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.
Tuesday August 10, 2010
Beauty of our earth 
“You can never get enough of what you really don’t want. We rush around permanently needy but the loss, the feeling of loss, is that we don’t know what it is we’ve lost. We have lost the beauty of the world and make up for it with attempting to conquer the world.”
Eric Hoffer
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tiptree CI
to do:
- update
- clean office
- 1884
- research alt. for jpg generation
- work on hc bugs
-- min support for vector
-- no wl if not monochrome
- exercise
- return DVDs
- read ch.
- clear out a bug
Delaying the inevitable
2:00 PM: Been here since 9 AM, actively procrastinating. I have pretty much run out of any 'reasonable' causes for holding off from work, and find myself grasping at straws. Knowing I have multiple tasks to complete has me nervous and anxious, trying my best to avoid making decisions and geting started. Whatever I choose to start on means I cannot simultaneously attend to the other tasks. Also, I don't really feel like doing any of them at the moment. So I just juggle them in my mind and distract myself with nonwork. I realize I have to calm myself, quiet my mind, and resign myself to the facts that I can't do everything at once, but I have to do something.
Things I need to do:
Work on case reports, as my time at the lame duck job runs out
Finish some overdue new job paperwork
Send overdue check for licensing
Send overdue check to professional advisor
Organize personal bills and figure out what is due (used to enjoy doing this, system fell apart with ongoing divorce, move out of home, etc.)
Three professional society volunteer tasks with strict deadlines (long term commitment I don't want to abandon; one of few remaining sources of career satisfaction)
Housekeeping tasks
General laundry
Drycleaning
Start to exercise (a vital activity I always manage to put off, now resulting in health consequences)
Seeing it in black and white, I obviously can't do all of this today. Let me try to pick a few for today.
I *have to* work on overdue cases, no way around it.
I should do a little on my volunteer work, not necessarily a lot, just to keep from falling farther behind.
I could send the overdue checks, if I just use regular mail. This is kind of funny, in an embarrassing way. I have been procrastinating because I wanted to send them via overnight mail and haven't gotten to the post office. So days are passing. What is wrong with this picture?
I could do a little laundry tonight, perhaps, and get the drycleaning items together to drop off tomorrow.
I would love, love, love to get even a lilttle exercise in. This will be a long, tough row to hoe, and it won't get any easier with passing time.
Now to fit them into a time frame.
Goal 1: 3:10-3:20 PM: Write the two checks already and put them in envelopes. Estimated time to complete: 10 minutes, including printing invoices, addressing envelopes. Back to report and continue.
3:22 PM: Gone. Sheesh...
Anyway, on to the next task.
3:25 PM - 5:25 PM: Work on overdue cases. It seems I almost never get started on cases until late afternoon. That will certainly have to change at the new job. Would prefer to change it now. No set goal, just try to get out what I can. Back to report.
3:47 PM: Oops! Found a way to waste a half hour checking email unnecessarily. Climbing back on the horse.
3:55 - 5:55 PM: Overdue cases. Back to report.
I SO relate!!!
You: "Whatever I choose to start on means I cannot simultaneously attend to the other tasks." ~ Gads, I wish I had just a penny for every time I've gone through that inner struggle - trying to decide where to start and making a tentative choice only to feel the weight of the other obligations close in... =p
You: "I have been procrastinating because I wanted to send them via overnight mail and haven't gotten to the post office." ~ I do things like this SO often and, when I do, I look at myself in amazement and wonder how such an intelligent person makes such odd choices...
Anyway, just wanted to say that I relate to all you're saying and empathize, as well, having been through a divorce. No fun! *Hugs* to you.
Thanks Gmarie!
I appreciate the kind support. It frustrates the *heck* out of me when I manage to take a step back and realize that I perpetually make mountains out of molehills thru my choices. Of course, then I slip back into the daily stream and do it again. Well, have to keep working on choosing more wisely.
Here's to choosing more wisely!
I read a lot of the forum topics last night and found some interesting and inspiring information. Here are a couple of thoughts I want to concentrate on this week:
" Someone wise here (I can't recall which wise person) suggested reframing all the things that are on your must do list into the perspective of 'I want to do...' For instance, I may dread doing my practicum, but I want the benefits that will come from having done it, so I really want to do it. I want to do the laundry, because I want to have lots of choices of things to wear. It does help me turn around beastly tasks when I examine my ultimate desires."
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"Get Out of Your Own Way at Work is about conquering various types of self-defeating behavior, not only procrastination. The author mentions an interesting angle on procrastination - that we may procrastinate because of loneliness. Being the only one responsible for something can make us feel lonely, and we're more likely to succeed if we enlist others to help."
Hang in there!
Rexroth Check In
Done:
Up prayer reflection
Clean up everything
Bath and wash hair
Emails and post
Out to meeting
Meeting a long chat with an interesting person
Home and emails again
Todo:
Sign document and write letter to solcitor for delivery tomorrow
Check delivery received this morning before I went out
Take it easy
Check plan for tomorrow
Prayer and reflection
Regards Rexroth
Rexroth Check Out
Haven't done any. I'm very tired and they can wait.
Todo:
Prayer and reflection
Bed and sleep
Night Folks
Rexroth
hope4meandu check-in (12:30PM)
Hi All,
Thanks for the starter ((vic)) and thanks for your support yesterday, I'm much less depressed.
My employer told me today that he doesn't know how much longer he can keep me or the business. He actually treated me nice and I see he is working hard to pay & keep me, I'm touched and confused by it. I will try to keep my faith in HP as another drama unfolds.
Last night did 2 loads of laundry and washed the floor a little.
Tonight, I will take care of my girl (including taking her for a walk - if not too hot - and log-on here).
Just want to commit to:
-10 minutes of exercise
Hope you all have a "non-procrastinating" day!!
♥Prayers & guidance needed & appreciated for my Yoffee's healing.♥
Journey 10:30
Late checking in but a good morning so far. I arrived at the gym at 6:15 again this morning and I want to get there earlier, but had a nice workout and got to my desk at 8:45. I want to be here at 8:30 at the latest so I need to continue to work on this! I hate getting up in the morning but it has to be done, like, every day lol.
Here's the list:
GymPlanningR meetingHelp F with GQuiet TimeAllow time for unplanned stuffFollow up w S about meetingR training?Minutes for z meetingDoc for z meetingconfig - took longer than expected, so postpone test til tom.Staff meeting - req volunteers for DCall vetamazon'A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.' - Elbert Hubbard
Tuesday with the Scribbler
Good day yesterday. I stuck to it, even when I got behind and it seemed hopelss, and did almost everything I wanted to get done. Hoping for the same today:
Prep
get up at 7(close; hit the snooze button twice)make bed, weigh, do morning calisthenicscoffee, paper, water plantscheckinsMorning
Followup on CP repliesExercise - run? weights?Deliver Meals on WheelsPractice setlistAfternoon
Update CL adsDo Food10 intvwEvening
kromer 9:45 CI
OK, the start of the day has kind of been a trainwreck...I overslept by two hours, feel like crud, and managed to misplace my schedule for what I need to get done this week.
So, I'll see this as a chance to avoid procrastination in difficult circumstances! I have a lot of tasks that I remember I need to get done this week, so I'll work on those.
So far I've had quiet time.
I have a mtg 10-12 and want to go dancing at 8. (I think that exercise will help me feel better). And I'll make it a priority to go to bed by 11:15 so that I can get up on time.
Within those bounds, MITs are:
*Orders (G,S), emails (F,A,R,R,H,J)
*2 hrs focused work on thesis proposal draft
*Finish reading/notes
Next priority are:
*Finish QC
*Talk to M about GS cells
*Photocopy lab nb
*Email C
Lower priority are:
*Read about tubule separation
*Ref mgmt
OK, in the 10 min before lab mtg I can start some reading. After lab mtg I'll have lunch and then do an hour of focused work on the draft.
kromer 8 pm
Thanks journey! It wasn't a perfect day but the train did get back on the tracks, for the most part.
I did orders. I also did way more than 2 hrs focused work on the thesis proposal draft. (maybe 4-5 good hours). I emailed A, H, J, and F. And I read one paper (though I didn't finish reading).
I'm going to email C and do a tiny bit more work on thesis proposal draft, then I'll go dancing.
((Kromer))
Hugs and hope that wrecked train gets right back on track!
'A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.' - Elbert Hubbard
My Day Today
I want to thank my Higher Power for this program, this website, the telephone and online meetings, and my life.
Things I did today
1. Went to the 7 a.m. telephone DA meeting2. Checked phone messagesThings I plan to do today
1. Go to the 8:30 telephone PA meeting2. Prayer and meditation
3. 12-Step reading
4. Take shower
5. Cut onions
6. Mix onions with jalepeno peppers
7. Cook dinner8. Eat breakfast9. Eat lunch10. Eat dinner11. Do assignment for sponsor
12. Call my DA Sponsor13. Clear couch
14. Clear tables
15. Clear floor
16. Empty the two storage boxes
17. Post Al-Anon literature for this week and next week
18. Go to the 9:45 telephone CLA meeting19. Go to the 11:00 a.m. telephone PA meeting20. Go to the 1:00 p.m. telephone CLA meeting21. Call my CLA SponsorThat's all I have
Vic 8/10