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.
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
re: 4change
thanks for sharing.
i have had the same problem with large blocks of time. I am like you trying to re-train myself that smaller blocks of time can be effective. In my work, and chores around the house, even 1 min or 5 min can be effective to get a little piece done. But it does not feel natural to me; i have to keep reminding myself and overcoming the feeling that it's not worth it. Good luck to both of us (all of us :))
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
Thanks clement
Yes, dreaming of long stretches of uninterrupted time doesn't get me closer to finishing things. Chipping away, if I can learn to do it, seems a much more logical, if uncomfortable, strategy. Best wishes.
wrkinprogrss: 12/15/11
Hi, All, and good wishes for your day!
My list for today:
9:00 writers' meeting(done)P.A. check-in (including post!), email check-in buddy, (done)update spdsht before noon(done)shower, etc(done)reply or call C, email Q to M(done)cook rice(done)follow up on S/B/V work item (major progress, almost done)
do at least 4 15-min bursts job work(done)status rpt + wiki updts before 17:00(done)pick up Rx
prep & dance gathering(done)Qi Gong, use balancer(done)10 min tidying / put-aways?
unld dw(done)tapping?
lt ld laundry?
reply to Ed?
zine progress or W or M? Bill reading?
Online Meeting PSA
Hey guys!
No one has signed up to anchor the Sunday meeting this week.
If anyone could help out, that would be great! Just respond to the Dec 18th comment on this thread: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/3775
tracy-la check in 12-15
READING FOR DAY #1
A warrior of time is also a spiritual seeker in that he or she is willing to begin his life over each morning. And that secret is to truly begin all of life all over again each day. Instead of thinking in long-term linear patterns, the warrior tears the fabric of time wide open.
Yes this is spiritual.
St. Francis de Sales wrote: "I am glad you make a fresh beginning daily; there is no better means of attaining than by continually beginning again."
Excerpt Ch. 5, Time Warrior by Steve Chandler
READING FOR DAY #2 - CREATING VS. REACTING
Creating versus reacting. Now those are the two primary brain functions.
One brain function, the lower function, is a function called reacting. That's just using my brain as a stimulus-response mechanism. There's a stimulus in the world, my brain reacts to it emotionally and then moves on and waits for the next stimulus. It's the laziest way to live and it's the way most people live.
No one is forcing me to react. I love to remind myself of this.
QUOTE - STEVE CHANDLER
tracy-la
re: tracy-la readings
beginning anew: this is exactly my new discovery with my schedule, and it is great to have this confirmation. Except with my schedule, i may have to restart during the day also, maybe 2 or more times. It is working for me so far the few times i have done it. But can i stick with it?
There are two pieces of the bible that have always inspired me along these same lines
and
on creating vs reacting: i have been thinking lately about the difference between animals and humans. And i think that this might be a way to express it: animals can only react. Humans can create--ie behavior that is not driven by reaction to stimulus, but driven by their being / soul / spirit / will / values / purpose / dreams / hope. That whole side of us is what we have that animals dont.
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
thanks, tracy-la!
Thanks for the quotes, tracy-la!
This is a note to myself to come back and think about these.
The long and the short
Had a very stressful day yesterday, compounded by the admonition that an unusually big load of pre-holiday work is coming next week. Whipping up my anticipatory anxiety, I immediately wondered how I would be able to cope, when I am barely hanging on with the normal work load, and also whether my Christmas trip plans would be ruined. Had to face the realization that it would not be a slow week in which I could catch up on one of the several big (and quite delayed) projects I have still circling.
When I stick to my no more than 30 minutes per case approach, I make progress, and the time is sufficient to really see the progress. Straightforward cases requiring little more than a few lines of assessment I can take care of in less than 30 minutes. This seems to be a helpful strategy for me.
However, I have real problems with using shorter blocks of time and with long, more open ended projects. I initially started out, as recommended in a time management book, trying to track every 15 minutes of work, but it was tedious, not case focused, and difficult for me to appreciate progress. That was why I swtiched to the 30 minutes max per case approach. If I only have a few minutes, though, or don't want to devote 30 minutes to something, I feel stressed, can't concentrate, and don't get anything done. I think I need to work on that, especially with starightforward cases that don't require 30 minutes.
Another problem is these long projects, that are frustrating. When I finally do identify a block of uncommitted time, I can find myself working 2 hours or more. So what happens? I resist working on these projects *unless* I have long stretches of available time. The result is that days and days go by and I don't find those kinds of blocks of time, so things get older and older. Although I fear that 30 minutes won't be satisfying or all that productive, I realize I have to find a way to use smaller blocks of time, or these will never get done in a reasonable time frame and there will be a significant cost to me.
The third area I need to work on is follow up. Because I have the ability to generate preliminary or interim findings, it is an easy short-term fix for cases that require additional studies or whatever. But once I 'sign out' an interim report, getting back to finishing the case takes a back seat to dealing with new cases, and the 'final" reports get delayed. I need to rope those in and keep them current. They aren't done until they are *really* done. Feh.
Okay. Have a long meeting for the next several hours. But starting around 3 (maybe?), I need to put in some hours until dinner time, let's say 3 hours, working on *all* categories: short cases that I can try to complete in 15 minutes; 'regular' new cases that 30 minute blocks will work well for; 'regular' cases that have a preliminary report but require finalization, also 30 minute blocks; and at least one 30 minute block on the most delayed big project. I won't get the latter done, but the anxiety I feel about those big projects and the repercussion if I fail to get them done (will they be assigned to someone else? will management finally give up on me?), isn't allayed by waiting for the elusive 2 hour block of uncommitted time to work *only* on big projects. As with the 'regular' cases, 30 minutes times several attempts will generate progress. Certainly more progress than sitting still.
Goal 1: Meeting until around 2 PM
Goal 2: Lunch
Goal 3: 3 PM- about 6 PM; 30 minute blocks times 5, 15 minute blocks times 2
Back to report.
kromer 9:45 CI
Actually in lab at a decent hour today.
Lots to do!
*Email MK about visiting*Email undergrad about project
*Score one KO, work on WT
*re-sub block, figured out Dmc1
*Ask YC if he'll be emergency contact*Start brainstorming xmas presents
*
Go to holiday party*Tally counts so far
Starting w/ emailing undergrad, then I'll go work on scoring KO
clement ci
8:45am:
here because my mind tells me that checking-in is good for my task health. even tho i dont "feel" it.
prayer: god i need help this morning.
8:47am:
the idea that poppped into my head was this: make a schedule. that sounds like a good, healthy, wise idea.
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
Max Barraclough
Mind, Body, Spirit
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- PAI, PA (before and after), MMB
- Stretch, 0 pushups, 0 pistols, 0 pullups (OFF DAY)
- 1 pitcher of protein shake, vitamins, pill
- Brush AM, PM
Reliable/In touch/Communicative
Respond to all e-mails within 12 hours
Tasks:
Buy tickets
Read WSJ
Streaks:
Meditate – 6 (previous best: 9)
PAI – 19, MMB – 11, PA - 15
Stretch - 15 (best: 15), Pull-ups - 0 (best: 4), pushups - 8 (best: 8), pistols 8 (best: 8)
Shake - 5 (best: 5), vitamins - 14 (best: 14), pills 10 (best: 9)
Brush AM/PM - 4 (best: 9)
Falcon CI Thurs.
Hi everyone!
Stuff to do today. . .
Stuff I could do if I feel like it:
O.k, going to look up the yarn store address, then go for walk. I can shop for the CD near where I'm walking. Catch you all later.
Falcon
Falcon Thurs. p.m.
Hi all,
Did all the do-today stuff so far except the presents. Took a lo-o-o-ong nap ('cause I was too excited about my new job to sleep last night!)
Occured to me I should go do shoe shopping before the stores get even crazier the next week, so I'm going to do that, and get ribbon for the presents.
Catch you later,
Falcon
Falcon CO
I got all the presents wrapped, and got everything picked up afterward!
So that means I got all my stuff done today, plus a long nap, some shoe shopping, and I even got the kitchen cleaned thanks to a shared productivity burst with folks in the chatroom! How's that for a good day?
Good night!
Falcon
My Day Today
I want to thank my Higher Power for this program, this website, the telephone and online meetings, and my life.
Things I will do today
1. Go to the 5:45 a.m. telephone ACA meeting
2. Go to the 7 a.m. telephone DA meeting
3. Go to the 8:30 a.m. telephone PA meeting
4. Eat brunch
5. Go to the 9:45 a.m. telephone CLA meeting
6. Take shower
7. Go to the 12 noon telephone ACA meeting
8. Go to the 1 p.m. telephone CLA meeting
9. Go to the 3 p.m. telephone NA meeting
10. Cook and eat dinner
11. Wash dishes
12. Call for my mattress and shopping carts to be moved
13. Do numbers
14. Clear chair
15. Clear table near the chair
16. Clear table near the couch
17. Clear table near the window
18. Clear table near the computer
19. Clear floor near the bed
20. Go to the 8 p.m. telephone CLA meeting
21. Go to the 9 p.m. online EA meeting
22. Go to the 11 p.m. telephone ACA meeting
Thanks for letting me share