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.
My number one problem= waiting for the last minute
This is really bad.
I don't seem to be able to work on stuff if there is "still time"
I put myself on danger of failing or delivering subpar results only because I seem to "love the danger"
Once the time is really limited, then I spring into action.
I hardly ever have consequences on doing this because my own standards are very high. I am the only one disappointed with my own last minute deliverables. At most I get a request for changes. But all I do is considered "good enough" or even "very good" by other people. This applies to all areas of my life.
While I procrastinate, eating my own time, I get very anxious, close to feeling sick.
Any insight? please?
I am visualizing myself being able to figure this out.
These are my affirmations:
- I work at an appropriate pace
- I allow myself to work on tasks with plenty of time
- I enjoy working on my tasks
- The resources, advise and people I need to become a proactive person come to me effortlessly
- Login to post comments
Is it just plain laziness?
My trick below didn't work either.
Could it be I am plain lazy so I work on something only if I really like it or if I absolutely have to?
How can I confirm that?
And, if I am lazy, how can I change that?
Timer solution not working - trying another approach
Gosh, I havent been able to consistently log what I do...too distracted.
I need to go back to why do I need the rush of danger.
More affirmations
1) I do things with plenty of time, I move forward enjoying the freedom and peace of mind of having plenty of time...
ok, random thought, if I do things with plenty of time, I work more because I have more time to do a more complete work. This is a perfectionist problem
Let's say I have 5 days to complete a task; I procrastinate and don't start until day 4, this means I complete the task in 2 days, with whatever quality I get . If I worked on it for 5 days, I would put actual 5 days of work. I think this is part of the key.
So If I have 5 days to do a job, I should estimate that I could possibly do something "decent" in 2 days. If I focus on what is really critical first. So, I work on it for the two days first, get a complete, finished deliverable product and then I would still have 3 more days for fine tuning!!!
Well, I'll give it a shot. Let's start with something small. I have to build a police station from a cardboard box for my son's classroom and that needs to be ready for Monday. Most likely I will do it Sunday night. In....2 hours! So I can go to bed before 11.
ok, ok, so intead, I will do something tonight for only two hours, somehing I would be willing to deliver to the teacher. Something good enough. Then I can add details from tonight to Monday...It might work...Will report back!!!
microbursts
I have the same pattern and I have not found a permanent solutions: I put things off longer the more critical the task is. Microbursts are tiny little steps in the right direction: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1577. This really helps me to take the next eensie-weensie step. I help myself with finding some kind of background entertainment to trick myself into thinking I am having a good time: turn on some music, make myself some tea, background television, etc. Breaking things down into smaller deadlines also helps: for instance, the paper is due a week from now: I might set up a mini-deadline or just commit to only working on something for 15 minutes today.
Lots and lots of help here: keep coming.
asking for help to do the next right thing
Feedback
Thank you everybody
I do like the fake deadline idea. !
I am also working on smaller blocks, I say "I will work on mission critical tasks for 1 hour" Sometimes I have to go by 15 min. Then I allow myself to go for a tea, or read email, or post here...
Now, I think it is interesting that I don't have a problem with being on time or even a little early to appointments. My last minute rush addiction is limited to tasks that need to be completed... So, what is it that I enjoy about being on time for appointments?
When it comes to tasks none of those apply....hmmmm
I cannot be a step buddy right now mainly because I am simplifying my life and I am not ready for that type of commitment. (I am learning to say no...) but it was a sweet offer, maybe if you post a step thread others will follow
Spirit
This is a great topic. My story is a duplicate of yours. I can start out early with plenty of time and still end up late. I can't seem to focus my concentration until it HAS TO BE DONE NOW. I used to think this was due to time contraints from having too many irons in the fire but now it is clear that it has been a way of being for me causing emotional, mental and physical distress.
I even resist being on time as my personal right to be late everywhere. Now I understand there are major costs to the adrenalin rush and they are all negative. My work now is much more detailed and complicated. What I used to be able to kick out in a day or two may take a month now and I have no gauge on when I can't make the deadline so procrastinating is not an option.
I am seeking professional help as well as utilizing the resources on this web site. I still don't know what total recovery looks like but since I am just starting I would be willing to go throught the steps with you to see what may be there that drives the behavior even when it clearly doesn't work well to create a life that works. Let me know if you need a step buddy.
Spirit
used to be my number one problem...
Hi Radiance,
I can also relate to your post so, thanks for sharing. It really reminds me the danger of living in the edge!
As I said, this used to be my #1 problem... I had somehow managed to get by at work and at every aspect of my life by doing everything at the last minute.
I use to leave for appointments at the exact hour of my appointment, It din't matter if it was going to take me 5 or 50 minutes arriving there, so, I was always late. I even arrived late to my wedding (the priest had already started the ceremony as he couldn't wait anymore and of course my wife was abbsolutely p.ssd off! (at least this is something I have managed to solve, now I meet almost all my appointments. It's the tasks I keep procrastinating).
Well, the risk of living in the edge is that at somepoint you will evntually fall... and then you get mad at yourself and this makes your fall again, and again and again.
At least this is what is happening to me... after years of being always succesful at delivering everything on the last minute with a great success rate, I am now almost always not delivering on time and also not delivering with my once great quality and even sometimes not delivering at all.
So now my #1 problem is not living on the edge... it is trying to rise after I've fallen... I am now not only dissapointing myself but others, and this brings tons of additional guilt!
So, you were asking for insigth... the one thing I can manage to say at the moment is that you've come to the right place! there's lot's of people sharing our problem and some of them are making a great progress and it is soooo inspiring.
Please hang in there! since you are still getting a good success rate, you are in a better position to start recovery! it's great you came here so early, so, start by thanking for it! I hope you find here what you came looking for (I also hope for myself)
and again, thanks for sharing!
I am getting me a timer
I am getting a regular timer. If I can get myself to work on something for 5 min that is 5 min of work. Then I can expand to 10, 15.
That, together with pre-deadlines, will hopefully make a difference.
I can SO empathise. Try
I can SO empathise.
Try setting fake pre-deadlines - e.g. if your boss needs that report for Wednesday, say you'd like to finish it a day or two in advance to give yourself some 'wiggle room' - she/he's likely to be impressed with that! - and then agree to hand it in and talk it over with on the Monday or Tuesday. That way you have fear of embarrassment/letting boss down to drive you, ahead of the official deadline.
That can sort of work with friends and family as well. And some people have success setting fake deadlines purely for themselves (I don't much, but you might!)
This sounds very familiar--I
This sounds very familiar--I don't yet have a solution, but I have observed in myself that success of any kind after last-minute adrenalin fuelled effort actually rewards the delaying; so I am trying to find other ways to think about rewards, the tortoise versus the hare...