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.

Flylady; GTD

Does anyone FLY w/the Flylady website?

Does anyone implement GTD (getting things done philosophy by David Allen?

FL & DA

I think you'll find a thread about this somewhere - called something like 'what works for you'. Both have worked well for me. To a Brit like me FlyLady comes across as completely bonkers, but I went along with the twee and the patronising because it really did help! I think the main thing was all those Emails - what she calls 'FLYwashing'. I kept them going for about two years, by which time I was flywashed and don't need them any more. (I read a book - it's great; I'm full of good intentions; I forget to do it. I get an Email saying 'where is my laundry' - I put the laundry on, I get another - I put it out to dry, another - I remember to bring it in. Repeat 365 times and I've got a new good habit!).

My house is tidy (apart from one Scary Cupboard and, intermittently, my desk); we always have healthy food in the house; clean, appropriate clothes ready to wear; the car is always ready for take-off etc etc. I started it really because I was overwhelmed by the chaos in which I was living, and it was dragging me down. It was a long journey but it was worth it, and the knock on effects have been amazing.

If I hadn't done FL first, I wouldn't have been able to do DA. My goodness, he goes into detail doesn't he?! Anyway, I discovered him on the net one New Year's Eve and downloaded the Outlook guide - which I highly recommend if you're an Outlook user.

Once I got it set up (I didn't quite do it as he says in the book, because I didn't have the book at that point, but I think the way I did it was better for me anyway), and I started doing the Weekly Reviews I felt a HUGE surge of relief just from knowing where I was up to with things and knowing that nothing was going to blow up in my face unexpectedly (initially, there were still things that were going to blow up, but at least I was forewarned!). The Outlook side of things is so easy it almost seems to do it itself - it's the nearest thing I've ever had to a PA! The Weekly Review I find harder. I've tried doing it all at once. I've tried doing a bit at a time. I just haven't been able to get into the habit yet, and sometimes I get that ominous feeling coming back and it makes me want to do a review! I've been getting that feeling again this week - think I'll schedule in a review for Saturday night!

Anyway, I was so impressed by how DA got me into doing things that I started to feel optimistic about being able to address procrastination. I'd learned from FlyLady that a lot of 'what ails me' is just lack of knowledge about what others take for granted, and I was beginning to learn from DA that I could apply that approach to other areas of my life. DA came at just the right time for me, and I guess I'm pretty evangelical.

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outlook guide

which outlook guide? could you email the link?
mail_teri@yahoo.com

excellent

But mainly I procrastinate in schoolwork and getting mailing stuff.

How do you do you incoming email? Do you sort into folders or put them directly into tasks lists? I'm having great difficulty w/email. I want to save my husband's email b/c he's in Iraq (military). Some emails are directions or contact info or for various groups: Toastmasters, engineering groups, running group, etc. How do you organize information like these? Events, and meetings, etc, from emails. I'm always having to search through hundreds of emails for info:(

FlyLady is about housework - that's not where I procrastinate.

I don't procrastinate on housework. I like everything around me to be clean and tidy, and it usually is. I've got no clutter in my home. I also like to cook and I don't procrastinate on grocery shopping. So FlyLady doesn't do much for me.

My big procrastination area is anything related to work (that includes schoolwork, accounting for my business, filing tax returns, and paying bills).

FlyLady isn't just about housework

That's what I was saying. I came to FlyLady to help with the housework stuff, and ended up having benefits in all sorts of other areas of my life. For example, I could, and sometimes did, spend all day doing housework, now it's done by 9.30 am (sometimes before) and I'm ready for work. The FlyLady ~principles~ apply to other areas of life too - I just adapt them to what I need (like paid work, homework, whatever).

I've just popped in to CUOP and bookend before I go to work (it's 8.39 am and I've finished my morning routine!) so I can't reply to the other posts in response to mine right now, but I'll be coming back after work. See you later!

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re Get It Done in Outlook

Could anyone who uses this tool comment some more on it? I am considering getting the add in for Microsoft Outlook but my version is not supported: is it worth the investment to get a current version of Outlook?

FlyLady, DA, Outlook and OmniFocus!

Three points to make...I'll be brief, because I drafted this once with links and then I closed the window! And I really should be cleaning my house. 

1. FlyLady had made a mint! Have to admit, I think I could benefit from the nagging. 
2. GTD guru David Allen believes you should use whatever tools work for you. If you enjoy post it notes, there's a way to do GTD with postit notes. (see podcasts at davidco.com) The power is in the system, not the technology (but having goodies to work with that make you happy can inspire a good result. So, check out these technology options. You may not need to upgrade your Outlook to get started: See PocketPCmag.com discussion 
3. Being a Mac user, I have to crow about OmniGroup's release of OmniFocus this week. I've been a betatester since July, and though I'm not a power user, I feel like I'm beginning to see the light. Watch the video to get a glimpse of how it works. See OmniFocus release 
I'd better go bookend. See ya.
Gnothi Seauton ~ Know Thyself