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.
Monday 6 February 2012
Welcome to Monday the first day of the working week.
Lets make it a good one!
Love and Peace Rexroth
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Agnus showing up
This is the time of day when I look at the dozen or so open items on my desktop, the stuffed Inbox, my to-do list, and the clock, and mutter "WTH?" or words to that effect. HOW does the day go by with so many tasks started and so few/none completed - again? Sigh.
Well, it can't be fixed at this moment. I have a dinner to eat and a 12 Step meeting to attend, and I desperately need both. I have to keep acting as if I deserve to eat, rest and recover, even though I feel such a sense of failure some days. Feelings are not facts. I am powerless over time, my life has become unmanageable, and my feelings are just a symptom of that. I needn't live in them; there are Steps up and out (2, 3, 4, 5...etc...)
Thanks for listening and being here.
"My boundaries enclose a pleasant land." Psalm 16
Finding a way CI
Tuesday 9.20 am
Thanks for the starter, Rexroth.
Off to an earlier start today. Today is meant to be the day I finish the M project and prepare to do field work for my new project, now organised for Wed and Thurs. But the M project is a long way from finished. I have been stuck on this one so long, but recently starting to chip away. Even if I don't finish today it is much better to make substantial progress than to do nothing/very little because I won't make the deadline.
Rather than be distracted all day by the field work preparations (which do have to be done) I will start on those at 3.30 pm and work on M project up till then.
Wishing everyone all the best with the day ahead. :)
Weird space
Feeling kind of strange today. Actually made it to the gym yesterday and today am experiencing a pleasant soreness, mellow fatigue, and slight mental fogginess that I haven't felt in a loooong time. Of course, it doesn't dovetail so well with trying to concentrate at work. It's humbling, seeing just how diminished my exercise capacity and even simple strength have become through procrastination about exercise. Nonetheless, it's a positive step, and I'll take it. Now, to get focused.
For whatever reason, I don't have much current work pending today, so it's a good chance to get caught up. It's also a good opportunity to work on the long overdue big projects. Since finishing one a few weeks ago, I haven't made progress on the others. Third, it may be a good day to do a little professional development work.
Over the weekend, I was in the office for a few hours to take care of some reports, and on a whim logged into an online professional development course I signed up for at the beginning of the year (and hadn't visited subsequently). I found that having a teleseminar playing in the background while I worked wasn't too distracting. When I rreally needed to concentrate I stopped it until I got over that hurdle then put it back on. I am going to do this, or continue to try it, going forward. I realize it's not a "one-pointed mind" approach, but I have been failing perenially to devote sufficient time to self-development. Even if I get a little out of it, that's a plus compared to not doing any development work at all. Maybe I can get some subliminal learning out of it.
Also, at work I often have the sense that I am already trying to work with an anxiety soundtrack playing continually in the background. Maybe this would be a positive replacement. Who knows? I'll give it a shot.
Goal 1: 6 blocks x 30 minutes max on current cases
Goal 2: Try to listen to a teleseminar in the background, turning it off if it is too distracting.
Goal 3: 4 blocks x 30 minutes on overdue big projects
Goal 4: 1 block x 30 minutes on professional continuing education reading (nothing in the background!)
Goal 5: Leave by 8 PM.
Goal 6: To bed by 10:30 PM - this is also my goal for the week, to go to bed at 10:30 PM today through Saturday. I have failed repeatedly trying to do it as a "one off" thing. Maybe trying to cultivate it as a scheduled practice might work better?
Back to report.
wrkinprogrss: 02/06/12
Hi and good wishes to all!
Here's my list for today. I don't expect to get through all of it, but I plan to make substantial progress, especially on higher-priority items.
Again, today, I choose accomplishment in reality over escape, particularly in these ways:
(I carried out the listening and reading and no-puzzles choices above, but went to bed much later than 23:00.)
Done! (or Done Enough) on Monday, 02/06/12:
x teethbreesh & splint
1x sync phone to computer
x prioritize (choose how to use my time, today!)
x renew Rx's
x email check-in buddy!
x shower, etc.
x put garbage & gw containers away
x wash a dish and eat something substantial, transfer &/or eat soup, put pan in dishwasher, and run dishwasher
x multiple 15-min bursts on Faipw work, starting with olh shots! (aimed for 2 before noon, 4 more before 15:00, and 4 more before 18:00--did that many bursts, but all were late and some were quite late)
x Qi Gong
x do something toward hopeful futures (brainstormed a list of possible actions/events to plan around, in the next few months)
x take bedtime Rx
Made Progress on Monday, 02/06/12:
wip P.A. ck-in, bookending
wip pick up library book on hold and renewed Rx's (1 Rx wasn't ready for pickup, but I got the rest done)
wip 10 min clear-out goal progress! (plus making up?) (did 10 minutes of scanning junk mail and getting it into the recycling bin, but did not make up for Sunday's questionable 10 minutes)
wip draft glasses Qs for optometrist's office (made a good start on this)
P0: Definitely planned but not done on Monday, 02/06/12
RG's request!
P1: Very Important but not done on Monday, 02/06/12
use balancer
wash dark load laundry with special care items
cook soup
submit timecard
P2: Important but not done on Monday, 02/06/12
ack oops on clear-out goal
think re th h/w re privilege, enemies
order new phone holster
tax prep progress: hunt previous check register or create spreadsheet
library book reading/sampling (or return (2!) and get receipt?)
P3: Good Idea but not done on Monday, 02/06/12
drink tea
delete some old photos
shop glasses frames: lc? sears? c. ave something? revisit plaza?
start zine! (due in 13 days?!)
note visa bill items in ckbk
put Big O, BWC info in phone
inventory non-Rx pills, estimate when need more
make progress on clearing out frig
email s/s/t &/or paper s/s/t
start drafting a note to M
miscellaneous neatening
research/plan ways to clear storage
P4: Nice If There's Time but not done on Monday, 02/06/12
start drafting a note to KBF
tracy-la check in 2-6
This is a struggle and no one ever said it would be easy. But I am going to think of it as a lifestyle I am embracing. Like being a vegan or vegetarian. Being a vegetarian isn't about being on a diet. It's following principles as well that don't have anything to do with losing weight or counting calories. The lifestyle as someone who is seeking recovery from procrastination is a lifestyle and not just a "diet" I can follow for a month and then stop. It doesn't mean I'll be perfect but if I'm a vegetarian I don't eat meat for a reason. Even if I'm hungry, I find something else to eat. For me, my lifestyle needs to be a certain way and follow certain guidelines in order for me function well.
Anyway, that's the thought I had for today and I'd never thought of it like that. I'm not a vegetarian but I eat healthy as a lifestyle and even if I like french fries, I don't eat them 98% of the time since it doesn't fit with my lifestyle. I know there are things that are the equivalent of french fries for me in terms of staying on task and organized -- avoiding my time wasting triggers. Avoiding TV at night is one of them for me and last night for example, I fell asleep with all the lights on and TV on and got a horrible night's sleep. I am pretty careful not to do this but I also need to follow other things with respect to my work and structure. Here's also a reading on delayed gratification that might remind me to think of the big picture.
READING FOR DAY
I believe that a sign of maturity is accepting deferred gratification.
—Peggy Cahn
It's okay to want to feel good all the time. Happiness is something we all deserve. However, there are often preparatory steps we need to take, a number of which will not bring joy, before we arrive at a place of sustained happiness.
The level of our pain at any particular moment has prompted us to seek short-term highs. And with each attempt at a quick "fix," we will be reminded that, just as with our many former attempts, the high is very short-term.
Long-term happiness is not the byproduct of short-term gratification. We don't have to earn happiness, exactly, but we do have to discover where it's found. How fortunate we are to have the program guiding our search. We will find happiness when we learn to get quiet and listen to our inner selves. We will find happiness when we focus less on our personal problems and more on the needs of others.
Many of us will need to redefine what happiness is. Understanding our value and necessity to our circle of acquaintances will bring us happiness, a happiness that will sustain us, and so will gratitude for our friends, our growing health, our abstinence also sustain us. Sincerely touching the soul of someone else can tap the well of happiness within each of us.
I will find happiness. Searching within myself, I will patiently, trustingly share myself with others.
From Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations
tracy-la
"T"
Reminds me of 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
love that one, vic
that one has been a big part of my life recently.
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
@tracy-la love the french fries comparison
Google is my french fry lol
Be confident. Stay focused. One thing at a time.
@ journey
google is mine too. i have been using leech block and it's been helping. but i've got a bunch of different varieties of french fries (new york times paper and website, other news sites, reading books, facebook, ) that I need to avoid most of the day. Not 100% of the time but it's blocked 6 am to 9 pm. tracy-la
@clem re: write it down to look it up later
It's hard! But so far I have stuck to it. I have 11 things written down and at least half of them are ridiculous.
Jo
Be confident. Stay focused. One thing at a time.
thanks, journey!
Thanks for the tip, journey!
I do sometimes write down something to look up later, but I see that I could improve my ratio of instances of wise postponement to impulsive self-distraction.
yep i do find later they're
yep i do find later they're not NEARLY so interesting :P
kind of like ppl have said on here that what they choose to do during a planned break is totally different than what they do while they're avoiding the MIT.
we're "interesting"
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
clement ci
i receive wisdom when i come here:
"write it down to look it up later" -journey. Yes, i rarely do that, but in the past it has worked extremely well. Thinking about it, mabye it's cuz it forces me out of that impulsive mode? That mode seems to be very important in this disease. So maybe anything i can do to get me out of impulsive "just do without thinking" and into make a plan/schedule and DECIDE the next right/best thing to do will help a lot. Seems to me to fit.
welcome back potential energy. I have noticed that people do that--they dont show up here for a long stretch and then come back. I have done that. Interesting.
So as for my day. I'm not in a good mood. So as i write that, it reminds me to pray, which i will do now.
2:20pm : more wisdom from PAers :
"I could improve my ratio of instances of wise postponement to impulsive self-distraction." -- wrkinprogress
yeah, so could i :P
tracy-la today talking about our recovery as a lifestyle. Yes, that is it for me. I have to get out of this mindset that i'm trying to "fix" something, as if it will then be "fixed" and rather think about it as a lifestyle--just the way i go about my life. Trouble is, for me, it's humbling to think i "need" this to get along. But really, nothing else has worked. This does. So that should settle it, 'cept for my dang pride.
Also, this reminds of me of the talk on temptation by Andy Stanley that we watched in our bible study group. I found it extremely profound as a procrastinator:
i had to capture these 2 lines from tracy-la
"We will find happiness when we focus less on our personal problems and more on the needs of others."
-i think that's beautiful. God can you make me more like that?
"Sincerely touching the soul of someone else can tap the well of happiness within each of us."
-so beautiful. I feel like things like this call me out from my lower self into a higher / better self.
re: 4change and the track in the background. It might be similar for me. I play selected music in the background. It's music i like and i choose the the songs very selectively for lyrics that inpsire me and remind me of the truths i believe about myself and God. I feel like it "uses up" some of the "spare cycles" in my mind that might get me distracted. I feel like most tasks have such spare cycles. I also turn it off when i have to really concentrate. And i do feel it injects a sort of positiive vibe into the work day for me.
fall down seven times, get up eight - japanese proverb
InnerTruth's 10:30 check-in
Horrible sleep. I've got to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier and get more exercise. stepped on the scales for the first time in months. Yikes! I've been ganing weight at a rate of about 5 lbs. a year for the past 4 years. I use food as a pacifier.
I've got to stop.
When I start to think about eating healhier instead of dieting then I find it easier to lose weight. My goal - to lose 20 lb. by the end of May. I'm only 5'1" and losing a just over a pound a week is doable.
Tasks for the day:
10:30 - 11:30 - defragment sister's hard drive
- check email re Lori
- call KW, RT, JS, JC
- check bank account, email SD
- email changes to IABC
- check all 3 emails
- do expense report
11:30 - 12:30 - apply to CL positions
12:30 - 1 - Lunch
1 - 3 - Lori's proposal
3 - 5 - Mock up proposal or apply for jobs
5 - 6 - run
6 - 7 - dinner
7 - 9 - Volunteer newsletter
9 - 10 - Update LI profile
10 - 11 - wash dishes, hand laundry, recycle, clean room (if time permits), put away all "grazing" food on top shelf so I have to get a step stool to get at it
11 - make up schedule for Tuesday
11:15 - 11: 30 - listen to meditation tapes
HighwaysSlave 9:39
Fun snowstorm over, back to real life.
1) Shower and Dress2) Eat breakfast3) write four poems(actually wrote 5--first drafts in need of much work--but a start)4) pratice piano5) practice flute
6) practice piano
7) clean house
kromer 10:10 CI
Today is busy and I'm feeling really behind:
However, at least there are a lot of things with deadlines so that maybe should help me focus.
Need to:
Pick up t-pass, get/request library books (will do this soon)
Finish and give journal club presentationFeedback on G's paper
colony mgmt
and check exptsSchedule for the week
Count for an hour
Feedback on microscope proposalPlan for girls groupOK, started with journal club
5 February 2012 Stefinle
Good Monday All! This day is not shaping into what I thought it would this morning but I am regrouping. I am recopying my daily check-in list to hard copy as I do not always have my computer up and running. I hope that this helps me with the shaping of my day. Last night something happened as I was getting anxious and feeling out of sorts with my end of the night tasks. Then I remembered PA and I slowed myself down and completed my task with more confindence knowing that I could do the things i set out to do. Thank you Higher Power and PA.
Tentative moring tasks
Make CoffeeTake Dogs outPost daily check-inShowerBrush teeth
Dress
Take dogs out again
Check oil in car
go to drug store
prepare lunch
get to work on time
Journey 9:45 tada!
I was *early* to work today. The bad news is that it was because I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Does this mean I should get up at 4:30 instead of 5:30 every day? I am not sure I can face that thought! But I had plenty of time to have quiet time, enjoy a cup of coffee with my husband, get to the gym early and have a great workout, and still get to work early. If I could make that my routine, and get out of the office earlier, and get to bed earlier . . . . . maybe. We'll see. Although I forgot my shoes and I'm wearing my emergency flats that I keep in my desk. They are comfortable but tacky. Oh well, better then wearing sneakers to Toastmasters I guess
.
I have my todo list, have read email, and checked my calendar. Today I will stick to my new resolution of NO NONWORK INTERNET AT WORK. The only exception is that I can read the news ONCE and check the weather and traffic ONCE. And I can check in at PA of course. Otherwise, if I have a burning desire to see how many times Madonna has been divorced, or if purses are on sale at J.C. Penney's, or what was the name of that guy that did that thing, I will write it down and look it up when I get home.
Jo
Be confident. Stay focused. One thing at a time.
PE 10 ish
Hello!
I haven't checked in forever, but it is always helpful when I do. So, I am glad I am finally here....again:) Today:
1. Mk. priority/to do list
2. update all working charts
3. call cc
4. resched. m.
5. exercise
6. sched. z to v
7. Last...but most important and sould be first- START REPORTS- need to submit and now overdue:(
oh yeah also last but most important- send in INVOICES so I can get paid.
Laura 2/6/2012
I tried something new today, looked at everythign I have to get done and made a schedule. I will post it here as a reminder. I realized there is no way I will get everything done that I have to do, so I will schedule in the must-dos and then some fun stuff also, and the other larger projects I will schedule in chunks of time for each.
review list, parse and prioritize, start list (stop 10:30
10:30-10:45 clean and organize
10:45-12:30 audit N
12:30-1:30 lunch
1:30-3:30 calls and list F
3:30-3:45 MM letter
3:45-5:30 organize cases for MAC
5:30-6:15 take a break and do some yoga
6:15-7:30 misc wrap up, computer maintenance
7:30-8:30 inventory/audit
8:30-9:30 dinner
9:30-10:30 misc and get ready for bed
Please Lord make my heart willing to check this schedule and my lists again today!!!
And of course to do them.
Thank you
Laura
My Day Today
I want to thank my Higher Power for this program, this website, the telephpne and online meetings, and my life.
I want to thank Rexroth for starting this trend.
Things I will do today
1
. Test my blood sugar three times.2. Eat breakfast3. Take shower4. Get dressed5. Eat lunch6. Go to the 12 noon telephone ACA meeting7. Eat dinner8. Go to work at 5:30 p.m.Thanks for letting me share
Vic 2/6/12
Show up (done), basics, calender
Thought I posted yesterday, I was here.
Today needed to make schedule change due to change in priorities. Don't have to like it, just need to accept it.
Clicked on Oprah last nite with Steven Tyler. Caught the part of his story that reminded me it's all one day at a time and a daily reprive, and but for the grace of God, have much to be grateful for. Now need to be humble enough to use the tools that work.
Thanks for letting me share.
Recycler CI Feb 6 7:30am EST
Hi!
6:30am. Up, walk dog, eat breakfast, check email & Internet.
Goal today: 10:30 go to 11am Therapist appt.
Goal Saturday: company is coming. If I can do a little each morning, Saturday shouldn't be overly stressful?
Goal this morning: turn on some music. Try a few minutes of activity.
Have a great day! :)
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Hypatia's check-in
Managed my appointments fine this morning. Now it's paperwork time, and I'm sitting here trying to find anything to do to avoid writing reports.
my plan
two reportslunchFermiona
Rexroth Check In
A very bad night's sleep with dreams and restlessness. Now at 11am I am half awake and half asleep.
Done:
Checked email and one regarding friend, sent reply, friend comes round by coincidence and signs bits of paper.
Todo:
Prayer and reflection
Back to bed to sleep as I feel I can't do anything constructive
Wash up and clean up
Sort out friend's file and if necessary email of phone again
Study French
Write to friend in Africa and make up package of photos etc ready to send
Write journal
Prayer and reflection
Bed and I hope sleep
I hope to get more done but realistically the above is all I think I can manage today.
Regards a sleepy Rexroth
Rexroth Update
Done:
Above except haven't finished letter to friend in Africa and still not sure what is needed for other friend's benefit's file
Todo:
Write more in journey prayer and refection bed and sleep and anything else.
Regards Rexroth
Rexroth Check Out
And so to bed
Night Rexroth
Also had a bad nights sleep
Also had a bad nights sleep Rexroth. And its kinda throwing my morning off as I prepare for my day that is starting later than expected. But coming here is helping to ground me andbring me back to the fact that I still can accomplish much this morning. Thanks for sharing.