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.
New and
Hello there,
I've just joined after admitting that I have an addictive problem with chronic procrastination. Previously, I was not aware that it was a viable situation; that all of my problems were just down to something else. However, after trying other ways of solving it alone, last night I finally decided to tell someone that I think that my procrastination is an addiction. She found your site and pointed me here; it was like an awakening. I was reading so many accounts of things that I associated with, that I thought only happened to me.
However, now that I am here, I am confused as to what I should do next. As an atheist, I won't be able to go through the twelve steps, no matter how hard I try. My only higher power are the people I share this life with. Which, I suppose, is why I'm asking you to help me!
So, er... What can I do next?
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Hi there, Garu_M
Welcome Garu_M,
you are so in the right place. :)
One of the Alcoholics Anonymous terms for higher power is G-O-D, or: Group Of Drunks.
For those alcoholics who did NOT see a Higher Power as their higher power - atheists, for example - a community of individuals also suffering from and working towards recovery worked AS their higher power (or GOD: G-O-D: Group of Drunks) instead.
So, your statement that, "My only higher power are the people I share this life with," works just fine.
(Although, really, I suppose it would have to be G-O-P: Group of Procrastinators! Lol.) Anyway...
I use the community for recovery, strength, and support all of the time.
Clement is right--the chatbox is a wonderful tool for this. It has been an incredible resource for me.
Personally, however, person-to-person connection is also key for me. So, I call into the phone meetings regularly.
I also help set both a phone meeting up, and a face-to-face meeting (in my area).
Procrastination and avoidance, for me, are all about fear. Where the fear comes from, and why - that does NOT matter. What matters is that, for me to stop procrastinating, I must move through the fear.
Having people to call when I am frozen in fear has helped me enormously. Sometimes I just leave a message on someone's machine. The message might sound like: "Hi Jerry, I am totally frozen and I can't get out of my own way."
Then, I would actually stay on the phone and continue to leave the voicemail while working through the fear. I might say, "Okay, I am now getting my keys. Okay, I am now walking out my front door. Okay, I am now getting in my car..."
Recovery, for me--looks like being humble. Humble enough to say, "I'm really scared and stuck. Can you just stay on the phone with me while I do this?"
Or, if I am praying (which I do), I might say something similar. "God, I am really scared and stuck. I need help. Please be with me today. Please help me." (I know prayer isn't your thing, just - I actually use both people and prayer for a similar purpose, which is my point.)
Anyway...perhaps this will be helpful? Even if not, welcome, welcome, welcome!
Keep coming back!
Yours in fellowship - MC
mama_cat tell me more
tell me more about your calling people. you actually have people like that you can call? that sounds like traditional AA sponsorship stuff. i wish i had that.
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the touch of the master's hand: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1898#comment-27748
"fall down seven times, get up eight" - japanese proverb
12 steps
I understand your issues with the 12 steps. I cannot buy into step 1-we are not powerless over this. And I too question the 12 steps for people who don't believe in a higher power. I am a christian and believe in God, but I wonder about those who don't. The 12 steps essentially say there is nothing we can do about our imperfections and that only with a higher power can we overcome this. I don't believe that, at all.
My suggestion is-you don't HAVE to go through the 12 steps. I am not going through them b/c of the issues I stated above. I can use them as a guide, since I do believe in God. But they will not become anymore than that for me. You can still benefit from this site and use the practical tips and suggestions on here and benefit from the support without doing the 12 steps. Just my humble opinion. I am new here too, BTW!
welcome garu_m!
welcome! yep, i remember that feeling of "wow other people have this same experience!?" it is truly a blessing to have be in this group of people who understand exactly what i'm going thru.
as for the athiesm, i personally am an ardent believer in god, but i have heard that some athiests use as their higher power "the collective wisdom of the group" recognizing that something happens when we collectively share our personal struggles and support each other and it gives us power somehow that we might not have had otherwise. There is great power in community, and the 12 steps and the church are not the only ones to recognize that and take advantage of it.
but, apart from the 12 steps, there are the tools of recovery that anyone can take advantage of. about half the ppl here just use the tools, not the 12 steps.
The most popular tools here are the Daily Check-ins at http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/forum/6 (you can see today's on the right sidebar), and chat at http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/chatbox
Use the tools however they work for you. Check-in is the more permanent, concrete to do list - accountability place to start your day and refer back to and keep yourself on goal.
The chat is an ongoing motivational tool to help you stick to your check in. It's also a place to "talk yourself thru things." And, while working, ppl can hear chat beeps going off. we call that "beeps of solidarity" because it's comforting to know that we're all in this together, that people are in chat working thru their issues just like you, even if you're not reading the actual posts.
more info on the mechanics of checking in is at url: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/2471
The P.A. Meeting Materials page (which is < http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/386 >) in addition to the the 12 steps stuff also has a link there for PA Tools for Recovery which is at < http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/files/PA_Tools.html >
Once again, welcome, and i wish you great success participating in our fellowship.
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the touch of the master's hand: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1898#comment-27748
"fall down seven times, get up eight" - japanese proverb
Thanks
Thank you Clement. I have checked in, although the link to the mechanics of checking in doesn;t seem to work, The tools look good, although I've only quickly skimmed them so far. My evening is committed to looking into them more.
The power of community is something I strongly believe in, hence why I am here. Especially when it comes to people who have been through similar things. This all feels slightly surreal, but I know that this is me heading in the right direction.