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.
Falcon CI Tues.
Hi everyone,
To do tonight:
Time to eat. NOW! Go, self, go!
Falcon
Journey 11:30
Back in the office today after a day off yesterday. We were moved into the new building over the weekend, so this morning was spent unpacking, getting organized, and getting my phone fixed.
I have my todos and I'm ready to rock. I'm on vacation starting Friday so I'm kind of in don't-give-a-sh*t mode, but I can get some stuff done anyway!
Be confident. Stay focused. One thing at a time.
One foot in front of the other
Okra. Tired again, and have a mild headache. Had a productive day yesterday. Got several things off my desk, even spent some time on one of the overdue big projects. Did I get everything done I wanted to? No. Neither was I procrastination-free. But it was a satisfactory effort, I thought, much better than most days. I left at 9 PM instead of 8 PM, still not terrible. However, I got online to do some holiday shopping (have to start sometime, eh?), had a nice Skype phone call with some relatives, and before I knew it, my planned bedtime came and went. Finally "forced" myself to go to bed around midnight. That would be fine for a lot of people, but not for chronically sleep-deprived me, whom I also suspect requires more than the "average" amount of sleep to function optimally. So, back at it. had some little things to tidy up this morning, plus I got a little gratuitous procrastination in. No matter. Full stop. Start again.
Goal 1: 11 A - 1:30 P: Up to 30 minutes per case, then move on
Goal 2: 1:30 - 2:15 P: Lunch
Goal 3: 2:15 P: Segue directly into work!!
Goal 4: 2:15 - 4:30 P: Work on a couple of overdue big projects
Goal 5: 4:30 - 6 P: Up to 30 minutes per case, then move on
Goal 6: 6 - 6:30 P: Snack and/or mental regrouping
Goal 7: 6:30 - 8 P: Up to 30 minutes per case, then move on
Goal 8: 8 P: Out the door!
Goal 9: 8 - 10 P: Dinner, personal time
Goal 10: 10 - 10:30 P: Going to bed "process"
Key goals in green.
Back to report.
Made a desktop copy? Check. Ibuprofen on board? Check. Diet Coke close at hand? Check.
Throwing caution to the winds: no proofreading after submission.
It's 11:12 and I am starting *now*.
3:30 PM: Did well in the morning, making solid progress. Got sidetracked after lunch, answering email, primarily (although I did also check the news...). Well, have to get back on the horse. Was also feeling nervous looking at the growing pile of new cases, leaving me unsure if I should work on overdue big projects or the new case, and further pushing me towards wanting to procrastinate. Decided new cases have to take priority right now. Can't wreck the present because of past mistakes. I will spend some time working on the older projects later, at the end of the day.
Revised plan:
Goal 4: 3:30 - 4:30 P: Up to 30 minutes per case, then move on
Goal 5: 4:30 - 6 P: Up to 30 minutes per case, then move on
Goal 6: 6 - 6:30 P: Snack and/or mental regrouping
Goal 7: 6:30 - 8 P: Work on a couple of overdue big projects
Goal 8: 8 P: Out the door!
Goal 9: 8 - 10 P: Dinner, personal time
Goal 10: 10 - 10:30 P: Going to bed "process"
Back to report.
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 Max for starting this trend.
Thing I have done today
Went to the 8:30 a.m. telephone PA meetingThings I will do today
1. Eat brunch
2. Take shower
3. Go to the 9:30 a.m. telephone PA check-in4. Go to the 9:45 a.m. telephone CLA meeting5. Go to the 10:30 a.m. telephone PA check-in
6. Go to the 11:30 a.m. telephone PA check-in
7. Clear part of my floor
8. Prayer and meditation morning and evening
9. Call the bus station
10. Go to the 12 noon telephone ACA meeting
11. Go to the 1 p.m. telephone CLA meeting
12. Go to the 3 p.m. telephone DA meeting
13. Wash clothes
14. Wash dishes
15. Clear table near the chair
16. Clear tables near the computer
17. Clear table near the window
18. Read the Big Book
19. Finish my Third Step in DA
20. Finish my Third Step in NA
21. Do a couple of questions in my Fourth Step in NA
22. Go to the 8 p.m. telephone CLA meeting
23. Go to the 9 p.m. online EA meeting
24. Go to the 9:30 p.m. telephone CLA meeting
25. Call my apartment manager
26. Do numbers
Thanks for letting me share
Steppin check in
Haven't visited this site for a while, and guess what? I barely got anything done those days. Guess I'm still not strong enough to break free from my bad habits.
On the flipside it made me realize how lucky I am, that this site exists so that we all have a place to share. I'll definitely use the daily check ins more, but sometimes, I find that I'm doing alright without it, and on those days I'm scared off breaking my flow.
I guess my plan will be: wake up and feel bad -> go make check in
if motivation seems so fizzle out and I start procrastinating-> go make check in
if all well -> don't.
I need this site for when I'm not feeling strong enough.
Well, down to business:
Shower
Shop groceries
Eat while filling out paperwork and sort letters
Call bank
Call su secretary
Post letters
Practice the organ: Choral, hymn, new concert piece
Buy presents
Go see concert
If going out afterwards, only a few beers and head home early.
tracy-la check in 12-20 - split the atom
READING
OKAY, SO, WHY AM I STILL PROCRASTINGATING?
"How do I distinguish between wating (listening inside for inspiration) and procrastination
(And really, while I'm at it, why do I need these labels, like "procrastination"? If I'm a passive, inert mass and I'm not in action, why do I need to label that? To find out if I'm procrastinating or not? Procrastination is a concept. Only.)
If I'm legitimately waiting for timing to be right and inspiration to emerge on a creative project, I have no problem waiting.
If I'm procrastinating (there is something to do that I know needs to be done) then I want to identify my next action.
And then I want to split the atom.
The atom is a very small thing, yet very powerful when split. The smallest acts are like atoms. They often turn out to be the most important acts of our lives.
So once I identify the big scary imagined task as a distortion produced by my own worried mind, I want to go small, as small as possible.
What can I do in the next 3 minutes?
And when I say 3 minutes, that doesn't mean you can't take that smaller and split it from three to a minute and a half. Just do it.
Otherwise we (and I include myself) ruminate, brood, meditate and wander the intercranial halls of self-loathing and mental fatigue, making up all sorts of mystical stories that keep us fearful and passive, Dungeons, dragons and and always out of action."
Time Warrior, Ch 12 - by Steve Chandler
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tracy-la
Max Barraclough
Mind, Body, Spirit
- Meditate for 20 minutes
- PAI, PA before after, MMB
- Stretch, 75 pushups, 10 pistols, 0 pullups
- 1 pitcher of protein shake, vitamins, pill
- Brush AM, PM
Reliable/In touch/Communicative
Respond to all e-mails within 12 hours
Read:
WSJ
Tasks:
Write law school registrar
Budget
Call USAA fraud
Call USAA stolen laptop
Guest spreadsheet - check with Eyal/Anne
Resolicit guests (5)
Talk to N re gifts
Pick/buy 5 gifts
Write DK
Pick up laundry
Streaks:
Morning routine - 1 (1)
Meditate – 11 (11)
PAI – 25 (25), MMB – 16 (16), PA - 20 (20) after 1 (1)
Stretch - 20 (20), Pull-ups - 0 (4), pushups - 13 (13), pistols 13 (13)
Shake - 10 (10), vitamins - 19 (19), pills 0 (12)
Brush AM/PM - 9 (9)
Read: WSJ 1 (1)
Respond to all in 12 hours: 1 (1)