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.
Dissertation due in 1 month!
Thank you for whoever reading/responding to this and understanding the pressure!
After reading co-PA user Thesis's post in here I felt inspired to try and do the same thing with my dissertation. - Thank you to Thesis for that and good luck with your thesis!
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Potentially in 1 month time I have finished my postgraduate study and will never have to find myself back at university. 
Sounds amazing, but it is all dependent on how well or badly I progress this month, as zero of my 12.000 words are 'on paper' yet.
Having said that, I have already read a lot around the topic and even completed 'fieldwork'; interviews etc.
My rough plan as shared with my supervisor is as following:
27-8 Handing in my literature review & description of followed methodology (for feedback) [in 5 days!]
4-9 Hand in data-analysis draft (for feedback) [in 13 days!]
10-9 Hand in Conclusions (for feedback) [in 19 days!]
24-9 Hand in revised FINAL DOCUMENT (Scary day!!) [in 33 days!]
Wow. Even just writing that down helped me realise the time scale better! Yes, the final version goes in a month from now, but in reality my last opportunity to receive feedback is 2,5 weeks (19 days) from now!
In addition to that I have a chronic back pain problem that at times prevents me from being able to work. All in all, I will need to focus more than ever to prevent this from becoming a disaster the way my bachelor degree was... I truly believe it is possible though and want to commit to making it happen.
It's all in my hands. Focus, win. Delay, lose. I will be trying to get through this in a thousand minibursts that, individually, are doable! Someone in the chatbox compared the end goal to a mosaic a while ago: to which minibursts of focussed work are the single tiles of which our completed work is made up.
- I can lay single tiles, so I'll get there. Thinking about the 'grande' end result only makes me nervous and stuck though. So just one tile/miniburst of work at a time!
[ If not shown here, see link for an inspirational image of a gorgeous colourful mosaic staircase in San Fransisco: http://www.spireinme.com/gorgeous-mosaic-staircase-in-san-francisco/ ]
I will start posting smaller (perhaps daily?) goals very soon, so I can check on my own progress.
Good luck to all in your challenges! 
We can do this.
- Login to post comments
Distinction! >.<
Hi all,
Partly thanks to everybody's help online here and due to this site (THANK YOU PRO!!!) I have been lucky enough to receive the final mark for my dissertation this week.
A DISTINCTION. (=70+, the highest mark level that one can get here in the UK)
Thank you PA. Thank you Thesis. Thank you Calypso. Thank you all chat buddies. Thank you partner, thank you higher power. Thank you mum and dad for the set of brains and determination I was given, even if i was also given procrastination.
For those interested in post-thesis-partum:
I am doing really well now. Every day I feel happy still to have finished. I enjoy life more. I am starting a little job in January and still job hunting for something more suitable in my degree's field. I don't procrastinate as bad with job hunting, because I find it fun to work on my future and just need money soon to support myself.
It feels a lot less daunting and I have so much less self doubt than when writing a research paper of over 70 pages.
Now, it will be a matter of people recognising or not recognising my skills as a person. And I am confident, social and reflective to learn. Different job posts require different skills. I'm sure one will be perfect for me at some point. I don't feel like I have to squeeze myself into the academic rigour of writing. It's then when I get very fearful and full of self doubt. It is not my natural place to be writing looong research, so I shall try to prevent jobs that mainly exist of that. :) Problem solved.
Obviously, I am still a procrastinator and every now and then will work using the bursts. Also bought myself a GORGEOUS egg timer with a birdie on top. So haven't forgotten this place. When my first salary comes in (it will be small but something), 50 GBP will go straight to PA site to start expressing my gratitude.
Good luck all in your journeys!!
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Hugs, Wolke
Work today, win tomorrow.
Well Done Wolke!
What wonderful news! WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Clever you! You deserve it! I am so glad to hear this! I remember you talking about your work and thinking through it as you were working on the chatbox! Wolke such a great result makes it so worth it!
And you have been so supportive to everyone here too all that time. Your cheerful spirit and thoughtfulness to others is wonderful. You are an inspiration dear Wolke! Thanks so much for sharing this great GREAT news!
Calypso
Thank you jalla, Hypatia, elvira and thesis. <3
Much appreciated!
Good luck, happiness and progress to each of you.
H.
Work today, win tomorrow.
Way to go!!!!!
WELL DONE WOLKE!!!!!! So so delighted for you! Doing a happy dance fdor you DISTINCTION LADY!!!!! Enjoy your Xmas break and thanks for all the insppitration. Well done again !!! YAY!!!!!!
That's so exciting!
a distinction!
oh my - that is absolutely brilliant!! Congratulations on a fantastic piece of work, and for overcoming your gremlins. You are a great inspiration for the rest of us.
Have a lovely guilt free Christmas, and all the very best for the future
H.
Well done Wolke
Well done Wolke
This is inspiring me to set a goal as a big project for my book.
I held the long distance record for the most time taken to complete my Masters. (finished in Spring of 1981) I'm not boasting about this but I do need to remember that my procrastination is a life long issue.
Yours in Recovery
Rexroth
Thanks Rexroth :)
Many thanks for your kind message Rexroth.
I indeed do recommend setting goals, and committing to them by telling someone about them (in my case very effectively supervisor) and having consequences if you don't stick to them. They can be an effective tool to get you going, and even if you don't make the first one (my fist deadline was in September) it will give you something to work towards and by the date of the deadline you have progressed a lot.
Best wishes and solidarity,
Wolke
Wow, congratulations Wolke!
That's really fantastic news! Have a fantastic celebration.
E.BExx
Gratitude EleanorBe
Much gratitude for your kindness, EleanorBe!
I will have a fantastic celebration indeed, leaving to my home country today to see my family again for the first time in 8 months!!
Thank you for all your good wishes and for working together at times in the chatbox!
Wolke
FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't believe it!!!!!
Congratulations Wolke
Tha tis fantastic and you deserve to celebrate. You have worked so hard this last couple of month and have been an inspiration to quite a lot of us.
Now enjoy a well-deserved break!
H
Inspiration Hypatia
Dear Hypatie,
Thank you!! You and your 100+ finished reports in the last months were an inspiration all along to me!
Best wishes with your future endeavours and solidarity,
Wolke
congratulations Wolke!
congratulations Wolke!
Thanks ms!
Thank you very much ms!
Good luck to you too!
Solidarity,
Wolke
CONGRATS!!! CONGRATS!!!
CONGRATS!!! CONGRATS!!! CONGRATS!!
Thank you happy Chattydo
Hi there Chattydo,
Thank you so much!!!
Just wanted to let you know that your positive attitude has helped me through the difficult days!
Stay positive and rule the world ;)
Hug! Wolke
:D CONGRATULATIONS! :D
Watching you cross that finish line one day, one painful step, one microburst at a time gives me hope & inspiration. I would like to extend to you my congratulations on finishing your dissertation and this particular journey in your life.
I would also like to thank you for sharing that journey with us. There might come a day when I may write my own dissertation or embark upon a similarly daunting endeavor and I will have a blueprint of sorts in your posts & updates. It is a treasure trove of ideas, optimism, & perseverance. Thanks for letting us come along with you and perhaps one day follow in your footsteps.
God bless you.
If not now, when?
Thank you, Spazz
Dear Spazz,
What a wonderful and kind message from you!!
Thank you for all your encouragement n the last days too.
I wish for you that you will also reach your goals. I think the best think to remember is that there is no 'magic trick'. There is only hard work, one microbursst at a time. With lots of patience. And saying one day, NOW I am finished, even if you could continue editing for ages. I had to make some tough choices and threw a few areas out in order to cut words... :)
But now i am free, my life feels like it is my own again.
Next time in the chatbox, I will be doing job applications - which thank God don't have to be 12.000 words.
Wishing you happiness, hug,
Wolke
Wolke, you did it!!
Congratulations Wolke! you showed amazing persistence and were a real inspiration in not giving up.
Thanks too, for all the encouragement and companionship you gave to myself and others in chat while still doing your own work.
Thank you findingaway
Dear findingaway,
What a wonderful image 'WOW'
and what a lovely message.
Your companionship and encouragement helped me a great deal too.
Best wishes with your goals, gratitude and solidarity,
Wolke
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
THAT IS SO WONDERFUL!! YOU HAVE TRULY OVERCOME!! NOW THAT YOU'VE CROSSED THE FINISHED LINE, THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD, THAT YOU CANNOT DO. YOU ARE TRULY AN INSPIRATION!!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Huge congratulations on finishing and sticking it out to the end!
Thank you for being such an encouraging inspiration and demonstrating that we can make it!
Hope you take the time now to relax, rejuvinate and heal your back!
Cheers getting.unstuck..
Hi g-u,
Thank you SO MUCH for your message and for remembering my back pain, very compassionate! I am definitely relaxing!
I am glad that my difficult journey ends with being an inspiration to some.
You CAN get to your goals, sending you lots of positivity.
Solidarity,
Wolke
YAY YAY YAY!!!
Way to go - brillisnt effort . I am so delighted for you. great job - great effort!!!
Thanks jalla
Thank you so much jalla!!
I'm so happy too! I don't even care about the mark anymore hahaha.
Good luck with your goals!!!
Solidarity,
Wolke
Congrats to Wolke!
Well done Wolke! Inspirational stuff.
Thank you humourous Hooch
It was lovely to meet you online at the end of this long journey. Thank you.
Take care and best wishes with your goals too!
Wolke
Yay!
Thank you Journey!!
What a great image again!
Logging onto PA and seeing this made me feel as if I had been sent many celebration cards! In a way, our very own PA way, that's exactly the case!
You made me smile widely!! Good luck in your journey, J. One day at a time!
Solidarity,
Wolke
*Does a war dance* wheee!!!
*Does a war dance* wheee!!! :)
Thesis, thank you for your support!
Dear Thesis,
Thank you so much for your support along the way and for working together.
It definitely helped me to have "paired up" with another thesis writer and to commit certain goals to eachother and keep showing up.
I hope you continue doing that with the other thesis writers.
You'll get there!! Remember, perseverence now will get you reward very soon. You have already finished over 90% of the work!!
Big hugs! and solidarity for the testing last month of work,
Wolke.
ps. I like you war dance!!! :D
what happens when you ODAAT!
Wow Wolke, BIG CONGRATULATIONS!
What an inspiration, seeing you work, your ups and downs, keeping going and persevering, sharing your journey ... I guess when one takes one day at a time, indeed one micro burst at a time ... it all adds up!
You're inspiring me to finish writing a report I've been sitting on the past week (though I have to be gentle with myself for now as I'm working the 12-steps in another fellowship and am in an exhausting withdrawal process at the moment).
WAY TO GO WOLKE!
Thanks Jack!
I had to look up ODAAT: One Day At A Time, right?!
Nice! It is very important to remember indeed.
Good luck with your goals, it sounds like you are being an inspiration yourself, by actively working the steps and enduring withdrawal.
It was lovely to work with you. Your big 30 minute or 1 hour bursts, always made me, the 10-minute burster, in awe of your focus!
Best wishes with your struggles, may you overcome your challenges and solidarity for the process. Every day going well is a success story.
Best, Wolke
So close Wolke
Hi Wolke,
Here are are some good wishes
GOOD WISHES!
Hooch
Wolke, you are so damn
Wolke, you are so damn close!! but i am so sorry you are in pain :( i hope you take care of that!
i noticed you mentioned something about your topic- that's very cool. i'm a marriage and family therapist, so the topic of conflict is of great interest to me.
i have been on other dissertation support websites, but the combination of the procrastinators component combined with fellow dissertators feels really helpful to me. and so hopeful for me that i might persevere and finish mine as well.
hope you feel well and get some sleep and wishing for you that everything goes smoothly.
PhDmom, thank you!
Thank you PhDmom, I'm back at it now and completing tonight whatever it takes!
Wish you the same. This site definitely helped me get there.
I think as soon as I have an income, I will send 50 dollars from my first salary as a donation, haha!
15 hours to go until printing and binding
Oh my gooooood... 15 hours to go (and that includes pulling a final all-nighter!)
Many thanks to Thesis, Hooch and Jalla for the supportive messages!
Thank s to the hard workers in the chatbox as well.
Done:
- Editting literature review
- Editing conflict stuff
- Editing approach stuff
- Enough editing data-analysis to send it out to proofreaders
To Do:
- writing case study (2hrs?)
- writing introduction, (1hr)
- writing conclusion, (1hr)
- editting of data-analysis (-4000words... 3 hrs?)
- Executive summary, (30 minutes)
- Bibliography (1hr)
- Acknowledgements
- Table of contents
That's with my shitty sense of time though. Will try to ride the wave of excitement and make it, in 10 hours work or so I'm done!!!!
Definitely had enough sugar to keep me going.
Hope my next post will be "D-day success!!!!! The end has come!"
yay!
go get it! am als oon a late nighter so sending good vibes across the water to youright now - you are doing great and a re so nearly there now! Well done!hope back is a little better. all of this hard work will be so worth it! Well done and enjouy the crossing of finish line!
Hey wolke! i fell off the
Hey wolke! i fell off the wagon and didnt manage to get back on it for so long. i am worried about u...did u go ok in the end? sorry i was not able to come online at all after i gave in :( it was terrible.
Even if you are behind on time, please continue working and dont give up. Good luck!! Hugss!
thanks thesis
I fell of myself as the pain and tiredness became too much to bear.
Now , after having slept a good while, I'm trying to finish today after all.
Struggling on last day
Hi all,
Seriously, thank you to all those cheering me on so kindly!! Feel like I am a part of all of you when I go over that finish line! Almost tempted to write you all into acknowledgements (oh god they still need doing too), but citing PA might look a bit funny and suspicious for someone like me who doesn't want anyone to find out she procrastinates. :P
It's almost 2am in the morning Sunday 18-11.
O N E day to go until deadline.
I'm not progressing much anymore tonight since midnight, and am tired, yet too worried about what I still need to do to go to sleep.
- Executive summary,
- introduction,
- conclusion,
- editting of data-analysis... (and it needs it!!)
And all that in time to try and let a friend proofread tomorrow. Oh! And
- write the case study!
- cut those 4.500 words! (plus whatever amount of words of case study)
It could easily be a week's worth work. But I don't have a week. So. I will try to edit the data-analysis now/or if i'm too tired before 10am, then send that part off to proofreaders. Continue alone on intro, exec, conclusion and case study data. and then cutting...
I'm so so tired. Giving editting data one more go and if in 10 minutes no progress I find my bed.
Oh, ps. my pain is still on a ridiculously high level. Paralympics rule. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
Go Wolke
I hope you got some sleep Wolke. Your plan sounds like a good one tho. The proof reader can read while you write. I have all my fingers, toes, limbs and eyes crossed for you.
H
keep going you are nearly there!!!!
Hope you are in bed now having a rest before next hours of work. Keep going you are so nearly there- the finish line is in sight! Hope back improves- go get it !!! xo
Wolke! OMG, good going so
Wolke! OMG, good going so far...u are veryyyyy close. I am so blown away by how much commitment you have shown. You are like an inspiration for all of us! :) I hope your back feels better soon though...its probably all the sitting down.
I hope you manage to get to the end sooon!! Really rooting for you! Good luck!
Crossing The Finish Line
Dear Wolke,
I had a chance to meet you in chat & you were so encouraging to me so I want to thank you for that. I also want to say that I find your optimism & stick-to-it-iveness very inspiring. I hope that will stay with you no matter what your endeavors after this.
I know you will soon be crossing that finish line; whether it be by hobbling, limping, or with walking stick & PhD in hand. :D I've noticed that there seem to be a lot of thesis & dissertation writers here at Pro Anon. Very shortly, you will be leaving their ranks. I'm hoping as you cross the finish line that that doesn't mean you will be leaving us all here at Pro Anon behind.
I've very much enjoyed bursting with you although it would make me just as happy, if not more so, if you were "cured" of this procrastination malady. I pray that you are blessed now & in the future.
- Spazz
If not now, when?
Thank you, Spazz Ma Tazz
Thank you so much for your kind words Spazz. It's nice to inspire someone, although I wouldn't consider myself cured, it's just easier when its a bit of a "life or death(line)" situation, and I spent over 10.000 US dollar / 6000 GBP to get this degree! It helps to get into new habits though, and I am definitely aiming to keep them up, also post-dissertation.
I won't entirely disappear from PA (Pro Anon) because the next task (finding a job!) will require a lot of applying and writing applications. It's not a PhD by the way, I'd never dare to embark on that, it's only a 1-year Master's/postgraduate degree. Still my biggest achievement ever though!
Alright, today i still have to start at almost 3pm as I overslept and my back is a horror movie. But positive and going to fly all afternoon and evening! :D
Speak to you again soon! Glad we inspired each other when working together.
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High five!
Me too!
Oh god, Wolke - you have no NO idea how much I relate! How can we support each other? So far I've learned that two actively suffering addicts tend not to be the most effective work buddies (b/c, well, we're both struggling), but if you find a work pattern that's useful, or if you want to stay active in a personal chat or really regular check-in mode throughout the day, I'd love that.
I've been working on a Master's these for A YEAR and it's only half-done. It's become bigger than me.
So, 15 min at a time, we can do it :)
In fellowship,
emily (slowpoke)
Nice to meet you slowpoke :)
Hey emily,
Always nice to hear from someone who's in the same position. Very nice to meet you.
I've atually found a work pattern that works for me RIGHT NOW, as I am three days away from the unavoidable final deadline. You are more than welcome to do bursts of work with me. I am in the chatbox for the next three days, when I see you online we could have a private chat about staying in touch and mutual encouragement.
If I can do this, you can too. :)
Best wishes from England!
nb. You are HALF done! Congratulations!! Don't forget to appreciate the progress we DO make.
4 or (now in the evening) 3 days to go, sh*te back pain!
Back pain is killling me and obstructed much progress today.
Hopefully I am healed tomorrow. :)
Need. To. Finish. Regardless.
Not giving up!!