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.
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
Kristen CI 11:45 pm
I haven't been checking in for the past few days because of a busy social schedule—all my friends are home from school as well and this has been the best week to see people. It's been a lot of fun, but I still have this paper hanging over me that I wanted to have finished by now. Now I'm starting to get those old feelings of helplessness and guilt that I used to have with my procrastination; therapy has been helping me to get rid of some of those emotions but I think I have always used my guilt to motivate myself, and if I don't have that then I'm a little lost as to how to push on.
Pro suggested seeing it as a self-love thing: I am not going to write this paper because it is something I HAVE to do, but because I WANT to finish it (it's actually on a topic that interests me!) and get a decent grade in English. I like that idea but it is hard to wrap my heart around it. I think this faltering is where the HP comes in—I have resisted that part of PA for a while because I don't believe in a traditional God, but I do have a very strong belief in the potential of humans to work hard and do great things.
So. I believe that I can work hard and I can finish this essay tonight or tomorrow. I know that I have strong willpower when I decide to apply it, because I have done things harder than this before. For a few days I have avoided committing myself to actually cracking down to it, but now I am drawing the line and deciding to do this paper. I can do it, and I will.
Good Luck
Kristen,
I can relate to the feeling of guilt and how it motivates me to accomplish a task that I have hanging over my head. Another motivating feeling that I deal with is fear and it motivates me just as much as guilt.
I really do not like these two feelings and how I am motivated by them but on the other hand I do not know how to function without them. I like to think that I am learning to function with out them but there is always something that comes up (deadline or activity to prepare for) that makes thoses feelings rise up inside and try to take control. For me those feelings cause me to time binge on one activity or job therefore upsetting the balance that I have established in my planning process. Planning and making my self stick to my plan as long as it is feasiable helps to keep these feelings at bay and helps to maintian a balance.
Kristen make yourself a plan push forward and celebarete your success when you finish the paper. Good luck and we are all here cheering you on.
hope-faith
Happy 2009!
Hope you all have an amazing new year. :)
Convalaria January 2nd, Friday 8.37am
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Happy New Year 2009
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Finding this site and meeting you all has meant a lot!
Yesterday was waste. Spent the day surfing and reading a blog that I have just discovered.. At least I almost stuck with my eating plan.
I always find the lack of an outside structure challenging.
The timetabled structure of my work and the uneding work after work is on the other hand overwhelming and something that I resent .....
Where or where is the balalnce for me??
Today is a another day....and so I will
try topotter around, keep busy and CI frequently.!THINGS I WILL TO ACHIEVE TODAY !
But first things first....throw on some grubbies and take my poor, patient doggy for a well deserved and overdue walk and get some exercise myself
10.01 am as above also had breakfast and a drink.
Next most of morning routine:
Shower, scrib feet, scrub body, teeth brush and floss, moisturise, moisturise, moisturise, dress, make bed, pick up poo, set and dry hair, microburst the notes on kitchen table.
TIME the whole thing and then check in :)
12.27 as above also saw mother. Interesting. Morning Routine takes at least 90 minutes....or more if I include medication and makeup. Part of my procrastination and time wasting is not having a realistic view of how long thing take. Sometimes I think that something will take hooooours and it takes 15 minutes and vice versa......I think something (ususally grading papers or preparing schoolwork) will tale a couple of hours and takes 5 or 6 or 7.....
Next: Phone calls as above also check status of gym memebership, book carpet cleaning and time my self...
12.18 CI made most calls left messages time taken 45 minutes for mostly nothing...
Next: make porrige for son, plan food and shopping list, change puton on makeup, deal with some of the bills, see therapist, go to the bank and check back in about 4pm.
5.30 CI most of above done but not the important stuff....also had a coffeee witha friend and checked some of the sales and have had dinner.
next: food shopping and cooking
"Recovery from procrastination means doing what you say you're going to do, when you say you're going to do it."
e on new years day
I had a very nice time with some old friends last night where we nibbled on yummies and played card games with until 2 am. My sons were away at friends so we slept in until noon and are now getting up and running. I would like to make a commitment to getting outside everyday this year. It seems like a minor goal, but I think it will bring a definate positive change.
One lovely thing happened already this year: my spouse got his first interview lined up after having been home since August 5th! It would be a wonderful opportunity for him, so I am trying not to be too anxious about it: asking for serenity, courage and wisdom from my HP about this.
Little steps in the right direction: it sounds like the 20 minute chip-away plan that Hope-Faith is using this week has been successful for her. I would like to give it a try today, although for me I will set the bar at 10 minutes apiece for each of the following tasks:
straighten the living room, laundry, kitchen cleanup, front porch, Christmas deconstruct. I would also like to get to a meeting today, as well as to plan a healthy menu for tomorrow. I have spent some time reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part=Time Indian, and am really enjoying it, but don't want to spend my day in a book, which is one of my favorite ways to procrastinate. Finally, I would like to take a walk, preferably with my mother and do some journaling.
as always, the chatbox is the most motivating place for me, so I am going there.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and productive New Year, everyone!
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - William Penn
Rolzup CI
Not much loose time today. There's a progressive dinner starting at 5, so here's my very brief checklist for the afternoon.
[X] lunch
[X] clean up the house for dinner guests.
[ ] GTD
--Rolzup
Hope-faith CI 9:40
This has been a great week for me. I have accomplished so much and it feels good. Today I will continue to work on my 20 min task starting with the items that I did not get today yesterday. After I get a cup of coffee I am going to begin working in the playroom. I will spend more than 20 min work on this task because I was hoping to have all the kids toys boxed up by Saturday. CI when I am done.
CI 11:40 Worked 20 min on coupons while I had a cup of coffee. Have 6 boxes ready to pack up with toys. Spent sometime off task searching for an address on-line for husband. Dad has stopped by and the kids are helping him make Fried Rice (yummy). I have to run to the store and get a drink while they cook. Looks like I can not work on playroom until after lunch. However it is all good my kids and I get to spend time with my dad.
CI 1:00 Dad just left, the kids had a great time making Fried Rice. They used the Video Recorder and created a Fried Rice with Grandaddy Documentary. It was awsome to watch. I hope that we have more moments like this in the year to come. Did spend 20 min decluttering utility room, it is looking so much better. It is amazing what 20 min can do. Not sure what my next task will be. After some thought and observation I need to clean my kitchen up after the Fried Rice Affair. Off to do that now.
CI 3:45 Kitchen is cleaned up. My mom stopped by for a vist, so I have not accomplished much on my task at hand. I was able to cut out some templates ect. for scrapbooking. Next thing that I need to do is got to my gandmothers and get some sweet potatoes for supper tonight. Once I return I am going to go and work in the playroom boxing up toys. I think I keep putting this off it is emotionally stressful becaue my kids have so much stuff and I know that we can not keep all of it but I do not know how to let go either. That is not my task at hand so I just need to stop worring about it and move forward. Anyway, off to get sweet potatoes.
hope-faith
Hope-Faith
Accomplished alot yesterday however did not accomplish all the things that I had planned. I had to spend a fair amount of time on some on planned items. It is still all good, a bit disappointing but good.
hope-faith
hope-faith
I am not sure why, but it seems particularly difficult for those of us who have been teachers to let go of children's stuff: my mother has an attic full of stuff and she has been retired for 5 years now! I don't know if this will help you, but it did help me: flylady.com has some good suggestions on how to integrate your children into decluttering choices. I had to go through most of our stuff when we moved overseas two years ago and it was an ENORMOUS head and heartache: too many 'important' things to let go of. One of the suggestions that helped me was having my children to through their own toys to see what they would let go of. I found that I often had emotional attachments to things they really did not care about. The other thing that helped was to rotate toys in and out of the attic, otherwise I felt like we were living inside a toybox. Eventually, though, the only thing that helped was giving things away that the kids no longer wanted. It helped that we had a slew of cousins to give them to so that we could 'visit' the toys, especially as they were quite an investment to begin with!
hugs, e
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - William Penn
Thanks e - You always give good advise
At this point I am just putting everything into boxes taping them up and putting them in our garage room. Once I get the playroom declutterd and my son's room ready we can go through the boxes and sort out what to keep and what to get rid of. The problem that we will have is that my children are just like me and they want to keep everything. I think what I would like to do is have a yard sale and buy something from the proceeds can buy something for the whole family. Maybe that will encourage them as well as me.
On another note my step sister and her husband are both unemployed and have been for about a year or so I did give them alot of toys for their 2 year old daughter to give her for Christmas. Maybe there is hope for me. (:
My dad was in the Army and every 3 to 4 years we would have to get rid of alot of our stuff before we moved. So I tend to think that is why I have such an emotional attachment "stuff" and getting rid of stuff. Hopefully I can get past it, it is what is best for me and my family. The clutter just has to go.
Thanks for the encouragement. Happy New Years.
hope-faith
hope-faith
My mother had a similar history to yours: her dad was a journalist and they moved 7 times before she graduated from high school. She definately has some difficult memories around her family getting rid of things which were important to her, so we never had to get rid of anything we did not want to. I am very much a stuff person, too, because of this, but I am now defining what I keep according to the following standard to help me release things: I must love it, use it, and find it beautiful to keep it. I now have a rotation of charitable giveaways on my porch because of this. I also have asked people not to give us physical gifts anymore. I have come to desire things which are memorable, ie, tickets to performances, playdates, services: they tend to be the things I ultimately value more. It has been a progression for me, and in large part due to both flylady and this fellowship. There is nothing wrong with possessions: I still cherish them, but I now have a higher standard for them so that I am not enslaved by them. I have a long way to go, but this has been healing for me.
When I read your posts I am always inspired by how much you do for your family: from the frog room to the science projects! Your children are lucky to have such an engaging mother!
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - William Penn
Recycler CI 9:25am EST
Hi Pro Buddies!
Happy New Year! :) Thanks for the colorful Threadstarter & Welcome from Pro! :)
While I am easing into the New Year here, I have already been to the store and back. Last year on New Year's Day, a local store put gift items at 75% off. This morning I needed some other items as well, so I went by the store, but they are still at 50% off. Saturday is in two days; I will go back then & see if they have bumped to 75% off ;)
This morning I will click around on my Internet groups a little more, go to another store, then bake cornbread. I haven't thought through the day any beyond that, so I'll update my CI later! ;)
12:330pm. Still staggering around, here. lol. I've been out and about again. When I got back in from the other store, I was hungry, so ate a salad & some toast. Making the cornbread is high on my list, but it hasn't been accomplished yet ;) As long as I get it done by 5pm or dinnertime, that should be ok. I've left something in the other condo. I'm going to do a little more Internet here, take something across the street. Hopefully when I get back here, I will have the needed list(s) with me and can work on a new spending plan for January :)
1:40pm. I did the spending plan things that I needed to do. I will carry one more thing across the street, then make cornbread :)
3:35pm. Cornbread is made. I've been letting it cool, while surfing the Internet :) Oh my gosh, there is going to be some wonderful Barbie Doll stuff this year :)
At the other condo, I've started putting my New Year's dolls on display, so I need to finish getting those up, and put away the Cinderella dolls. Next: take another box of stuff across the street. Decide if I want a cornbread snack now, or wait until dinnertime ;) Today has been a very Puttering-Around day, so I can't plan further than that! lol
7:05pm. For supper I had the collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. The older I get, the better it tastes each year lol.
I've also done a couple more loads of clothes & dishes.
New Year's dolls. I don't know if I will get everything set up or not. However, even enjoying them a little bit is a good thing.
Next: I will go over to the new condo, & decide if I want to watch a DVD or not. I need to stay up about two more hours. I'm not sure if I want to read that long, so maybe a DVD would be ok.
Have a great day, everyone! :)
Recycler
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Journey 7:45 Happy New Year
Like Pro said: The Classic New Start!
I feel that I've made some progress this year, although I still have a long way to go. And I'm looking forward to making even more progress this year, with you guys by my side!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! and a productive and enjoyable year for all.
Jo
"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
- George Eliot
Journey 8:15
It's a holiday but I still have some things I want to do today. Gotta get my bean soup and collard greens on to cook so we'll have good luck this year.
Other stuff I want to do today:
To the chat room. I'll probably be alone in there :)
Jo
"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
- George Eliot
we're having collard greens & beans today, too :)
Hi Jo!
Happy New Year! :) We're having collard greens & beans today, too! :) [actually black-eyed peas ;) I've got to make some cornbread first, to go with them! :)
Thanks for letting us know about audible.com. Free is good! :)
Recycler
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
cornbread!
Yep, I need to make cornbread too! I froze the hambone from Christmas and making 15-bean soup with it. Yum! (forgive the vulgarity, but we call it "poot soup")
Jo
"It is never too late to be what you might have been."
- George Eliot
soup :)
Hi Jo!
I've made soup like that before from the hambone :) It did turn out really good, too :) Very savory :)
I'm glad you are enjoying your day! :) Talk to you later! :)
Recycler
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Sammy ci :: 2:10 am
Here's to a new year.
I'm still up.....had a nice time with L (went ice skating and watched a movie at her friends house), but we went home early because she wasn't feeling well. Went to my sister's house afterwards, but she and her bf had been drinking (underage) and didn't want to do anything. We watched a little tv after the countdown, but I decided to leave shortly after.....visiting them was a disappointing end to my evening. I should have known better. Other friends were at parties, but I didn't feel like subjecting myself to any more disappointment.
A depressing end to a depressing year.....Praying that 2009 will bring new friends, positive personal growth, and a closer relationship with God.
pro's check-in (day plan)
It's 2am and I supposed to be getting ready for bed and I'm sort of partly there but stuck. I went to a really enjoyable party tonight. Now I'm a very tired. I need sleep!
I will finish my text project up tomorrow because I found the last piece right before I left for the party. Then that will be done and I'll move onto the next one.
Happy New Year everyone!
Every day can be a new start, but today is the classic new start!
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Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.