How I procrastinate in eight easy ways

The Debtors Anonymous "Visions" pamphlet is very powerful.  It talks about the consequences of ignoring one's vision, and the benefits of living one's vision. I don't want to violate copyright by quoting the whole thing, but it's okay to quote a few sentences:

QUOTING SNIPPETS:

Sometimes one of the hardest questions to answer in life is "What do I really want?" We keep ourselves so busy doing what we have to do ... that we don't get around to asking ourselves what we want to do.

Not being true to oneself might even be called a form of self-debting.  For some it may manifest in physical symptoms -- or in depression, anger, anxiety, irritation, restlessness.   Sometimes we find ourselves becoming involved in the lives of others as a way of fulfilling out own potential and vision.  This saps us of the energy we need to be "spending" on our dream -- and then we wonder why we feel aimless and annoyed.

Ignoring our vision and the promptings of our Higher Power increases our fear, reinforces our self-will, and eventually leads to a sense of failure and decreased self-esteem.

Are we really willing to go to any lengths to make our vision come true and do God's will?

It is when we live our vision, aligning our will with that of our Higher Power's, that we attain the peace, joy, emotional balance, self-worth, and love that has been promised.

By living our vision and doing God's will for us, we inspire others to do the same.  And so the never-ending chain of recovery and growth continues.

END QUOTES.

The pamphlet also talks about some of the paralyzing feelings that come up -- such as fear of failure, fear of success, and self-doubt.

The pamphet talks more about the confusion about what we want in life -- such as being deluded into thinking that someone else's idea for our life is what we should do.

And what we want, vs. what we *think* we *should* want.

And the pamphlet also mentions that as we grow, our vision may expand.

[The full Debtors Anonymous "Visions" pamphlet may be ordered here for 80 cents plus shipping. (it's at the bottom of the list of pamphlets)
http://debtorsanonymous.org/literature/pamphlets.htm ]

. . . .

This reminds me of the "Signs Of Compulsive Procrastination" from P.A.
http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/files/PA_Signs.html
Specifically Sign #7:
"We are acutely aware of what we should be doing, or think we should be doing, and oddly out of touch with what we actually want and need."

I also remember reading somewhere in 12Step literature that sometimes we get very attached to what we *think* is our vision, but it might be "out of alignment with the Universe". It's really important to check in with Higher Power to see if our visions are in alignment with Higher Power's vision.

Or ... sometimes, we become attached to and overfocused on an old vision that *WAS* once Higher Power's vision for us YEARS AGO!!!  Higher Power's vision has since CHANGED with the flow of the Universe ... and therefore we need to seek Higher Power's newer vision for us.

-

My "natural" way of thinking is to criticize myself. What helps me change my thinking before I spiral out of contol into that dark, dark place, trapped, I fight with Humility, humility, humility, gratitude, gratitude, gratitude, staying in the now believing in the promises (they have come true in other programs) - and knowing God is faithful, he has never let me down, and doing what I need to take care of myself.

"Promises of Procrastinators Anonymous":

• If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.

 

• Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change.

 

• We will overcome our fears; and act with courage, integrity, and dignity.

 

• We will release ourselves from worry, guilt, and regret about our past and present

 

• We will move from hiding in denial to living in reality.

 

• Where once we felt despair, we will experience a newfound hope.

 

• That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.

 

• We will no longer need to rely solely on others to provide our sense of worth.

 

• Healthy boundaries and limits will become easier for us to set.

 

• We will realize that we are enough; we will value ourselves and our contributions.

 

• We will trust the guidance we receive from our Higher Power and come to believe in our own capabilities.

 

• We will be able to risk failure to develop new hidden talents.

 

• Our Higher Power will now become our time manager.

 

• We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.

 

• Though we may never be perfect, continued spiritual progress will reveal to us our enormous potential.

 

• Are these extravagant promises? We think not!
  They are being fulfilled among us -- sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.
  They will always materialize if we work for them.

-- Adapted from:

• The “Promises” of Alcoholics Anonymous
  http://www.sober.org/Promises.html
  (which are taken from The Big Book of A.A., pages 83-84)

 

• The “Promises” of Al-Anon
  http://brevard-alanon.org/promises.html
  (which are taken from the book "Survival to Recovery", page 269-70,
  written by Al-Anon Family Groups Headquarters, Inc)

 

• The “Promises” of Adult Children of Alcoholics
  http://www.adultchildren.org/lit/Promises.s

 

• The “Promises” of Debtors Anonymous
  http://debtorsanonymous.org/12PromisesofDA.pdf

 

• The reflection on “Spiritual Timing” from Clutterers Anonymous
  http://web.archive.org/web/20080119072957/www.clutterersanonymous.net/literature/timing.html

 

• The “Promises” of Codependents Anonymous
  http://coda.org/tools4recovery/twelve-promises.htm

Although I must say I see nothing wrong with hoarding stationery and office supplies (hides stash)  

Self-improvement is the name of the game, and your primary objective is to strengthen yourself, not to destroy an opponent. Maxwell Maltz