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 30 August 2012


Thursday 30 August 2012

We must gather all our courage
       Sail our ships out on the open sea
Cast away our fears

From "We may never pass this way again" -- Seals and Crofts


movingalong's Thursday

Another uneven day.
Got some things done.
Breathing through the stress.

tila-Thur

Apparently DD has bronchitis that's aggravated by asthma, started her off on stonger meds, seems to be in better spirits. I'm feeling so emotionally drained after all of this plus the impending dreaded exam.

Plan for today: 

  • finish up RC 25, 26 and review both 
  • clean DD's room really well and look for possible allergy triggers 
  • pay/mail bills
  • LR Pt 32, LG Pt 27  

V 30-8-12

Yesterday I took the crucial step towards returning to school. It is something I have been putting off for years, hoping that my entrepreneurial streak will compensate. Doing rare freelance work doesn't count as success, so I thought it was time to stop avoiding the looming elephant in the room and pursue it again. The next few months will be dedicated to establishing a routine of productivity.

MORNING
  • 30 situps
  • Shower
  • F Oil
  • Mouthwash/brush   
  • Shave
ESSENTIAL
  1. Look into courses
  2. Code (20+ minutes)
  3. Chanter practise (10+ minutes or 15 on p) 
  4. Evaluate one vol position thoroughly

ONGOING  

  1. Pet care: afternoon/evening
  2. (research drive unmount for part)
  3. Volunteer search (10+ mins)
  4. Pipes (5+ minutes)
  5. Dishes
  6. Bins
  7. Lock up house 
  8. Mouthwash/brush  
  9. Bed before 0100    

- "A procrastinator's work is never done."

Salamander's first check in - 30Aug2012: Small Steps First

I'm really not taking good enough care of myself in respect of food. I have plenty of food ingredients available that will provide good, nutritious meals and I just haven't been making them! I put off cooking so long that it doesn't seem worth doing and I end up with beans on toast.

So tonight my first commitment here, my promise to myself is to cook myself a proper healthy Quorn chilli con carne. There will be enough for tomorrow too and one to put into the freezer for another day. This will make a big difference! Cool 

I won't come back until I've done it! See you later!

1931: So dinner is bubbling/simmering away on the stove. First decent meal in forever, it feels like! Am so pleased. There is the dreaded washing up to follow but I will deal with that after I've enjoyed the food so it feels like it's a worthwhile clearing up.

I do have another task to set myself tonight. I want to give both of the cat trays the extra attention they've needed for a day or two. I want to get that done by 2100 tonight. Again, I'll "clock in" again when it's done. Fingers crossed for me!

If this sounds really bad to people, I have a chronic pain problem which limits what I can do and I get resentful that so many of my "good hours" are spent in dull tasks like cooking and cleaning, leaving me exhausted and/or in pain later when I would like to relax and have fun. That's my big demotivator that pushes me to procrastinate so badly. BUT I also admit to being lazy as well, and that doesn't help. I really need you people here on PA and I'm so glad I've joined. x
Embarassed

2120: Dinner cooked and enjoyed, washing up in to soak while I wait for my back spasms to go. I have also completed the purge on both cat trays and scrubbed the kitchen floor under and around the trays just to be sure that area is super clean, so I feel properly virtuous that I have BEATEN procrastination TWICE today

 By tomorrow morning, I want to have done some tidying up in my bedroom. I'll report my success or failure at that tomorrow. Sometimes I find I'm so tired by the time I get up there that there's no energy to spare for that.

Funny. I have no idea if anyone else apart from me is reading this, but it helps me to put it "out there in public" - so far. Daily check-ins will be great for the little things.

I'm not sure yet how I shall handle the biggie. My big/longer-term goal is to get my tax returns up to date by the end of September/1 October. They go back several years and will involve some input from an accountant - but if I can meet my end of it within that time scale I shall have such an enormous weight lifted off my shoulders... Will have to go away now and do a spot of research on how to tackle bigger things that have been lingering and rotting for some years!

 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." (Anais Nin)

Kodos 12:10

Okay, so I am just getting down to it after so many meetings and interruptions. Here is my day until 5:00:

12:15-1:00 clean up office

1:00-2:00 email 

2-3 AC mtg

3-4 Bank, check in with Heather, clean house

4-5 refi

Then I'll follow my nightly schedule.

 

Good luck to everyone! 

 

elvira's evening

Welcome to all the newcomers - what a lot!Smile

Tonight I must

 

  • pay my car tax
  • email the people whose addresses I took at the weekend 
  • rate hotel on Trip Advisor hotel wasn't listed, so I did that for them instead
  • unpack my bag from the weekend taken it upstairs!
  • OOPS! Just been reminded of coffee evening! :O
I also want to get into the habit of daily exercise, but I'm not sure how.

 

Lavida Noon CI Th 8/30

 

Okay, here's what I want to do today:

  • Write in 3's ... so it feels tolerable
  • Call back about the job
  • Set myself up with agencies online and look for jobs on their sites
  • Look for jobs on LinkedIn via groups and agencies 
  • Apply to jobs I find

 

  • Start exercising again: Did 1 DVD
  • Start taking more of my supplements and water
  • Start eating more fruits/vegs with each meal
  • Read Bible
  • Spend time with HP praying
  • Coda tonight online 9pm, or attend UA phone meeting tonight 7:15 or 8:30
  • Go to store for basics
  • Update bill due dates in calendar
  • Remember to check mail daily to see if final notice

 

"If you feel you're about to drown, remember Tool 1 and Break .. It .. Down"

InnerTruth's check-in

  • Finish newsletter & send to HW
  • Check email
  • Email SW
  • Send elert to John
  • Order projector (need to request on letterhead, will try to do so this weekend)
  • Read email marketing
  • Draft two emails to potential clients
  • Look for jobs
  • Finish working @ 5:30 pm
  • Clip coupons for free juice
  • Dinner
  • Pack for work include medication
  • Leave for work at 6:00 pm
  • Take medication at 9:30 pm
  • Check back on PA at least once today

Lavida CI Thurs. 8/30

 Good morning PA'ers ...

I had a recovering sleep from yesterday's courthouse visit. Getting a late start here as a result, but I feel better. 

My main focus now has to be making more money, and applying to as many jobs as possible. One at a time though, of course. 

I am fearful about returning a call I got yesterday for a job I applied to on Craigslist. I wish the man hadn't called me, and had just emailed me. He called from a state far away, so I have no idea if it would be a legitimate work opportunity unless I talk to him. In my line of work, you'd think he'd have emailed me first to tell me about the job. Ugh. I will probably call later, but by the time I do it could be taken. 

Still reeling from the way my family has abandoned me, not helping me pay rent (which yes, I know I'm responsible for) but they know my problems and my health cannot handle this type of stress. I'm starting to think my family is cruel and evil. They sent me a check for my health insurance to absolve themselves of guilt I guess. 

I am trying to keep my focus positive though now. I want to write as much as possible, earn as much as possible and apply to as many jobs as possible. I want to go back to my Coda meetings but it seems I am forever stuck on 1/4 tank of gas these days! Doesn't get me around too far. I need to get more grounded in recovery programs. I want to be healthy, physically and emotionally. 

So, I say to God, please take my WILLINGNESS TO RECOVER and do something great with it. I need your help, Lord. Thank you. Amen. 

"If you feel you're about to drown, remember Tool 1 and Break .. It .. Down"

kromer 10:30 CI

I've been having a lot of trouble this week. I think I've been focusing decently, stuff just takes longer than I expect.

Also frustrated because I misplaced my headphones (think they are at home), so I can't listen to music today.

OK, so what I'm going to do today is:
Work on W18 project. That means...
->Finish scoring/tabulation
->Request first cycle resources, go through the ones I have (will do this soon)
->Look through slides, submit, organize, update NB

Work on SMF project:
->Analyze R8 data (I made some fantastic progress on this, but still have more to do tomorrow)

Work on merge paper:
->Go through 20 references for annot bib. and get a maximum of *4* new references to follow up (can't have ever-expanding references!) (I've done through 10 of these)
->Add references to endnote

Work on R8 project:
->Start dig. (working on this now)

Welcome EleanorBE!

Glad to see you have found the daily forum. Breaking it down is a truly wonderful tool. Smile

Thank you - and hurray!

Thanks findingaway.

 I'm delighted to say that I've finished all the corrections that I can't do at the library. I didn't even have my usual post-lunch slump, where I fall asleep even over work I'm quite enjoying!

With this, I didn't enjoy or not enjoy it. I was just doing it. Which was interesting. I'd like to have more experiences like this - where you just kind of /are/ the work and not bothered about feelings, whether it's pleasurable, boring, etc.

Time for some well-deserved, non-procrastinatory tea. 

EleanorBE. 

just to confess...

...that I didn't do the second-to-last thing on my list, going back through the article to check exactly what I needed in the library tomorrow. But I don't feel too bad about that. I got so much more than I thought I would done - and I've still got the tail end of a stomach upset. I don't get ill too often but when I do it's usually /such/ a good excuse to do nothing.

Very much agree with the person who just wrote here that it doesn't really matter whether anyone's reading this, just committing to it by writing it feels good. But thanks to anyone who read it, anyway!

 E.EB

I read it :)

Just to let you know. :)

EleanorBE's first check in

Today I want to do the rewrites on an article, for which I received reports and corrections a shamefully long time ago - or at least, I want to do the ones that can be done at home, where I am today. The deadline is...tomorrow. Having just joined this site, I was inspired to break the task down thus -

1. re-read the email from the editor (done)

2. read the editor's corrections and do the ones that can be done instantly(done)

3. re-read the two reports on the article (done)

4. go through the article responding to the more complicated requests for changes (doing that now - this is my break!)

5. re-read the whole thing again and make the adjustments needed to make the article fit the title more clearly, as requested by the more narky of the reports. 

6. make a list of anything extra that can only be done in the library, where I'm going tomorrow .

7.  Spend some time on the book chapter that should be my main focus every day and would be if I hadn't said yes to so many other things!

I feel very happy with the progress that I've made so far (it's midday). I started the task with such dread in my heart and it's really not so bad. I had a tiny moment of procrastination before starting - I had promised to choose a paint colour from the ones my partner had suggested for a small decorating job and instead of doing that in a break I turned to it before I got started on the article. But hey, that's something I'd been putting off too!

Will now spend last bit of break looking out of window in order to get a break from the screen!

This check in thing seems like a very good idea. 

EleanorBE. 

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.

Things I will do today

1. Take shower

2. Go to the 5:45 a.m. telephone ACA meeting

3. Fix breakfast

4. Get dressed

5. Go to the 7 a.m. telephone DA meeting

6. Go to group therapy at 9 a.m.

7. Go to individual therapy at 10:15 a.m.

8. Go to the store

9. Go to the 12 noon telephone ACA meeting

10. Call the pharmacy to see if my medicine is ready

11. Go to the pharmacy to get my medicine

12. Get the medicine ready for the next two weeks

13. Get the PA meeting schedule ready for the next four months

14. Pray and meditate

15. Read the meditations

16. Wash and dry some clothes

17. Eat lunch

18. eat dinner

19. Go to the 6:45 p.m. telephone OA meeting

20. Go to the 8 p.m. telephone CLA meeting

21. Go to the 9 p.m. telephone OA meeting

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

23. Do my Sixth Step in NA

24. Read the EA reflections for today

Thanks for letting me share

Thursday

  • get ready
  • tidy 
  • ring sponsor 
  • readings 
  • edit document
  • go to Uni
  • make changes
  • fix discussion
  • write executive summary
  • go to c appt
  • dinner
  • reference
  • edit doc
  • rehab excercises
  • bed early

Hypatia's check-in

Welcom to all our newcomers.  You've found a great place to get help.

I've got a full paperwork day today as my afternoon meeting has been cancelled - and I hate paperwork. I'm slowly slogging through the backlog and trying to keep up with the "frontlog".

Work:

  • in-tray - it's taken nearly all day, but I've cleared my in-tray for the first time in 2 months
  • CSA report
  • letters re O, A
  • washing up 
  • ring OPD
  • ring GP
  • any other phone calls
  • ring OPD before 2pm
  • catch-up dictation

Evening

  • hair dresser
  • listen to Pro's radio interview
  • write up revision notes

H.

 

DavidHendrys Check in

This is my first ever check in.

I've a million things need doing, but I can't even think about them. I'm going to focus on what I think I can achieve:

  •   Call my landlord (which I've put off for weeks)
  • Take my son to library (which should be far easier)

Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to face up to more if the landlord call is out of the way. 

Update - I've done both. Embarrassing to feel a sense of achievement over such a short list, but I spent nearly an hour with the phone either in my hand or next to me trying to make the first one happen, and another couple of hours trying to work up to the second which may have happened sooner had a panic not set in caused by the doorbell ringing. Turned out to be the postman trying to leave a parcel for my neighbour but I wish he'd identified himself as 'not a debt collector, bailiff, or police' instead of letting me implode into a cold sweat. Re-reading what I've just written feels humiliating, but so be it. Feel better having made my first step on here, even if the feeling turns out to be a fleeting one.

Welcome newcomers!

:)

Visa

Visa:

  • compose the list of documents/materials for submission :-)
  • fill in and print out blanks :-)
  • write a cover letter :-)
  • write a list of documents which I'm lacking :-)

I'm glad that I'm done with this task. Although, it's by far the easiest kind, so the challenge is definitely still there

Findingaway CI

Welcome to all our new members! The daily check-ins are an important tool; they are a great way to monitor daily progress, post to-do lists or sometimes just share how things are going for you on the road to recovery.

Work: keep going with M project, as much time as possible. Smiley faces for each 30 mins completed will be posted here: Smile Smile Smile Smile Smile Smile Smile

Later: 3 and a half hours seems to be the best I can manage this week. Disappointed that I will have to extend my deadline, even though I think it will be sort of ok.

Also: phone SM

Home: clean bathroom asap, time with P, bike ride, bins, m group, dishes, music or 2 phone calls and practise p.

Good wishes to everyone for the day ahead!