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.

Friday 8 December 2006

Hi Friends, it's Friday.

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Graphics added by pro.

Thomas C. -- check-in

I'm not the only one who procrastinates on going to bed, eh? Nice to hear, and sad to hear at the same time.

It's 12:13 a.m. I stayed up to watch a couple of movies--one I started tonight, and one I started days ago. That one was "The Three Musketeers" from the 1970s: the one with Michael York, Oliver Reed, Charleton Heston, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, etc. Absolutely love it. I wanted to put in "The Four Musketeers," the sequel, which we also have, but instead thought of this list and what I shared this morning, and shut off the TV.

As for what I accomplished during my workday...well, after I posted this morning, I realized there was something else I needed to do, something for my students. So I did that, then worked on the job app stuff. I have a two M.A.s in two different fields, and a Ph.D. in a third field; since my interests haven't really changed in this tour of the social sciences, I'm applying to jobs that I fit in all three disciplines, but mostly in my current discipline. I realized that since the job app today was one of those outside my latest discipline, I want advice from someone inside it--I want to run the letter by him (someone in particular). So I did as much as I could, then stopped. Obviously didn't send the application.

Tomorrow I'm giving an exam--a makeup for some, an early final for others. I'll proctor the exam; while I sit there, giving the students the evil eye, I can get some writing done. (Actually, I don't give the evil eye enough--I'm lousy at catching cheaters.) I'll probably keep working on the job app, and then get back to the article I've been "finishing" over the last month. Actually, earlier this week I did finish the evidence section, and am about to start on the theory section.

Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Thanks for listening.

pro's CI - 12:25am (SATURDAY!)

I'm procrastinating on going to bed again. I'm going to brush my teeth now.

The main thing I did today was research Chinese language classes and instructional tools. I ended up buying some self-study tools because I can't afford classes. I downloaded a flash card program, and used that for a while. This is going to be very hard. The tones in the words are murder.

scarlett CI 5 pm

This is only a small fraction of what I needed to get done today, but it still beats yesterday. Progress not perfection, yeah?

Already done:
Take pills
Eat breakfast
check work/personal email for urgent
update master do list
achievements
ACT for B
work order for V

Postponed:
licenses - updated what I have, call those I don't
review

pro's CI - 3:15pm

I need to attend to my finances, and I really REALLY seriously don't want to. It's so unpleasant and depressing. This is pure avoidance - I don't want to think about these unpleasant things, so I don't. But it sure doesn't make the problem go away.

Ta Da:

  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Reading.
  • Wash dishes.
  • Make bed.
  • Exercise.
  • Take pills (dose 1 of 3).
  • Research Chinese language classes.
  • Shower and dress.
  • Eat lunch.
  • Look into the kinds of jobs one might get if fluent in Chinese. In doing this, I found a really cool site for learning a language by partnering with a native speaker in that language who wants to learn YOUR language. I can't afford the Chinese Institute classes, so this is a perfect complement to self-study.

To Do:

  • Meditation, reflection.
  • Plan for day.
  • Contacts.
  • Clear spam folder.
  • Burn old docs to DVD.
  • Back up hard disk image.
  • Buy groceries.
  • Pick up mail.
  • Rest is TBD.

same here.

I need to attend to my finances, and I really REALLY seriously don't want to. It's so unpleasant and depressing. This is pure avoidance - I don't want to think about these unpleasant things, so I don't. But it sure doesn't make the problem go away.

I'm afraid that I've overdrafted my checking account, and so I haven't looked. It'll be okay - I have savings for backup, and I got paid today. But I just feel like I can't deal.

courage

It occurs to me that if I REALLY don't want to do this work of writing the tutorial, I should just tell the guy - get us both off the hook.

I'm afraid it will turn out to be unprofitable work - take too long, for too little money.

Thomas C.--CI

Didn't post yesterday, and it showed.

Partly it was not going to the library. My office is a black hole; I have the personal toolbar on my browser set up with a BUNCH of buttons for my favorite newspapers, blogs, etc. That's one of my major procrastinations: online news and opinion. I love being well-informed and knowing about the world, so it's a legitimate need for me, but I always miss the point when it shades off into procrastination.

Actually, when I was at the library, I managed it better: go do some work first, then take a break and read online news. Then go back to work. That's what I did for two days. But when I went to my office yesterday, because I actually needed to, I fell into the black hole of procrastination. I certainly got a lot done, but not nearly as much as I wanted to.

Today I'm really tired, and also need to work in my office, and guess what I'm doing? So I'm finally posting now.

It occurs to me that I could, in fact, print out these documents, take my laptop, go to the library, and work on them there. Then come back, transfer them with my flash drive, and print and mail. These last two tasks are really the only reason I need to come to my office.

So that's what I'm going to do: take the laptop and go to the library. Here's the list:

- send transcripts to another place I applied

- job application--letter, teaching statement, and a few other documents

- job application--print and mail

- article--make latest revisions, then make more handwritten revisions

I'll check in when the job app is in the mail.

Actually, instead of posting separately, I will mention something different: When I'm tired, I procrastinate WAY more. Anyone notice that? I finally did, just a few weeks ago.

But I also noticed that I procrastinate going to bed. That means I don't get enough sleep. Then I'm tired, and procrastinate...and on and on the cycle goes.

procrastinating on going to bed

MANY people here (myself included!) procrastinate on going to bed. I don't know what that's about. I can be exhausted, and still don't go to bed. Maybe it's because I find the pre-bed tasks tedious (brushing teeth, etc.).

But when I go to bed late, I either get up late or get inadequate sleep - neither of which help me funciton well during the day.

I procrastinate by learning things online, too. Lately it's not news, but it could be anything - technology, exercise balls, whatever. Lately it's Chinese. :)

pro's CI - 1:35pm

Ta Da:

  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Reading.
  • Wash dishes.
  • Make bed.
  • Exercise.
  • Take pills (dose 1 of 3).
  • Research Chinese language classes.

To Do:

  • Meditation, reflection.
  • Plan for day.
  • Shower and dress.
  • Contacts.
  • Clear spam folder.
  • Burn old docs to DVD.
  • Back up hard disk image.
  • Buy groceries.
  • Pick up mail.
  • Rest is TBD.

pro's CI - 12:30pm

Ta Da:

  • Make and eat breakfast.
  • Reading.
  • Wash dishes.
  • Make bed.
  • Exercise.
  • Take pills (dose 1 of 3).

To Do:

  • Meditation, reflection.
  • Plan for day.
  • Shower and dress.
  • Contacts.
  • Clear spam folder.
  • Burn old docs to DVD.
  • Back up hard disk image.
  • Buy groceries.
  • Pick up mail.
  • Rest is TBD.

pro's CI - 11:10am

I like to read in the morning, with my breakfast. I'm reading three books at once, so I read a few pages from each one. Now I'm finished reading, so I need to get going with getting dressed and all that.

It's late, but that's mainly because I got up late. I keep trying to get my hours straightened out. I'll succeed briefly, but then something will keep me up late again and again I'll be off track. When I was younger, I always went to bed early and got up early. This late to bed, late to rise thing is new.

scarlett CI 10:30 am

Really, really bad day yesterday. Numbed out on Internet all day long. Tried to get to bed as early as I could; listened to couple downstairs fight for 45 min. Missed bus this morning. Have headache. Am dead, bone, tired.

Already done:
Take pills
Eat breakfast
check work/personal email for urgent
update master do list

To do:
achievements
ACT for B
licenses - updated what I have, call those I don't
work order for V
review

bad days

I've had a week of bad days - two weeks, maybe more. I've gotten way off the beam.

It started with a spiritual quest - reading all kinds of books on Buddhism and Taoism. Then I decided to live in China for a year so I bought a bunch of books on China. Then, just as I was pulling out of that obsession (I still want to go to China), I had some conflict with my brother that disrupted me this week. I need to get back on track!

yup.

I am way down in the hole. Don't have anything new to check off. Am staring at task at hand, panicked. Doesn't help that it's my self-evaluation for this half of the fiscal year.

bright side

Look at the bright side - at least you're employed and not broke. I've got some very serious financial problems that I'm doing my best not to think about. But that doesn't make them go away, unfortunately.

pro's first check-in - 10:10am

I'm back to going to sleep too late and getting up too late, unfortunately. I got up around 9:30am, and I'm just finishing breakfast. I had a shadow of a headache when I got up, but coffee seems to be taking care of it.

I hope I have a productive day today. I haven't been doing very well because of the emotional upset of family stuff, and then the migraines.

9:30 AM CI Hi from Lark

It's very cold today, so inside goals will be stressed.
To do:
1. Morning readiness
2. Try to meditate for a few minutes a few times today
3. Call customer about finished project
4. Call other customer about paperwork
5. Go through invoices on floor
6. Order more checks from the bank
7. Put adhesive on next project work two hours on it and put aside
8. Start on project B again, and spend two hours on it
9. Make a start on project C, if it's only for half an hour.
10.Order fabric.

4:45 CI from Lark (running behind)

Not doing badly, but my one project is running behind, mostly because of me. I just need to find a good stopping point, so I can do something on the next one.

Making progres at 7:15PM from Lark

My to do list became invisible today, but I'm making progress on one project. Think I'll go for it for a while. So much less for later, I guess.

To Do vs. Ta Da:To Do Wins. Lark's CI at 10:10 PM

Well, To Do won today, but I'm very happy with the Ta Da's. Some things got done that weren't listed, so things came out a little above average. Now for some housework (I'll probably be back soon!)

Rexroth 12.51 GMT

Woke tired after bad anxiety dreams

Todo today

up prayer and reflection
bath and wash hair
tidy and ready for worker
brief worker on today's work for her
down town and dentist
vist church building chat with priest
home
attend to post, phone messages and emails
talk with worker over progress which is good and next steps
post this

and to come

further work on files
list todos heath and general I've been anxious/depressed over eating, drinking more coffee and alcohol than usual, not taking exercise etc since I had bronchitis about a month before Mum died. I feel very uncomfortable and need a good walk rather than extensive counselling
read some files myself
sort with friend
journal
rest
prayer and reflection
bed and sleep

That's it for now

Regards Rexroth

Rexroth 21.45 GMT

Most done. I'm tired, lonely and fed up and I'm going to bed and its before 10.00pm!

Regards Rexroth