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.

Thursday 27 October 2011


Thursday 27 October 2011

Resentment is the great distraction.

Letting go frees us to move forward.

Serenity is the key to doing our own tasks.


Making progress!

Started making phone calls about getting a job and have received positive reaction.  People are willing to help me!

Still haven't heard back from my headhunter about whether I got the job that I was interviewed for last week.

Got absorbed in writing my volunteer newsletter yesterday and didn't check in at the end of the day. Started to become more active in social media and have decided to take about an hour a day doing so and several hours on the weekend to write a blog post.I need to force myself not to be distracted!  

I'm leaving to go downtown to a job fair for a "survival" job to pay the bills until I get a job in my field. Then I'm going to the neighbouring department stores to drop off my resume and also go uptown to drop my resume off at the neighbouring shops with "Help Wanted" signs posted in the window for Christmas season.

Then come home for a run. I feel I'm able to go to the top of the street (about 2k and back again another 2k, most I've done in ages) with a short stop to take a few pictures of some Halloween decorations (including a celebrity and political "graveyard" in front of a stately old tudor mansion to send to some friends and post on Facebook).

Last, but not least, I hope I can sit back and relax and enjoy the last World Series game (provided it doesn't rain again in St. Louis and the game is cancelled) on TV!

I'm meeting a friend first thing tomorrow for a walk and will check in after with my "to do" list. 

  

Vic 10/27/11

Show up (done)

Thank you MA for the starter. I have been struggling up until now, mostly with negativ e self talk/self loathing, etc. All my "tricks" did not help me snap out of it and really resisted posting here- could not break free. So I thought I would just "look".

"FORGIVENESS" jumped out off the page, I was not expecting it, yet just what I needed to see, and ironically enough, an MA post....

I recently heard an an anology that stuck about an open wound. They said in order for a wound to heal, it is first necessary to stop the bleeding. With some wounds, the bleeding can only be stopped with forgiveness. Today, I must forgive myself for who I am, who I am not, what I did/did not do, how I relate/do not relate to others, etc.

now take the next right actipn . thanks for being here

 

Thanks PA friends

Only here do people really "hear" , "know" and "relate to" what I am saying. Thank you.

re: thanks PA friends

I know right?   It's wonderful to have someplace to go where people 'get me'!

I value my time and use it wisely - Journey

tru dat!

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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

higher power moment!

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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

I agree

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. We keep beating ourselves up. I need not to think about what I've done wrong in the past or what I neglected to do and look forward to what I'm going to do from now on!

kromer 10:40 argh!

This is not a good week (boy issues over the weekend, research project falling apart this week).

OK, how do I re-group and make this work?
*Do PAS staining
*Pick up recommendation letters
*Check dates
*Get together a presentation for DP
*Finish impact and program essays

Journey 10 am & update

Back in the office today and I was a few minutes late, but I got here in plenty of time to make the 9:30 meeting.   I am trying to get here EARLY not LATE (e.g. before 9 am), and I was doing pretty good this morning until . .. traffic jam!   I got up early, left for the gym on time and got on the road to work on time too, but was thwarted.   Anyway, I guess that counts as a success because if I had left the gym late I would have been late for the meeting so, yeah, I'm going to declare victory.  

I'm pretty much ready for this weekend's install, but I want to review everything and write up a detailed implementation plan.   Then I will work on the two horrid documentation projects for a couple of hours, and if time left I will begin work on the next install.     I also need to do about 1/2 hour's work on planning Monday's Toastmasters meeting.  Pretty straightforward todo list today.   

UPDATE 2pm bookending 30 minutes on horrid documentation project #1

Update 3pm - done!

Update 3:45 bookending 15 minutes of gathering information about what is required for horrid documentation project #2.     That's all, just start looking at what is required.   It's not that awful.   Really.   Here goes.

Update 4pm done.  It was pretty horrible, but at least I have an idea of what I need to do. :-O Now back to my real job

Later gators!

Jo 

Avoiding the truth consumes great effort and energy. - Jim Loehr

tracy-la check in 10-27

Motivation

Most of us fight the temptation to be lazy, to get by with doing the minimum instead of our best. When we were children, we had parents and teachers who urged us on to greater efforts. As adults, we have to depend more on internal motivation and less on the exhortations of others.

Working for strictly material goods is not enough to provide the impetus and enthusiasm we need. It is our Higher Power who gives us our talents and abilities, and it is His plan for their use, which we seek to follow.

Doing less than the best we can is short-changing ourselves. We miss the satisfaction that comes from stretching as far as we can. We also miss the opportunity to exceed former limits. The more we do, the more we are able to do.

Motivation comes from our Higher Power and can only be received, as we are willing to act. Thinking and planning have their place, but it is action, which generates fresh enthusiasm.

May I live up to the maximum of my abilities today.

From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations 

 

tracy-la

perfect reading for me today!

must have been really perfect since I said it twice lol 

Avoiding the truth consumes great effort and energy. - Jim Loehr

perfect reading for me today!

Avoiding the truth consumes great effort and energy. - Jim Loehr

Finding a way check in

Thursday 11.10 pm

What an inspiring starter, movingalong! Thank you.

This is really my Friday check in (you know we have weird time zones in Australia). But tomorrow I plan to leave early to work in my client's office and will not be able to log on here (well, I could in theory but it's open plan office and I don't fancy everyone seeing me on this site lol).

So tomorrow hoping I can use the time well and progress a stuck project.

clement ci

movingalong: thanks for the opener and inspiring, comforting words.

i finished interrupts. now have to self-schedule & self-motivate. like i committed to yesterday. that's harder.

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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

My Day Today

I want to thank my Higher Power for this program, this website, the telephone and online meetings, and my life.

I want to thank movingalong for starting this trend.

Thing I have done today

Went to the 7 a.m. telephone DA meeting

Things I will do today

1. Go to the 8:30 a.m. telephone PA meeting

2. Go to the 9:45 a.m. telephone CLA meeting

3. Go to the 12 noon telephone ACA meeting

4. Go to the 1 p.m. telephone CLA meeting

5. Go to the pharmacy and fill my perscriptions

6. Move furniture

7. Clear chair

8. Clear tables

9. Sweep floor and pick up stuff off floor

10. Skin chicken

11. Do numbers

12. Post Al-Anon literature for today

13. Go to the 8 p.m. telepone CLA meeting

14. Go to the 9 p.m. online EA meeting

15. Go to the 9:30 p.m. telephone CLA meeting

16. Wash dishes

17. Cook and eat brunch

18. Cook and eat dinner

19. Prayer and meditation morning and evening

Thanks for letting me share

Hypatia's check-in

I've taken the car to an electrician to try and find out what's wrong with it.  Ended up misisng a train by 30 seconds because I got the wrong platform, so 25 minutes late for my teaching session.  Teaching itself went OK, and I even got a free doughnut from one of the students!  But now that's done, my brain has seized up.  I don't know if I'll have to leave early this afternoon to pick my car up - if I do, that will wreck the afternoon as the joruney takes an hour by train (and only 30 mins by car).

 I'm going to take a break now the teaching is done, then ttry and get some reports done.

1.15 check typed reports 

1.45 write up a set of this week's reports - got half way!

2.45 process in-tray

Change of plan

3.15 go and collect car 

 

H.

Rexroth Check In

Thanks for starting movingalong and for the wise words

I don't feel good today, restless, uneasy and am finding it hard to concentrate

Done:
Up and at work desk by 8.00am
Checked emails and posts
Back to lying on bed and writing for a while
Remember prayer and reflection and do it - the first time I had forgotten for months
Sorted more stuff out and put things away
Washed up from last night
Watched recycling stuff being taken away and put out rubbish
Hand washed sweater
Did some more posts
Moved some images from laptop to memory stick - they all look bad this morning which is me not them
Cleaned the last of camping stuff

Todo:
When camping stuff dries put it all away - note what is where and what needs repair
Read local paper
When washing dried put it away
Deal with any more emails and post if any comes
Wash kitchen floor

I really wonder if I need a rest from trying to write and sort things out after my travels. I don't know if this is putting it off or not.

Regards Rexroth

to Rexroth re: rest

I think your feelings are normal.  Many people, after they've taken a big vacation journey ... need some
time to unwind afterwards.  And your trek wasn't just a vacation. You
did some outreach work.

Have you considered taking a brief period of time (perhaps a half-day or full day) to do a miniature "spiritual retreat"?

Specifically, I mean something that is light and restorative.  A day or partial day out in nature, locally, or at a quiet cabin or small inn that is in a serene location.

This would NOT be a time of deep inner analysis or self-critique, or planning out one's life.

This would NOT be a big trip requiring lots of planning and logistics.
Instead, choose something local and easy to do.

This would NOT involve strenuous hiking.

This would NOT involve extremely intense striving to communicate with HP.
Instead, I'm suggesting a time of ease, where HP can flow but you don't strive for it.

I'm suggesting something simple and easy that requires little planning and little thinking.  Just a day of deep restorative relaxation in a serene setting.  Where higherpower can flow easily without you doing too much effort.

If you wanted to take a few days, you could travel to somewhere relatively close to home and then stay somewhere restful.  But do it this way ONLY if it's easy and doesn't require lots of planning, logistics, and special equipment.

Perhaps it might be simpler to do just a partial day, or a few consecutive partial days.  This could be something as simple as taking a nap in the park, or lying on a beach for an afternoon, or sitting in a quiet cabin listening to the rain.

You could do this "retreat" inside your own home, but it would be harder.  You'd need to spend a few days cutting yourself off from phones, internet, computer, writing, postal mail, organizing, doing chores, reading, etc., etc., etc.

Taking a a bit of time to just "be".   No thinking.

How to know when you've spent enough hours/days doing this?  When the voices in your head stop chattering and you begin to feel some deep peace and regeneration.

Many compulsive procrastinators take so many "breaks" that they accomplish nothing. Therefore, I can understand that you might be feeling wary, and you could be trying to stop yourself from falling into that trap.

But ... consider this:  You've been so conscientious for months:  Planning every aspect of your trek, and then going on that trek for 6 weeks.  And then, after returning, putting equipment away, catching up on correspondence, getting back into the routines of life, and connecting with people in your local area.  And then beginning to work on your new career goals.

Consider that part of recovery from procrastination means learning to live a full and balanced life -- and not procrastinating any aspect of one's life.  Therefore we shouldn't procrastinate giving ourselves a balanced measure of rest, relaxation, and fun.

-- Movingalong

Thank you movingalong

Thank you movingalong for your kind, wise and thoughtful post. I am going to need some time to take it all in and I shall post again when I have. It is great that people can and do support each other here.

Rexroth