today, I am back to personal and family MITs:
Convalaria 21.45 Friday
What to do? What to do?
Car is full of school stuff.
I have current and old correction.
I have preparation and documentation.
I have sorting, sorting, sortting of papers for school and home
I want to get myself fitter and healthier
I want to give mother some help and time
I want to stay sane and calm
I want to do some nice things for me
How do I prioritise?
How do I use the next 14 days constructively?
How do I stay hopeful and positive?
Convalalria at 5.21 Saturday
Feeling anxious, have been awake for abou 2 hours. Started to play Solitaire in bed, caught myself and came here. Read a bit and found my 'new' mantra:
"Recovery from procrastination means doing what you say you're going to do, when you say you're going to do it."
There may be a lifeline for me and I have two weeks to construct it.
Plan for saturday. Things I must do but they are not MIT's.
MIT's for late afternoon/evening
and finally what are MUT's?
MUT = Most URGENT Task
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Conv starting recovery 7.23 saturday, CI 14.40,15.45,18.00,22.43
OK slept too long but I am starting my list now!
Plan for saturday. Things I must do but they are not MIT's.
MIT's for late afternoon/evening
14.40 and I have been busy with stuff that I had to do that is not related to the lifeline and possible reprieve but is stuff that I am committed to do and stuff that is part of life
Onwards!
15.45 checking in and still going
also
dog fed
healthy lunch eaten
ONwards!
18.00
I am back. Cofee date did not show up. Had coffee with another friend who actually gave very good advice and encouragement.
Have had a bowl of recently cooked vegetable soup and have generally stuck to my eating plan today.
Next ????
I am going out tonight at 19.15 so I need to spruce myself up. Time neeed? about 20 minutes. Then finish cleaning kitchen, check laundry and work out the revision I need to up load.
Check in when I return home. I have 75 minutes beefore I leave....
ONWARDS!
22.43
the end of a busy day with no procrastination!
Did not do most the MIT's but there are so many other committments on a saturday.
I did get one par of a MIT done in a short window of time.
I mostly stuck to my eating plan.
I did not obsess too much about THE CONSEQUENCES
I exrcised self and doggy
I went out and socialised with people
next challenges
good night all
kromer 7:35 CI
My only task for the morning is prep for my seminar (ie what I was planning to get done yesterday)...I'm going to spend 30 min coming up with discussion questions, 2 hrs finishing proposal and 30 min reviewing MEME paper, then go to class.
I have seminar and then another lecture to go to 11-2, then I'll skype with my friend and check back in with a plan for the afternoon.
kromer 8:25 CI
OK, a bit slow but I have a nice list of discussion questions now.
Next I need to finish the proposal. This has been a major source of procrastination the past couple days, and now it's due in 2.5 hours. I'm going to take a deep breath and remember:
*This is just a practice proposal for a class
*It's very short, less than 1 page douple spaced
*It's a rough draft, I can change it later if I want
*It's worth less than 1/20 of my class grade, and my class grade doesn't particularly matter
*I'm two weeks into grad school, I'm not expected to have brilliant research ideas, I just need to get something done
*I've written real proposals in the past and gotten them approved, this isn't that scary
OK, having tried to calm myself down, I'm going to 1)Spend 30 min writing proposal based on the reading I've done so far 2)Spend 30 min doing a little more reading 3)Update my proposal based on that reading.
Update 9:15--OK, I've written the rough of my proposal, now I'm going to do a little more reading and update my proposal. Deep breath, this is doable.
kromer 4:50 CI
OK, today has been rather scatter-ing, time to recenter. I finished proposal, led discussion (and it went OK, though not great...this is a weakness that I want to improve), read MEME article, went to seminar, went to another lecture, then ended up going to a really cool 2nd lecture (unplanned, but I think it was OK, I learned a lot).
Now I'm going to make a plan for the evening, which will hopefully be a little more routine. Here's what I'm going to get done.
MIT: make a list of 20 people I might do a rotation with
Scheduled: youth group (leave 5:15, get home by 9:00)
Other things I want to get done (since it's Friday night, I'll let myself choose which ever of these tasks seems most appealing:
*Work on probability pset
*Read 1 paper
*Work on genetics pset
*Order drill
*Email PJ and CV
Right now, I'm going to work on probability pset and print paper (I'm feeling way too scattered to do the "list 20 people" task, but I'll take care of that as soon as I get back from youth group)
thanks Kromer
Kromer, your posts are an inspiration to me about fitting in the smaller tasks into smaller blocks of time :) thanks.
Chick's CI
plannning
MUT 1
MUT 2-at least start
errand
do sorting chores
Still in urgent mode and not on MITs--important thing is not to give up in despair but keep doing some stuff and then feel that other stuff is not so impossible. Remember to walk around outside between projects
plannning-this ended up
plannning-this ended up more timeconsuming than I had foreseen, but a good new opportunity came in to the plans
MUT 1
--Now it's time for a reward/break before trying to make more headway.
MUT 2-at least start
errand
do sorting chores
Still in urgent mode and not on MITs--important thing is not to give up
in despair but keep doing some stuff and then feel that other stuff is
not so impossible. Remember to walk around outside between projects
By chickadee
Yay, a friday thread :)
Well, it is actually 10.27pm friday here where I live... I will stick with the current day US time though because otherwise I will be posting all by myself.
Chickadee, you can do it! Just one little thing... one of my favorite motivators is the idea that if I start a task (or list of tasks) and keep working, then no matter how hard or horrible it is it will get done! This doesn't work with my thesis though :P
My only goal for today now is:
-open thesis word document
-collect together stuff for PAA section
-write ONE SENTENCE
and, of lesser importance:
-spin laundry and put in dryer
-fold enough clothes for tomorrow am :P
On the good news though, other than the ridiculous laundry pile the house is in reasonably good order, which helps my sense of achievement.
Chemgirl
replying
It is taken me a long time to learn how positive it is just to get the folder or open the document. It is the shouting 'Simba' that I mentioned in my post to Georgesmiley's project postmortem.
How good to have your laundry under control. One of my strategies when things seem overwhelming is to create one area of cleanliness and order, then tell myself 'that feels good. I can do it. There is a finite amount of stuff.' The fact that I choose not to have everything in order tells me I am somehow attached to chaos. (Cue: affirmation about enjoying order.)