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.

Friday, 8th of September, 2006

contributions and anonymity

Actually, there's a reason I haven't put up a Contributions button yet. I haven't yet figured out a way to accept contributions without blowing my anonymity. If I lose my anonymity, I will have to take down the entire site.

it's embarrassing

I really need to do this. Maybe this weekend?

JestRight - 10:35 AM

DID I CHECK IN ON TIME?
5 minutes late

ACCOMPLISHED AS PLANNED:
--Ate breakfast at office - prepared last night - cool!
--to office folder

OTHER STUFF ACCOMPLISHED:
Updated calendar, clipboard, PA postings

INTERRUPTIONS - OK:
None

INTERRUPTIONS - BAD:
None

WASTED TIME:
None - I think. Not onto the meaty stuff yet (though that pork chop was good!)

THINGS TO DO TODAY:
--email-blast out the SFH 2-bed 1-bath flier to the pared-down list of Glendale homebuyers etc ****
--clear desk ****
--clear email ****
--Identify and present property for Billy L. ***********************
--finish following up on the lead from Mary Jo
--follow up on the leads from Miss N
--replan schedule
--9pm: talk to Ingrid, or Julie Z; or Natalya, or email Diana.

NEXT CHECK-IN:
11am

OVERALL COMMENTS:
Need to watch myself this morning. Spending time organizing instead of accomplishing. Watch out! Head hurts from lack of sleep. I will prevail (was that a disco song?)

pro's CI - 1:30pm

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Wake up: 6:30am (target: 6:30am). :)
  • Morning Routine (included gym workout!!)
  • Day Plan
    • Reflection.
    • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day.
    • One hour nap (very tired - went to bed too late last night).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Day Plan
    • Check email and clear spam folder.
    • Customer email.
    • Reports to clients.
    • Straighten work area to prepare for next work day.

JestRight - 8:59 AM - "The 7 am Report"

Ok, lets see. Not a bad morning. Got up at 5 - ok, 535am. Made it on time to the first 6am meeting. We meet again Monday. (I'll post on the appropriate thread.) Met till 7:15 - long, but we were getting to know each other, so its okay. My new friend Uzi is intelligent and very different from me. Gave me good advice.

Not that I LIKE good advice. What I like is to be told what I want to hear.....

Got hear at 7:30am or so, walked in with the boss :-) and turned the lights on. YESSSSS!

More in a few moments...

JestRight - Morning Check-In (continued)

DID I CHECK IN ON TIME?
No. 2 hours late.

ACCOMPLISHED AS PLANNED:
--finish veggie juice
--Uzi's phone number to call
--email finance bill-paying chart home
--buy veggies and fruit and tahn and soujouk or meat
--eat, chores, ready for tomorrow
--cancel acupuncture for Saturday
--visit this website, gather fundamental problems I'm having.
--go out (with harry?) (to irish pub?)

OTHER STUFF ACCOMPLISHED:
--cooked, sautéed, and steamed

THINGS I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO BUT DIDN’T, DAMMIT
--work out
--plan bills incl gym, car payment, car ins, cell, child support, DWP
--replan schedule
--9pm: talk to Ingrid, or Julie Z; or Natalya, or email Diana.

INTERRUPTIONS - OK:
Harry coming by

INTERRUPTIONS - BAD:
None

WASTED TIME:
None

THINGS TO DO TODAY:

--eat breakfast
--email-blast out the aforesaid flier to the pared-down list of Glendale homebuyers/homeowners ****
--clear desk ****
--clear email ****
--Identify and present property for Billy L. ****
--finish following up on the lead from Mary Jo
--to office folder
--follow up on the leads from Miss N
--plan bills and finances incl gym, car payment, car ins, cellphone, child support, DWP
--replan schedule
--9pm: talk to Ingrid, or Julie Z; or Natalya, or email Diana.

NEXT CHECK-IN:
10:30 am

OVERALL COMMENTS:
Tired this AM due to brief sleep, but functioning. Working today will be a challenge but I am up to it. Proud of myself for being here early. Need to cut out timewasting activity, "done beats perfect," churn stuff out, focus on results not perfection, replace thoroughness with excitement, Always Be Closing.

pro's CI - 11am

I'm noticing that although I get back from the gym by 9:30am, it then takes me a while to do the things I do after that, so I'm not sitting down to work until 10:30-11am. Hmmm... I probably do need to be getting up earlier. On the other hand, if I work from 11am-5pm, that's 6 hours more than I work on most days. ;)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Wake up: 6:30am (target: 6:30am). :)
  • Morning Routine
    • Dress (showered night before).
    • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day.
    • Make and eat breakfast.
    • Take out pills for the day.
    • Swallow morning pills.
    • Wash breakfast dishes.
    • Gym workout.
    • Grocery shopping. (Not really part of my morning routine - I just needed a few things.)
    • Rinse out gym clothes.
    • Make post-workout protein shake.
    • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Day Plan
    • Reflection.
    • Review to-do list and make a plan for the day.
    • Check email and clear spam folder.
    • Customer email.
    • Reports to clients.
    • Straighten work area to prepare for next work day.

I have the same issue

I have the same issue with morning workouts.

But I don't think its a bad thing if youre doing creative work and have the freedom work the 11 to 5 schedule. I did this when I was working as a business writer. Six hours of real work is enough, I think, for most people. There is no medal for time spent at the water cooler.

3.52pm

Packed - gotta go!

See you next week. Have a great weekend!

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see ya, Normy!

Have a great time. :)

Gaack!

Pro wrote: "I can't figure out why, if I get up at 6:30am, I can't manage to leave the apartment until 7:45am. What am I doing all that time?" I go through the same thing. Sometimes I will have had a long, trying day and feel very tired. Yet when I ask myself what I did all day, I really can't say. I guess time-logging would be a good idea, but I can't see myself keeping track of that. LOL--not perfectly, anyway. But I guess ANY awareness would be an improvement. Wow. that seems to keep coming up over and over for me--the issue of awareness. Awareness of time, awareness of feelings, awareness of motivations, awareness of how I am distracting myself. These could be just a collection of maladaptive habits, or there could be something I'm working very hard to remain unaware of, some major denial issue. I suspect I'm harboring both.

Norm's 3.00pm BE

Morning Routine done - took longer than expected because I had an accident with some rice, and I was refusing to acknowledge that the vac needed emptying. It refused to vac, so it won and I emptied it.

Did parts of Daytime Routine, like getting my work clothes ready for next week (I'm often too tired after I get back late on Sunday).

Need to pack next - going soon!

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pro's CI - 9:50am

I can't figure out why, if I get up at 6:30am, I can't manage to leave the apartment until 7:45am. What am I doing all that time? Maybe tomorrow I'll log my time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Wake up: 6:30am (target: 6:30am). :)
  • Morning Routine
    • Dress (showered night before).
    • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day.
    • Make and eat breakfast.
    • Take out pills for the day.
    • Swallow morning pills.
    • Wash breakfast dishes.
    • Gym workout.
    • Grocery shopping. (Not really part of my morning routine - I just needed a few things.)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Morning Routine
    • Rinse out gym clothes.
    • Make post-workout protein shake.
    • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).

todayfirst 8:50 AM

It's Friday!

DONE:
- Workout

TODO:
- Come up with interview q's
- Research an installation problem
- Updates to design document
- Meeting
- Interview

Norm's 1.30 pm BE

Going to check in one thing at a time to see if it helps me stay focused.

Done
Lunch

ToDo
Finish Morning Routine (blown off: bathe Ddog. Poor little thing thinks she's got away with it - it'd be cruel to do it now!)

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D?

Hey Normy...

Ok, I hate asking but what's "D" (as in DSO, DDog, DH, DD, DS, etc). All I can think of is "damn" whenever I see it... :? Somehow I missed that step in the evolution of net acronyms!

D=Dear

This is a fairly standard internet acronym, not just FlyLady etc, though she has her own set of acronyms too, such as D2S (dress to shoes) or S2S (shower to shoes), and Living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), and some other bits and bobs. Oh! And one I can't get used to: LOL = Load(s) Of Laundry, LOL!

DSO is Dear Significant Other (in my case my fella). If you're not in a good mood with your D ones, it could stand for Damn or Dratted too :) DH = Dear Husband, DS = Dear Son, DD = Dear Daughter, DSis = Dear Sister DFIL = Dear Father in Law etc. I think it probably started because it's a polite, friendly way of referring to them without using their names (thus preserving privacy on the net).

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DSO

Ha ha - you know what I thought DSO might stand for, Normy??? Dear Sexy One!!!!! :lol:

D=Dear

The acronyms are from the Flylady and SHEs in Touch websites. (SHEs=Sidetracked Home Executives). Many people on this site also visit those other 2 sites for help with procrastination on housework and home care.

pro's CI - 7:40am

I wanted to leave for the gym at 7:30am this morning, instead of 7:45am (as I have been), but again I'm leaving at (nearly) 7:45am. I wasn't fooling around this morning. I guess if I want to get to the gym earlier, I have to get up earlier (and I'm not sure I want to!).

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Wake up: 6:30am (target: 6:30am). :)
  • Morning Routine
    • Dress (showered night before).
    • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day.
    • Make and eat breakfast.
    • Take out pills for the day.
    • Swallow morning pills.
    • Wash breakfast dishes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Morning Routine
    • Gym workout.
    • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).

That extra 15 mins

I've been playing around with my Morning Routine because of the early mornings, and discovered I need to get up just an extra 15 mins early to be able to do what I need to comfortably - but it makes get up time sound like the middle of the night! (I try to avoid evening classes because I tend to bunk off if I give myself too much time to think about it after waking up!).

DSO has agreed to bathe DDog on my really early mornings, Mon and Weds (6.30 classes), Tues and Fri classes don't start until 7.00.

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Norm's 12.30 pm BST BE

Being very slow this morning - procrastinating. I guess it's because I don't particularly like travelling, and I'm going to be on this course this weekend and I'm really tired (not adjusted to early morning exercise yet).

~~~TaDa~~~
*Most of Morning Routine
*Exercise class
*Some CUOP
*Phone call about a course I want to go on
*Made social arrangement
*Another phone call about the course (trying to book annual leave) - boss not in so sent her an Email (so can't borrow the book either)
*Took message for DSO and tried to get hold of him to pass it on (whilst I'm off doing my course it seems he's going out with another woman! :O After falling asleep on our date last night too :P)
*Got warm (took me over an hour to get off my bum, despite the fact I wanted to go to loo - when I got there I found my jumper!)
*Book myself on the course
*Send off the deposit (ready to post)
*Lots more CUOP (procrastinating)

~~~ToDo~~~
*I'm hungry now, so lunchtime next
*Finish MR (inc bathe DDog - she thinks she's got away with it today)
*Pack (going on my course this weekend)REMEMBER TRAIN TICKETS!!!
*Newsletter
*Monday class planning
*DR (including lunch, and maybe DDog walk)

If time:
*Menu planning
*Shopping list
*Shopping

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pro's CI - 7:20am EDT US

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Ta Da~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Wake up: 6:30am (target: 6:30am). :)
  • Morning Routine
    • Dress (showered night before).
    • Empty dish drain and wash any dishes from previous day.
    • Make and eat breakfast.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~To Do~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  • Morning Routine
    • Take out pills for the day.
    • Swallow morning pills.
    • Gym workout.
    • Wash breakfast dishes.
    • Make bed (convert futon back into couch).

Norm 10.30 am BST BE

~~~TaDa~~~

*Most of Morning Routine
*Exercise class
*Some CUOP - I can't keep up! I've got to let go of the idea that I've got to read every post on every thread.
*Phone call about a course I want to go on
*Made social arrangement

~~~ToDo~~~
*Get warm (more clothes? Heating? Get off my bum and move???)
*Phone work and see if I can have the week off to go on that course - also see if boss has brought in the book she said she'd lend me about it (then I can take it to read on the train today)
*Book myself on the course
*Send off the deposit
*Finish MR (inc bathe DDog - she thinks she's got away with it today)
*Pack (going on my course this weekend)REMEMBER TRAIN TICKETS!!!
*Newsletter
*Monday class planning
*DR (including lunch, and maybe DDog walk)
If time:
*Menu planning
*Shopping list
*Shopping

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morning exercise

WTG on the morning exercise class, Normy! (And nice to see you - missed you yesterday.) I'm going to the gym again this morning, after breakfast.

Exercise

I seem to be an all or nothing sort of person with regards to exercise. At the moment I still need the structure of group exercise - can't be bothered with running or the gym, though I did manage a quick swim yesterday between teaching and going to a meeting.

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Milo 6pm

TA DA:
- up at 6:45 (target noon, but hey, I have 2 & 3 year-olds )
- Morning Routine: dressed, makeup, hair, breaky, dress and feed kids, load of washing on, made all beds, checked calendar
- washing in dryer and 2nd load in washer
- CUOP
- go and buy bread & milk and go to the chemist for a few things
- finish morning routine (swish'n'swipe & sweep floor, tidy dining table)
- lunch and lunch dishes
- finished another 3 loads of washing (2 to go and I will have no washing to do over the weekend! Or ironing, as I used the dryer }:))
- play with kids
- made kids dinner
- practiced writing (and a bit of reading) with 3 year-old
- catch up with a friend
- finished another load of washing and put it ALL away!!! All that's left for the weekend is one load of sheets (not urgent) and 1 load of towels, which I do every Sunday.
- researched address labels (inconclusive)
- booked in to 2 schools to meet the principle and tour the school (DD is 4 soon, need to figure out if we're going public or private)
- talked to client who called

TO DO:
- do a job for DH
- research address labels more
- fill out some insurance forms
- 5 minute room rescue
- 15 minutes in zone
- dusting (whole house - hasn't been done in a while)
- make and eat our dinner
- evening routine (restock bags, lay out clothes, wash face & brush teeth, check calendar)

Ditched:
- clean car out, wash it and re-fuel (ran out of time - friend stayed almost 3 hours)

Milo 2pm

TA DA:
- up at 6:45 (target noon, but hey, I have 2 & 3 year-olds )
- Morning Routine: dressed, makeup, hair, breaky, dress and feed kids, load of washing on, made all beds, checked calendar
- washing in dryer and 2nd load in washer
- CUOP
- go and buy bread & milk and go to the chemist for a few things
- finish morning routine (swish'n'swipe & sweep floor, tidy dining table)
- lunch and lunch dishes
- finished another 3 loads of washing (2 to go and I will have no washing to do over the weekend! Or ironing, as I used the dryer }:))
- play with kids

TO DO:
- do a job for DH
- research address labels
- fill out some insurance forms
- catch up with a friend
- clean car out, wash it and re-fuel
- practice writing with 3 year-old - might not be able to do this now as DS woke up early. Might do it with them together, though (he can scribble :))
- 5 minute room rescue
- 15 minutes in zone
- dusting (whole house - hasn't been done in a while)
- make dinner
- eat dinner!
- evening routine (restock bags, lay out clothes, wash face & brush teeth, check calendar)

My friend will be over soon, so that will count a couple of hours out!

Milo's CI - 9am

Okay, I feel like I am on the upswing out of my slump. I quit my job yesterday!!! I was offered a contract for less days per week (only fairly short-term, but that's okay) so now I have one day a week to dedicate 100% to my business - yay!!!!

So today is "start fresh day" hee hee...

I even showered last night so I had more time this morning (thought I'd try it after pro's success with it!).

TA DA:
- up at 6:45 (target noon, but hey, I have 2 & 3 year-olds :lol:)
- Morning Routine: dressed, makeup, hair, breaky, dress and feed kids, load of washing on, made all beds, checked calendar
- washing in dryer and 2nd load in washer
- CUOP

TO DO:
- go and buy bread & milk and go to the chemist for a few things
- finish morning routine (swish'n'swipe & sweep floor, tidy dining table)
- do a job for DH
- research address labels
- fill out some insurance forms
- catch up with a friend
- clean car out, wash it and re-fuel
- finish another 2 loads of washing or so (I got behind this week!)
- play with kids
- practice writing with 3 year-old - she's really advanced and interested so we may as well start properly on reading and writing..she keeps bugging me to! ;)
- lunch and lunch dishes
- 5 minute room rescue
- 15 minutes in zone
- dusting (whole house - hasn't been done in a while)
- make dinner
- eat dinner!
- evening routine (restock bags, lay out clothes, wash face & brush teeth, check calendar)

Have to go, kids annoying me for attention and keep moving and clicking the mouse while I'm trying to type! :)

Good night to all of you heading to bed now!!

Yippee-Yay-Yowza-Yahoo-Fantastic for Milo!

Congrats on the new work arrangements! You sound as though you are really enjoying your housework today, you weirdo! ;) Actually, it's understandable--you have the chance to pay attention to your own needs and wishes today, and since it's "fresh start day," no better way to get off on the right foot than by meeting your own basic needs in a satisfying way. Milo, you keep on doin' what you FEEL like and WANT to be doing! WTG!!!

Looking after your needs and wants

I think you also need to take some of your own advice, slider.

I agree with what you said on another post - that awareness is a big thing for you. I think that as well as gaining awareness of how you are spending your time, you need to really get aware of what you want - like the book that pro is reading talks about. I reckon it would help you.

I actually enjoy housework!

I love it when I can have a whole day to myself to do the 'household management' tasks uninterrupted and at my own pace. I love the feeling of a clean-enough (I'm not obsessive about it - clean enough to be safe and messy enough to be happy :)) and uncluttered home, with no dishes in the sink, a clear dining table and only about 1 loads worth of washing due to be done. I feel a great sense of accomplishment keeping everything in order. The only housework I don't enjoy is ironing and scrubbing showers and toilets. But I do Flylady and break it down so it's not too bad. And I have been succesfull in delegating ironing to DH lately, which has been great!

Of course, today I'm not on my own, but I'm catching up after my little "Donwanna" slump of the last week or so the best I can between caring for and playing with the kids.

I will have to be VERY careful when I have that free day that is meant to be for my business that I don't use housework to procrastinate on it. I'll be checking in those days so you guys can watch me ;)

Friday, is it?

Happy Friday in Oz. Wow! Never emailed across the clock like this before. Kids reaching for mouse is funny - it used to be the pen I was writing with {sigh} Hard as heck to go hrough it, but heaven when you look back.

Re showers in evening, thats exactly what I have started doing too. And I can shower and shave even when tired, or groggy from eating, etc. Definitely gives the jump in the AM. My philosophy is "cheat to win." hehheh.

My condolences re your great countryman Steve Irwin, and nothing but admiration for all the fine characters I have met from Down Under.

Thanks

All the Americans I have met I have liked, too :).

I think I will have showers on all nights before non-work days now. Even though a shower doesn't take ALL that long, I tend to over-estimate the effort and put it off. Then I won't have one, and having not had one the evening before, feel a bit yucky half-way through the day.

Evening showers

Yes, yes. They come highly recommended from me as well. Been doing that for a couple of years now. I learned that one from the days I was relearning how to take care of myself.

Not to pry...

Not to pry, but relearning meaning you were freshly divorced, or after injury, or just the kind of recovery we are all now doing?

Recovery stuff.

Crawling out of serious depression. I don't need to go back there. In fact, when I skip that evening shower on occasion, I take a serious look around.

Depression

Quite a few of us here seem to have suffered serious depression - I wonder what the percentage would be like compared to the non-procrastinating population? I wonder if proc makes us depressed, or if depression makes us proc? (Or maybe they both have common factors - that's more like it I think). I ~do~ think there may be some sort of link.

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Depression

Having read the responses I'm beginning to swing to them both having something in common AND reinforcing each other. When I was in the depths of serious depression I couldn't do anything about procrastination - I didn't know anything ~could~ be done about it, just like I didn't think anything could be done about depression (I'd done docs and hospitals etc and it just made things worse).

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Depression-procrastination cycle

Yes, I agree with Pro that depression causes procrastination. And then I think that procrastination reinforces that depression. All of which makes it very important to take care of yourself and work to reduce BOTH.

Sometimes I can force myself to work on various tasks when I am a bit depressed (depending on how bad I feel) and it won't necessarily fix the depression but if I allow myself to procrastinate, the depression tends to get worse.

Another idea is that people who have been through serious depression (or addiction) have typically had to reach out for help at some point... so they are more accustomed to the idea that they can't fix everything themselves without support. Which means that when I procrastinate, I am more likely to come here for support than someone who has never had serious depression.

depression causes procrastination

Depression is a major cause of procrastination. When you're depressed, you can't get yourself to do anything.

And then

Procrastinating can cause problems that bring on more depression. A bad cycle. Yet sometimes I feel depressed about procrastinating even when nothing bad has happened or is expected to happen any time soon. On those occassions I feel depressed for not having better control over myself, for not making better use of my time, and I dislike myself. And so I suspect that the depression is not caused by the procrastination, but rather, is yet another symptom of the underlying depression. Or even more truly, whatever is underneath ~that~ and causing the depression. At any rate, whenever I am doing lots of procrastinating, including on things I want to do, I sure need to evaluate my depression level.

I have heard that depression

I have heard that depression is caused by suppressed anger, or anger turned inward. I wonder if anger yields depression and perfectionism - the latter as a matched-pair opposite of depression? And procrastination as an almost-healthy repsonse - a refusal to participate in something (perfectionistic overwork) that is ultimately coming from an unhealthy place....

... or not. Maybe perfectionism and procreastination are both forms of self-sabotage that seek to assuage the inner anger that manifests as depression.

OK, enough deep thoughts. Time to crank it up.

I think it's clear

All this self help crap ;) is all interlinked and stuff.