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.

Hi I guess

Well, I'd like to introduce myself, like everyone else here, as a prime example of a procrastinator.  I'm brand new to the group and well to posting anything online in general.

I'm a fourth-year university student in Chemistry that feels like everything is just kind of slipping away gradually, piece by piece, and like nothing I can do (more like I just haven't done anything about it) will give me the motivation to finish what I've started.  I started my university career off to a great start, but since the start of my second semester in first year, my grades just continuously slid in the downward direction.  This happened even moreso in second and third year when I became a huge pot addict.  I blamed my failures on other things (such as pot, bad profs, horrible roommates etc. etc.), yet I know that it was all me all along.  For this reason, I lost my girlfriend of three years, missed plenty of opportunities to find solid co-op positions (and eventually lost co-op altogether), and altogether just crumpled into a pile of solidarity and loneliness (so it seems).  Now, don't get me wrong, I have a lot of "friends", but my habit of keeping things until the last minute force me to avoid almost everything until I've done them.  This includes things that I enjoy doing, but yet feel I can't do them because I know what I have to do first... and yet I still don't get the one thing done that really needs to be done.  It's embarassing to admit that it feels like I can't handle more than one thing at a time.

For example, I have a final project due next week worth 100% of my mark.  I've had it already for a week, and I've basically done nothing on it.  This is while I have other exams during this week, but since I know I have this one thing due, I haven't even attempted studying for the other things.  How messed is that?

The thing is, I don't know why I leave everything to the last minute.  I know what I have to do, I just don't do it.  It's like I convince myself I have time to do the things that I need to, until there really isn't enough time to do them in.

 

I've read a lot of the posts, and they all seem very insightful and really do apply to me, but I just don't know where I should start.  I've tried changing before and it hasn't worked.  This whole escapade reminds me of how I stopped smoking weed (because there were countless times that I said I would stop, and then just disappointed myself by turning back to it, but I got over it, yet will do it occasionally).  I don't know what the hell to do, and where I should start.  A new semester is almost upon me, and I always feel like a new semester will be a new start, but it always turns out the same way...with me cramming like a madman the night before my finals...Help!!

hello, chemguy.

Another student here with the same story, minus the pot. Actually, I have a few friends who seem to be where you were with weed.... I've watched them slip into an addiction. After seeing that, I'm really proud of you for quitting (or at least cutting way down). 

I hope you will use the check in board, its really helpful, even when for things you just "want" to do, instead of things you "need" to do.

I hope you will find peace knowing there are many of us who are just like you. 

Hi chemguy, I too am a

Hi chemguy,

I too am a newbie and as I just told Vince, I've been where you are (minus the pot -- never could figure out how to inhale, and still can't).

It doesn't feel good to cram, does it? And it's a hard habit to break because I still cram for things, sort of (and I'm in my 40s and well out of undergrad). However, now I'm more conscious of how procrastinating affects me physically. One of my 2009 goals is to get in optimal physical shape and part of that involves managing stress. Cramming is stressful as hell!

Anyway...I look forward to working on this with you. 

Hey thanks for the comments

Hey thanks for the comments guys (or girls?)  I go through ups and downs it seems of productivity.  Right now, cramming for a biochem exam that I already know I'm going to bomb, although it's good to know I can't fail the course :) ..but the fact remains, I'm still cramming last minute, even more last minute than ever.  All I would say is, and I'm sure you know this already, but the real reason I'm cramming is because I didn't take the time to attempt this stuff earlier.  If only I had have started even one day earlier, I would be in a better situation than I am now.  It's just that simple, make progress, not perfection.  Some things just can't be done in a day and I think I keep looking for that.  Guess it's time to settle and realize that there's nothing better I could be doing, than the stuff that I need to get done. God why do I do this? lol But I guess there's no sense in beating myself up over it because it's not like I can change it, just learn from it.

I've been in your situation before Vince, but I got through it too.  Just think what the new semester will bring now that you know this whole procrastination thing is not just a time-management problem.  Keep that in mind when you start off the new semester with the same attitude as every other semester (like in my case), but this time you know you're not alone, and so do I.  I'm gonna keep coming back to update on what I'm doing to get better marks in the new semester and I'd suggest you do the same, that way we can see how far we've come when we get there.

Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement all!

Hey i'd like to welcome you

Hey i'd like to welcome you here even though I've joined after you :-P

 I can relate to everything you said (minus pot addiction and gf dropping) I am also in my third year of university, I had a great start and it went downhill from there, I'm currently failling a class for the second time...

So I just want to tell you that you are not alone and If i ever find domething that help me I'll let you now!

cheer up christmas is almost upon us!

welcome, chemguy

Clement pointed out the most important features of this site and why it works for us procrastinators. There are also some tools that people have used that have come to help me, when I remember to do them.  Most of them are googleable (?) so check out: nowdothis.com. When I feel overwhelmed, so much so that I am paralyzed,  I make myself a short to do list on this website. It will present me with only o ne task to acheive. I find I will simply get through a numb er of individual tasks this way, which is really the key for me to realize that all of my unwieldy projects are just a bunch of little micro-tasks. 

Others have found certain blogs or systems really help them. Microsoft Outlook helped me keep track of lots of things, Zen to Done is a blog that others refer to, Do It Now is a series of strategies to handle things. 

Where to start....I often get stuck with that. I find that when I really can't decide on what to do I do anything: and if I do it in the chatbox talking myself through it (sometimes in the company of others who do the same) I can swallow some pretty ugly frogs.

Welcome and keep coming back

there's hope in this fellowship

will i think i can offer you a ray of hope. Many, many people have come to this fellowship saying, "i've tried to fix this many times and never could"--and then here they finally make progress. That's true of me.

Many people, including me, had tried all kinds of "methods" only to realize that it's *following thru* on a method (and really any one of many *could* work) that counts.

I guess that's why people tend to find it helpful to check in several times a day at the check-in board. You'll see the date on the right side of the screen, or here: Daily Check-ins. Hope 2 c u there.

I'm going to chat (click on 'chatbox' in the top menu bar) to stay focused, because i can lose focus every 5 min sometimes.

The other thing many people, including me, find helpful is the 12 steps and the weekly 12-step on-line meeting. My experience is that i was very ready to admit that i had no power over this thing, because that appeared to be obvious. I now routinely turn to the Higher Power to give me the strength and hope to overcome this thing--including these last 3 days for me which have been hard.

Anyway, welcome. We're all in the same boat. Glad to have u on board.

(and there's a "chemgirl" here, too. he he :) )

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