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.
Today
Hi,
as a prorastinated nicely yesterday by cleaning my closet and not my desk, I will do that today.
In the next 90 mins I am going to get dressed and have a propper breakfast and walk my dog.
I will report back after that.
Anouk
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friday (3)
I've gone to work and as I am working in a shopping mall I couldn't resist to buy a dress and some nice green tea, even though I don't have the money right know...
Dealing with finances seems to be working like procrastination: sometimes I can control my urges to buy stuff and sometimes I simply can't. I have started to write down all my expanses in a computer program. That is really intersting as it puts income and spending in neat charts and you at the end of the month you know exactly what you spend your money on.
I guess, writing it down is a bit like bookending: if you know that you are going to write it down, you think more about your spending, but sometimes...
But the dress is really nice :-)
I can't decide to do some learning. It is half past 9 and I have to go to work again tomorrow morning. But Germany is playing Sweden tomorrow after I come from work, so I want be able to learn then...
No, I don't want to learn anymore today. I will watch a bit of TV and then go to bed...
Good night everybody!
friday (2)
Feel pretty tired now. The second seminar at uni was really boring. It was a presentation and the people just read difficult scientific stuff. Didn't even have a handout. Could have spent my time in a better way.
- got the packet from the post office
- my dog is at the dogsitter's
- went to uni in time!
- made lunch and did the dishes right away - yay!
- now, I am going to have a nap which I really need and then get ready to work.
friday (1)
I guess, I have to get up a bit earlier in order to read all the comments in the morning. They are really encouraging. Thanks everybody! And tl: congratulations for your exam results. That's REALLY good.
Have a busy day today:
- want to get dressed now and have breakfast
- walk to the post office and get a packet that couldn't be delivered
- bring my dog to the dogsitter
- 2 classes at uni (until about noon)
- work from 3.30pm-8pm
- maybe do some learning?!
I see, if I have to time to report back at lunch-time.
subject
what are you studying?
i'm in civil engineering
the bookending works, doesn't it!
it does
Bookending really works - IF you decide to do it ;-)
I have a degree in Canadian Studies and American Literature and doing extra studying for becoming a teacher: English, history and ethics. Pretty tough at the moment. My first degree was easy compared to this.
What time zone are you in, Anouk?
I have a feeling we are in different time zones, if you're starting your day. It's just past 1am here in NYC, and I'm only here because I have insomnia (after sleeping 10 hours last night). Are you in England?
Normy is in England. Maybe you can bookend together. It works better when someone can respond to you in real time.
Germany
I am in Germany.
The bookending seems to help even though nobody is instantly replying. Just knowing that I will post later helps, but of course it is cool to get a direct feedback.
Hope you can get some sleep!
a new day (4)
I am back.
- did the reading
- started on planning my learning for the exam
- went to uni
- had dinner (leftovers from lunch) -> dishes still in the sink ;-)
Now, I want to
- start on typing out some definitions I need for the exam
I am already pretty tired and feel more like going to bed. But I choose to learn. ;-) We will see how I go.
successful day
This bookending seems to have a miraculous effect on me (any maybe the fact that I am a bit late for starting to learn ;) )
- typed out more definitions than planned (3x 30 mins)
- shined my sink ;-)
Will prepare my stuff for tomorrow and clean my desk so it stays that way...
Good night, everybody!
We are helping each other! How cool is that?!
Anouk - I'm so happy to hear that bookending is working for you. It's working for me, too - and your self-talk suggestion was also very helpful. I think it will make a difference for me.
There is hope for us after all!!!! :)
words
I always think of a quote-
"Be very careful because our words do not return void."
awareness
That's a good quote.
Guess, the most important goal is to be aware as much as possible: about words, actions, thoughts... I think, most of the "bad" things that are happening to us is because we are not aware, always thinking about a thousand other things while it would be better to concentrate what we are doing at the moment.
personal mission statement
Yes - awareness of the moment is what it's all about. Being present, living in the now. This is the opposite of addictive behavior, which is all about escaping oneself and one's life. For me, living well is all about doing the "next right thing".
When I was reading First Things First by Stephen Covey (author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), I wrote a Personal Mission Statement, as he suggests. I have six things on my list. The first one is this:
Do the "next right thing" even when it's tedious, unpleasant, scary, or unpopular. Keep my commitments to self and others; live a principle-centered life.
I read my Personal Mission Statement at least once a day (when I get up in the morning), and sometimes during the day. I spent a lot of time writing this (as I said, there are five other points - this is just the first), and it's based on a lot of introspection. It helps me to remember that these are my core values - that this is how I want to have lived my life when it is my time to die. Knowing that this is my highest ideal - the kind of person I want to be - helps me to choose to do the next right thing, not because I have to, but because I want to.
The next right thing
I like that phrase too - simple without being simplistic (hey pro! We're both online at the same time! I think you're 5hrs behind me so it'll be 6pm I guess there. Anouk is an hour ahead of me).
Anouk, you're doing great with this bookending! Go girl go!
a new day (3)
I went to uni and found an empty photocopier instantly :)
The seminar was ok, but I don't like the lecturer very much. Too much of a school teacher...
Got home and cooked some proper lunch which didn't take me too long because I didn't have to do the dishes first ;-)
After that I had a nap which I extended over the planned time (about 75 instead of 45 minutes). Sleep is also one of my favourite forms of procrastination...
Then I had a tea to wake up and talked on the phone to my boyfriend for about 30 minutes.
Now I have a good hour left until I have to go back to uni:
- want to read the homework
- if time is left: prepare the material and organize the steps for
learning for my exam on monday.
a new day (2)
I am back for a walk with my dog. Instead of 90 minutes I needed about two hours for everything, because I spent a bit more time on the internet as planned and then did my dishes right away (not too many - luckily). Anythink else I did? If so, I forgot already...
I will get ready for uni now. Want to go there a bit earlier because I have to photocopy some pages for this afternoon's seminar.
good morning, Anouk!
Looks like you're doing well today!!
I have to go out on an errand shortly and I'll be gone for several hours. I'll need to get work done when I get back.
plan for tonight
I was out most of today, and have been pretty useless since I got back.
But I have a plan. Last night I cleaned up before I went to bed, and that worked. I think I'm going to start taking a shower at night rather than in the morning. That saves me more time in the morning - helps me get to work faster. Gonna try that.
nearly finished
Hi Pro,
as far as getting rid of the mess is concerned, I am doing well. More or less finished.
Now, I could start learning, but I have to walk the dog and then go to stupid lecture at uni...
Hope, I get some learning done later.
I hope, you are having a good day too!
Anouk
You're doing great, Anouk!
You're making good progress on that desk Anouk - almost makes me feel like sorting mine out...
thanks normy
Hi Normy,
thank you for the feedback.
I think, posting here really helps.
Even though cleaning my desk might be procrastination, I somehow feel that my personality is more structured when my appartment is clean. Or the other way round: you can judge from the way my appartement looks, how I feel inside...
I've been getting better lately with doing the dishes. I' ve been really bad at that.
I have to get used to the forum, but I hope, I will soon get around to place some support posts for others and be not only concerned with my stuff ;-)
Anouk
great job
and a great job on posting and keeping in touch!
it works when we do it:)
shine your sink
i used to have dishes issues - then from "Flylady" learned to shine my sink everynight. it's really nice to walk into a kitchen w/nice shiny sink. :D
clean kitchen / A new day (1)
you are right tl, it is really nice to walk into a clean kitchen. I did my dishes last night, but only before and while cooking. The other stuff is still left so I will have to do this soon.
Maybe I will have a nice shiny sink tonight :-)
Thanks for all the support and the kind answers on this site!
I will get dressed and have breakfast in the next 30 minutes. Then walk my dog for an hour. So i should be back in 90 minutes. Hopefully, because in the morning, I tend to take too much time on everything ;-)
Anouk
Support Stuff
Anouk, your stuff ~is~ support for others. When I logged on here tonight I was mentally exhausted after a long day at work, and didn't want to do anything. After reading your posts I'm feeling motivated again, and I'm going to spend 15 mins on sorting out my desk! Don't underestimate the power of sharing your experience.
Good night! :)
did it work?
Hi Normy,
thanks for your nice post! How did cleaning your desk go?
Anouk
today (3)
Back from a short session at uni and some lunch.
Made a shopping list for later and will finish my desk now. A want to be done in 30 minutes.
Anouk
today (2)
my break took a bit longer, but I kept it short and didn't watch TV!!
My room still looks messy, but I have got most of my stuff organized. I guess, another 20 minutes, and it's done. But I have to go to uni now.
Anouk
today (1)
getting dressed and breakfast took as long as planned but the walk with my dog took 20 minutes longer.
and then I read the paper for about 10 minutes.
A friend wanted to come over for lunch but she just cancelled, so I have a bit more time.
I will give myself an hour to clean my desk. That will be at 11.30.
Anouk
today (1.1)
Ok. I worked one hour on cleaning my desk. Got a lot of things done and was able to through away quite a lot - even though it was hard. But there is still a big mess.
But as I tend to do everything until it is finished and than get so frustrated that I wait a long time until I do the task again, I will have a break now for 15 minutes, eat something and then work again for
45 minutes.
So I will be back in about an hour.
Anouk