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.
Hypatia's big projects
I'm getting really stuck on one big area, which was caused largely as the result of my procrastinations many years ago. Even thinking of it makes me freeze up, My husband quite rightly is pointing out that the sooner we get it sorted the better, but as he's disabled that actually means I've got to do the work. And I'm having trouble doing it, mainly through fear (and embarrassment).
So I'm going to break it down into tiny steps and keep a progress report on here.
2 Apr 11
find relevant fileopen and read today's letterwrite start of letter to solicitor, answering first questionread surveyor's papersanswer second questionget husband to agree to content of letterphotocopy enclosuressend by e-mailpost hard copy
All done in just over an hour, and not very painful after all. I'd been putting it off for weeks!
Now to wait for solicitor/surveyor's reply
H.
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Hypatia's big project (4)
Now one of my big projects is complete, I'm going to add another one:
Get my employer to pay me the correct point on the pay scale
1 July
nothing done so far. Husband nagging
19 Sep
Still haven't found where I put the unsigned contract, but succeeded in talking to HR, who agreed that they are underpaying me and will sort it out
Hypatia's big project (4)
Got my payslip with the new amount of pay, but I think they're still underpaying me
Hypatia's big project (3)
Another big project has just started, and again it's me that has to do all the work. We've found a bungalow we think we'd like to buy.
20 Apr
arrange to visit again and measure upcontact mortgage advisorring building society about mortgageput offer inGot a call back in 10 minutes of making the offer saying vendors accept it. I was hoping for at least a week to get my head round this. Fortunately my husband is actually taking on some responsbility and checking out stuff like solicitors and surveyors.
21 Apr
visit estate agentsring building societyread conveyancing printoutmake action plan8 May
Things have moved on a lot since the last posting.
sign and return form to estate agents and provide roll numberconfirm insurance arrangementssend surveyors report to solicitorvist bungalow and do check list10 May
send photos to ramp companye-mail removals firmremovals - wiaitng for call back13 May
ring vendor to remeasure doorwaychase raalloy23 May
H.
I'm getting a bit better at this
24 May
One of S's friends has found someone who can install a wheelcahir ramp for us. He rang, and needed me to ring the guy selling the bungalow to make arrangements for the joiner to do an estimate. Normally I would put this off for ages, but for once I rang the vendor straight away, and got things sorted immediately. Thanks fellow PAers for getting meto this state of mind.
It also means I don't have to do any of the other tasks above until we've done this.
26 May
Solicitor's paperwork has arrived
get signatures witnessedreply to solicitors letterask estate agent to recommend gas and electrics inspector30 May
reply to next solicitors letterarrange gas and electrics inspectionask Emma about flood insurancering ING re signaturesget passport copy witnessedA lot has happened in the last month. We exchanged contracts yesterday and the house will be ours on Monday 4th July.
1 July
ring removals firmget electricity and gas board detailsget estimate for ramp (Weds 6th)7 July
contacted Stannah again, still waiting for call backrequest brochure for doorsH.
We've moved!
Success! We're now in our new bungalow, with wheelchair access installed.
I've got a visit from the letting agent for the house we're leaivng this afternoon, then i can hand the keys back. Then it's down to unpakding lots and lots of boxes.
The new house is lovely.
H.
Congratulations--may your
Congratulations--may your new home bless your life in excellent ways!
Hypatia's big project (2)
I'm going to add in my second big project, which is to claim on our travel insurance, which has been outstanding for ages. I did a lot on it last weekend, but now the airline is playing up providing the appropriate documentation.
9 Apr 11
ring airline to get cancellation invoice (turned out they'd given me the wrong e-mail)
send request e-mail to correct addressH.
I am amazed how something as simple as posting on here helps. After putting the original message up I went straight downstairs and phoned the airline, and then sent the e-mail. That would normally take me several days to get round to.
14 Apr
Airline replied saying we should have used their online request form, despite the fact that their helpline told me to e-mail them. Husband now saying he wants to claim a refund from the airline, despite e-mails from them saying the ticket was non-refundable.
husband has agreed to find and send the online form20 Apr
cancellation invoice has arrived. Here's hoping I don't need any other bits of paper I haven't got .
complete insurance paperworkget printer/photocopier to behavephotocopy insurance formsget ready for postpost claim formsNow waiting to see if insurance will pay up without an argument
8 May
Nothing heard yet - will give them a month to reply
23 May
Nothing heard yet - time to chase
get S to e-mail insurers25 May
S thinks I need to write to them as well
letter to insurers(sent 30 May)H.
Success!
The insurance company has paid up without argument - £1500 for the airfares we lost as a result of my husband requiring emergency surgery
and not being able to travel on holiday.
Husband of course couldn't resist pointing out we would have had the money ages ago if I hadn't kept putting off dealing with all the papework.
Hypatia's big project (1)
Solicitor replied promptly, but outcome not very encouraging. She's pointed out yet another thing that we didn't do which has knock on effects now (17 years later). She wants a phone discussion which I am absolutely dreading. I've agreed with my husband I'll do it on Monday 11th April. (as I work full-time it has to be done while I'm at work). No other action needed at present, but this is a biggie!
11 Apr
14 Apr
Solicitor hasn'r rung back
H.
Dear (((Hypatia))))
Abudnant prayers for a successful & good outcome!!! CONGRATULATIONS on doing this!!!
♥"Careful the wish we make, wishes are children. Careful the path they take, wishes come true..." From "Children Will Listen," by Stephen Sondheim.♥
Many thanks for the support, Hope
Project 1
15 Apr
e-mailed solicitor to ask her to ring me20 Apr
Solicitor e-mailed to suggest ringing this week. And guess what - I'm putting it off again!
ring solicitor21 Apr
Done! and I suspect my solicitor is a bit of a procrastinator too.
ring insurance broker - rang one, not much help; need to try another one8 May
solicitor thinks we've got a good case against the council, and has sent them a suitable demanding letter
15 May
a week later and i haven't done any of the above. Procrastinating out of fear I think that I'm going to mess up dealing with this. And my study is in such a mess it will take me ages just to find the paperowrk
find solicitors paperwork23 May
found the paperwork, but still putting it off.
reread paperworkcontact builder re quote - message left on answerphonereply to solicitor
24 May
done the letter at last - only took 3 weeks!
30 May
Major development - someone might want to buy our house, even knowing the state it's in
photocopy surveyor's reportsend builder surveyors reporte-mail LW1 July
nothing heard from potential buyer, or from builder. Solicitor has written strong letter to council's solicitor's basically accusing the council of non-cooperation
S to e-mail estate agentring builder to check progresse-mail LW19 Sept
Solicitor has written to say that Council's insurer's admit it's basically their problem. Now we need to argue about how much it's going to cost them. Husband and I have written a response to the solicitor. Not done anything about insurance though
spoke to solicitor. Now need to email her re latest problem