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.

After a big setback...

(I have finished updating this and replies are now welcome.)

...I'm trying to recover again and also figure out what went wrong.

I'd had uneven but fairly good success in combating my own stalling over the last several months. Then I went on vacation for a week in July, and while I've gotten some projects completed since my return I've been in a major Procrastination binge through that.

Now I'm trying to understand why.

I came back from vacation with a new assignment and a short turnaround time. That was fine, and I was focused on it and finished it on deadline (Project S). But...

...I'd also set a goal for myself of doing some major decluttering in those weeks. That fell by the wayside. I had another assignment that I just let linger (Project P-10). When I wasn't working on Project S, I was goofing off, mostly.

Just as I turned in Project S at the beginning of August, my son began a 10-day stint with me, my two weeks of vacation with him. Money is tight so we couldn't go away anywhere; instead he mostly hung out at the house and watched TV. I sat in my home office surfing the net and feeling guilty that I hadn't planned more for him, or that I wasn't at least doing real work. At least we got to do a few fun things.

Then the 2 weeks was up and I was more behind. I finished up Project P-10, but again, was otherwise unfocused and goofing off. I delayed by weeks getting started on Project U, which is due at the end of September, and Project WW, which is due even sooner.

Finally, this week I've managed to force myself to get back on track, sort of. But only with difficulty.

As this is updated (Thursday morning, 9:12 AM) I have been on 2 hours checking Facebook, personal email, etc.

When I try to set limits of various kinds, it sometimes works, but other times I just willfully ignore those limits. Likewise I willfully just ignored this place (P-A) when I was in the depths of my "stalling binge."

I think that's all I've got to say right now on this, although more reflection may come to me. Replies are now welcome.

 

Getting back on track

I, too, find it hard to get back on track after a vacation, which seemingly makes no sense...I feel I should be more rested, relaxed and ready to work, but I think what happens is that the vacation interrupts my "flow", to the extent I had a flow going, and then I return after that one rare week away a bit at a loss as to where to start and how to get back in a rhythym....so try to cut yourself some slack and pat yourself on the back for spending some quality time with your son, and now try to get back into your routine by breaking tasks down into more manageable steps (soemthing I struggle with daily), and, above all, don't be too hard on yourself since that is always self-defeating and leads to more avoidance.

Thank you for sharing!

rec

RESTARTING AFTER VACATION

I THINK IT MAKES PERECT SENSE 

 

I have alot to say about this and have been thinking about it for years, bec restarting after a vacation is the hardsest thing for me (or one of them).  

We tend to be people that need a lot of forced structure (or imposed or external is a better word).  

 

So, it is not the relaxation that makes it more difficult it is the return to a routine.  Without that routine we are a tiny bit off our game.

 

There is nothing to be ashamed of here or to think that this is a block for being successful in life.

 

Years ago I read an article about a famous Tennis player in SI.  (I am not a big sports fan but this stuck with me.)  He was the #1 player but not very popular.  he was very rigid in his game - almost robotic.  Never breaking from training.  He was viewed as unemotional and cold.

 

In the interview he said "people dont understand" I am really very undisciplined by nature; if I dont train for a day I may not be able to restart again.  (or words to that effect)  I am so disciplined because I have to be.  

A potential (or closet) "procrastinator" who was the no. 1 player in the world!!

 I just got back from a camping trip and decided not to keep my time sheets which is a wonderul tool.  It was a great trip, bit next time I will keep the sheets.  The key is to be able to be disciplined and still enjoy life at the same time - they do not have to be mutually exclusive.  that is the step I am working towards.

 

These are my thoughts 

Progress not prefection

Do It Now 

 

 

 

That's a really interesting

That's a really interesting story and a very good insight about why vacation can derail us.

Vacation is important, and I'm glad I took the one I did and the way I did. But what this tells me is I need to be prepared upon my return to get back in the swing of things, very consciously.

I've got a 4 day trip to visit family coming up in a few weeks. I'm going to go to my task list NOW and make sure that on the return day I make a task to focus only on what I need to do to get back in the schedule.

Thank you .

~~

Want what you have. Be who you are. Do what you can. ~Forrest Church

The Hero's Code:

Show Up. Pay Attention. Speak the Truth. Let Go of the Outcome.

Being with the Children

I stayed home with my kids this summer. They are not the sit around type, and because I was there, we only had about 2 police visits- nothing malicious, one was because my 14 yr old loves WWE- so he wrestles everything in sight, teddy bears, our 2 cats, his friends. The one friend who is twice his size and 2 years older went home crying, so the father called the police. The police could hardly keep a straight face, but if I had not been here, he would have been charged with assualt. Once when I went on appts., the younger one locked himself in my husbands truck until I got home because the older one was going to beat him up. etc., etc.,

At first, being home with the boys had value, but because I decided they needed to find their own entertainment this summer, instead of me entertaining them, I too felt guilty, I felt I did not do anything, etc., etc., We too got to do a few fun things. The older one picked up a job because of me. Then we had the vacation disaster, I spent so much time planning and packing, only to get to the airport and have it canceled.

 My sponsor reminded me that being with them does count, even if all we do is surf the net and watch tv. That is so hard for me to accept because don't feel I got anything much else done and I feel lazy just cooking, buying food, driving them, etc.. Also it was boring. But when I am on my death bed, I believe one of the most important times for me will me the time I spent with the children.I need to remember that for myself.