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.
One thing that trips me up
Don't know if others go through this problem or not.
I find one thing that worsens my procrastination a great deal is the fact of having procrastinated a lot so far.
If I had scheduled a full day to do a task, and it's 5 PM (I work at home, and constantly, so the day is far from over, but my sleep schedule is screwed up... more on this in another thread) and I still haven't started, I feel that I'm going to do a half-assed job, I won't enjoy the rushed process of doing it, and I won't be happy with the result.
This just depresses and demotivates me further. I sink deeper into my net-surfing and avoidance of the task.
Anyone else experience this?
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Yep
I definitely feel this sometimes. You just have to force yourself to start working even for a really short time- I think the website suggests 5min "microbursts". Sometimes I start going for a microburst and find myself in the zone and 2 hours later I have a bunch of stuff accomplished. Try to break stuff up into really small steps and use the daily check-in, even the seemingly stupidest small steps like "Write title of paper, write name, etc", it may help to motivate you since you're noting that you've accomplished something.
As depressing as it feels to not have done anything to us procrastinators, there is no greater, more motivating, and happy feeling than having a day full of accomplishments.
i also struggle with this *a LOT*
I agree with the others that starting earlier can help. today I did yoga with a friend over skype.. I set up the laptop so she could see it through my ipad camera, and i could see it (through the air ;) )
It was crazy how amazing it felt to be awake and have moved (even a tiny bit) my body - we only did 15 minutes or so. Maybe if we keep at it one day I'll even get it together to do it on my own, lol. But really .. it is an example of how sometimes things are easier when we don't try and do them all alone.
the chatbox has helped me recently.. I seem to be able to face things only in 15 minute increments.. really behind on work hours and neeed to average more per week before an april deadline... have to get them (epic-ly) up so 15 minute intervals seem pathetically tiny..
but i know in reality it is the only way.. one 15 minute interval at a time.. that i get started. really helpful to sync with others in the chatbox. also sometimes do this with folks on the phone , with quick call every 15 minutes , make commitments, say go. or skype.
anyway, i'm sleepy and blathering a bit .. point is.. thanks for sharing .. you are definitely not alone.
Ugh, this is a serious
Ugh, this is a serious problem for me too. It's because I'm too much of a perfectionist. I'll be thinking "Ugh, I did a horrible job with doing my homework done today/this week. I know I can do better tommorrow/next week." Once my day/week is anything short of perfect, I find myself wanting to give up until the next day/week so that maybe I can do it perfectly next time.
early start
Hi,
I definitely experience this.
It is rare that I'm on an early schedule, but when I am, it helps ameliorate the feeling of guilt. In the abstract it shouldn't matter, but if I get up early and work from 9 to 1, I feel way better than if I wake up late and work from noon to 4. Same amount of work done, but just b/c it's later in the day, I somehow don't see it that way. And then it is much harder to get more work done in the late hours...
If possible, try getting an earlier start. (then again, this is more easily said than done)
good luck.
sleep
Abel, my days and nights are messed up and have been for a while. I am of two minds of it: I either take melatonin a half an hour before I want to go to bed and try to change my inner clock, or I embrace my day as being off from everyone else and work when I have the energy to work. The shame/guilt feeling of not having done it the way it was 'supposed' to be done has often inhibited me, and still does on some projects, but recently I have had some recovery around that. I am highly demand resistant, even of my own 'shoulds' and so any sort of deadline can be an opportunity for chastising. Recently, I have started to embrace the idea of simply puttering around on things. Sometimes I use a timer for minute amounts of time to try to start a microburst of effort in the right direction. For big projects, I realize that it took a long time to allow things to get this out of hand: if I can get out of bed and actually do something I am ahead of the game. However, I really think my depression has been a huge factor in procrastinating: that and the desire for comfort. I would be perfectly content to spend my life in the bathtub reading a book all day if I could. Now I am seeking more 'active' forms of comfort, ie, making soup, knitting, listening to music while I do dishes, etc. It has taken a long time to treat myself gently, but I clearly am happier and get more done when I do.
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - William Penn
Yes, exactly
...which is why I'm finding I need to get focused early in the day.
But also why I need to learn that I can always start again no matter when it is during the day.
The Hero's Code:
Show up. Pay Attention. Speak the Truth. Let Go of the Outcome.
Yes, me too!
Yes, this definitely happens to me sometimes. I'll feel like I've already failed, and the judgment/verdict has been made, and it doesn't make a difference anymore whether I keep trying.
Or, I know that I could still pull myself out of it, and the fear of trying again at something I've already failed to do is so strong that I keep avoiding it.
The solution for me is usually to find something different and small that I can make progress at—picking up a few clothes from the floor, having dinner, sending a brief email—and then I can feel a little more faith in myself.
yes
same thing happens to me. including yesterday. it is very hard to accept the past and move on as best we can to the future, altho i believe the non-emotional part of my brain knows that's the right answer.
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fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
procrastinating with time mgmt tools: http://www.procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1114#comment-23050
I can identify with this
I can identify with this too.
When this kind of thing arises, now I try to forgive myself. Bit by bit I am learning to have faith that effort starting late is still worth it. I started off by learning to forgive myself when I didn't get up as early as planned. I notice that my spells of procrastination go with a deep longing for forgiveness.
I think of something I read about athletes and successful entrepreneurs: it's not that they never fail, they just keep on right afterwards, trying again. In music and sports, you have to just go for the next ball, or note, not dwell on the past. Clem's banner sums it up.
Never too late to start
Yes!
The point that it's never too late to start is a valuable one.
In fact there have been many instances where I am so glad to have done that. For example cramming all night to study for an exam resulting in passing. Or whipping off a half-assed report for a meeting the next morning and the client thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
If I had procrastinated or dilly-dallied longer those successes wouldn't have occurred.
This could be something to keep in mind, especially when we're worried and despairing that it's too late.