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 first time
Hi all, I've just joined. I'm a 56 year old doctor, working full-time (but fortunately not out-of-hours) and caring for my disabled husband and three cats. I started a new job in January after 20 years in the previous one. This has involved moving 170 miles from London to South Yorkshire. The job's great but any hope I had that starting with a clean slate would help me not procrastinate has gone out of the window - 10 weeks in, and I've got an embarrasing backlog of reports to write.
I've been using Getting Things Done to help me get organised at work, and at least now I know what I need to get done - it's the next step that's the problem. And it's even worse at home e.g. I've got a pile of papers where I need to send them our change of address, an overdue income tax return (witha £100 fine already due), and cat hair everywhere as I hate doing the cleaning.
Finding this website has made me realise that it's not just me being lazy. I know I'm a perfectionist, and a chornic demand resister. I also know some of the reasons why I'm like this. I'm hoping that I can use this great resource to try and break the vicious cycle.
with best wishes from the UK
Hypatia
- Login to post comments
Welcome!
I am pretty new here myself (a couple of months?) and do find that coming here dail helps me set an agenda for myself that I don't seem to do otherwise. Maybe it feels like a "safe place" for it . . .
Even though I didn't post this past week because I was swamped, I do consider this an excellent source of support and focus.
why PA helps
Yes, I'm trying to work out what is so different about the support I get here. I think it's partly the knowledge that everyone else understands and willbe willing me on because they've been there too. And I can see others who are struggling just like me, and take heart from their successes.
I've been using the check-in regularly, and the discipline of selecting just what I want to achieve each day (although I rarely get it ALL done), and the satisfaction of crossing things off the list in public has a really good psychological effect. Real time support using the chatroom is also great, but my employer frowns on using a chatroom at work, and it technically could be a disciplinary matter, so I have to be very sparing with that.
Today I'm taking a day off!
H.
3 weeks and 6 days
- that's how long I've been a member of this site. And I'd never have believed how effective something this "simple" could be. I've cleared 6 weeks worth of reports, which is half my backlog, and am responding more willingly to the stuff that is being thrown at me at work. And I'm even managing to respond to my husband's nagging/reminders without shutting down completely.
I've got a week's annual leave starting this weekend which I fully intend to enjoy, as well as get some outstanding stuff done around the house. Ok, so I know I could relapse at any moment, but the feeling of pleasure at getting this far is great.
Thank you all for your support.
H.
(Hypatia)
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thank you for sharing your victories. The attitudes "I am responding more willingly", "without shutting down" "pleasure of getting this far is great" are sooo key in this program. At least they are for me. I am not where I would like to be, but I am not where I was,and with the proper attitudes I have hope, you are not alone anymore, keep coming back, we need you. V.
Welcome Hypatia!
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate! Thank for sharing your story with us. I hope this site can help you; it has certainly been a great help to me. Keep coming back!