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.

Introductions and Procrastination Discussion

If you're just joining, please introduce yourself here. This is also the section for general discussion about procrastination topics - articles you've read, questions, thoughts, insights, etc.

Links

Sorry I don't know how to make this sticky (it may be an administrator function), so it may need bumping back up in the fullness of time. We've been talking about a number of other websites, and I suggested putting something in the 'Off Topic' area, but many of them are 'On Topic' so I thought I'd post here. I thought we had a similar thread at one point, but if so I can't readily find it.

Now Habit Discussion Group
flexiblefine's Yahoo Group to discuss The Now Habit and other anticrastination tools and techniques.

David Allen (Get Things Done)

Coping with Anxiety Through Procrastination

In "slider's CI 9:15 pm--more relaxed" on Tuesday, August 15th, I wrote:
"You know, the taxes were amping up my anxiety level to sky high. I'm allergic to anxiety. It drives me nuts. I know lots of people who live their whole life full of anxiety--and I don't know how they can stand it. (In case of extreme anxiety, I shut down into severe depression just to stop feeling anxious!) In fact, part of my procrastination is clearly about avoiding the things that make me anxious. It's about escapism from things I don't like and don't want to face lots of the time (I manage to do all five kinds of procrastination, though). Examining myself while going through this anxiety helped me face it and get through it--but it also elicited all kinds of squirrely behavior. Hmm. Guess I will have to show a little more sympathy to all the high-strung, annoying and, yes, squirrely people I deal with!"

Quotable Procrastinator

I've always rather liked the comment of Quentin Crisp about the extremely unclean state of his house:

"After the first four years, the dust didn't get any worse."

Not sure it's a help to post it, but I've always identified strongly with it (I'm not quite as bad as that, but I don't often get around to housework).

Procrastination as Gambling

Wow. I am the biggest gambler I know. Not in the traditional sense: I don't pay money to play games of chance. But I live my life as a series of bets:
--I bet I can do this a few minutes more and it won't turn into a time-binge.
--I bet if this turns into a time-binge, I can still get up in the morning.
--I bet if I don't get up right now, something else will wake me up in time.
--I bet if I oversleep I can still pull it all off.
--I bet if I get out my magnifying mirror, I still won't dawdle in the bathroom.
--I bet if I start reading this magazine while I use the toilet I won't still be sitting here 45 minutes later.

Using Outlook or other software to keep track of 'things'..

Was 'chatting' to Normy about this on another thread and thought I'd take it off-topic.

I have discovered I only have Outlook Express, which has email and that's it. Was disappointed!!!! Normy uses Outlook for all sorts of her stuff.

So I have decided to use ACT!, my CRM software, instead. I have created recurring tasks for my morning, daytime and evening routines, and put in a few weekly ones as well. I even got creative and downloaded some icons so they look different to all the other To-Dos (client-related, mainly).

BUT I decided to keep my Master To-Do on paper in my dayplanner. I'm not sure why - I just like it on paper, even if I have to frequently re-write it. Maybe it's because I find it comforting to re-write my list. I love to plan. LOVE it. Just don't like DOING stuff ;).

Routines and Organising Time

I've found that routines have been really helpful to me in overcoming procrastination for two main reasons (this is sounding like an essay, never mind!):

1) I don't spend time 're-inventing the wheel' in that once I've figured out a good routine I don't have to think about it again (unless circumstances change, in which case I tweak it as I go along). Having to expend mental energy on piffling tasks was something I'd procrastinate about, and also provided a delay in which procrastination could set in.

2) I don't spend time during the rest of the day/week procrastinating on other things, by getting sidetracked into doing the things in the routines, because they're done at a set time of day/week.

Fantasy Journalling

This is one of the things on my Someday/Maybe list to post here, and as we were talking about it today I thought I'd post it now.

I've found it really helped me to discover the links between where I was at the time of writing and where I wanted to be. After writing it I could easily see the opportunities which would lead me to my 'fantasy', and things started to move pretty fast!

http://www.writersdigest.com/articles/sticking_points.asp

Excellent article on journal writing and motivation - suggests something like 'reverse journalling' - youwrite the journal as if you were writing down at the end of the day what a fantastic day you've had, then you go and do it!

Self-help and family members

I'm interested to hear any wisdom you have in handling procrastination with your close family members (spouse, parents, etc). Especially regarding your attempts to improve. And how do they respond? This probably kind of overlaps with the post on Hiding Your Procrastination.

For myself, I tend to procrastinate in certain situations... I often do a lot but not necessarily what I think I should be doing. This seems to give the impression that I am a busy, productive person even though I am often deeply unsatisfied with what I have accomplished. I not only hide my procrastination, I also hide my attempts to fix it. I don't discuss my efforts and reading/writing to self-motivate with my spouse. When I do, I am often greeted with "why are you doing that?". Note that anytime my spouse thinks I am doing something stupid, it is typically greeted with a question, not a direct comment. It's a bit passive-agressive but I understand what is being said. I'm being told that I'm wasting my energy trying to fix something that isn't broken in the first place.

Curious about Self-Control

I mentioned in another post that I "Just wanted to do what I'm supposed to do, when I'm supposed to do it - whether I want to or not!"(I added, "...like a normal person," I spoke of how I just wanted things in my life to be that simple with out professional help or support groups.
Although I'm quite sure its well beyond that I some times come back to thinking my procrast. addictio is just laziness (although I can be one of the hardest working people I know - when I'm not doing something else to procrast, or when I'm right up to the wire of a deadline.)and that I should just "exercise some self-control" and "just get up and do it".

Just want to do things simply

I had mentioned in a previous post that I had been viewing (including articles and various other information)this website since Fall '05. Today I was reading some of your posts about different techniques used to over come Procrast. Like the "Now" Method and its' psychological basis or getting others involved in projects to check on work progress. It's not that I don't want help- I really just want to DO WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO WHEN I'M SUPPOSED TO DO IT! whether I intrinsically want to or not, like NORMAL PEOPLE do. It hurts me so much that I cannot simply do that. And that it even has to BE so

So glad I finally decided to post...

Hi everyone, I'm new here. This is only my second time in my life posting on any forum so I'm kind of unsure of what to say, you know; not going too far and giving TMI...
I have been viewing this website since Fall '05 but have been too lazy to post to it. I think It's because although I was searching for some type of help or group of people who could understand my problem, I think I was still unable to REALLY admit that I was a chronic (psychological disordered/problemed) Procratinator. I mean, I knew I was - have known for a very long time, have even admitted it to people... but I think I worried that if I admitted it on a ligitimate website designed for Procrastinators It would ligitimize my being a Procratinator. Deep down I diddn't want to truly accept that I was a Procrast. for fear that it would become worse. I was content to still allow myself to believe deep-down that I was just a person who would not control my laziness.

Quotes To Get You Going!!!

Here are some quotes from a program that I practice that help me get going.

“A firm decision steadies us

Link to article on dealing with rebellion

I visited a site called Squalor Survivors (creepy--I rate a level 2 out of 4) and read there about a tendency they call Demand Resistance, which has been referred to on this site simply as rebelliousness. Squalor Survivors describes the OCD-like aspects of demand resistance thoroughly, and offers this link as a way of dealing with it. This article describes using "microbursts"--spontaneous baby steps--to avoid dread and bypass the resistance.

http://cherylmillerville.com/scgl/newsletter/2.htm

Feeling overwhelmed but with one bright spot

I'm back from vacation (which was wonderful and fun)and trying to get a handle on all the things that piled up while I was gone, as well as some things I never finished before I left, plus several urgent situations among parishioners all hitting at once. Then out of the blue--totally--my inlaws called and asked, "Have you taken care of your tax situation yet?" :O Wham! The mixture of astonishment, guilt, shame, despair, AND anger and rebellion has me on tilt. I think the universe is talking to me, because just this morning I was making a list of everything I am behind on, and I wrote TAXES in great big letters.

Trainwork

I've just remembered something that helps me get some work done. I sometimes try to write a short document or long email on the laptop on the way to work.

The advantage of doing it on the train is that there is a limited amount of time before I reach my station, so I have to try and produce a complete plan/piece of work in that small time window. There are days when I get a lot more done on the train than in the office!

One important factor must be that there is no internet connection on the train! That helps a lot! I sometimes think I should just work from the train the whole time, oc

the black hole of email

I had dinner with some friends tonight, and we were talking about time management. That may sound strange - well, it's mainly because I brought up the subject because I've been struggling so much with it. One of the people there was a novelist who worked out of his home. I asked him about his work day and how he scheduled it. He said that he checks email twice a day - in the morning and in the afternoon. Another woman at the table said she checks hers just once a day.

I think that one of the reasons I have so much trouble getting stuff done - even simple stuff like getting out of the apartment in the morning - is because I check email constantly. I'm turning off the automatic checker, and starting tomorrow I'm going to check email just twice a day.

Leaving the House

Hi all,

I'm new here. I found the site after a lengthy session of googling around procrastination - which of course was to avoid doing the work I need to complete before I fly out of the country later this afternoon, which is why I'm up now at 5.30am instead of asleep like a sane person.

I have identified so strongly with what I've read here. First of all, that procrastination isn't a time-management problem, but an addiction. My form of it is partly to do with deadlines (Like Douglas Adams, I "like the whooshing sound as they go by"), which I seem to get a kick out of missing - especially if I get away with it.

Getting unstuck

Last week I was stuck on a problem and unsure what the next step was. It can be hardest for me to get started on a task when I don't even know what the next step is. I spent about a day goofing off instead of working on the task (or anything else). Actually, not bad for me :P

What ended up getting me unstuck was writing down several questions about the task and pretending it was a school assignment. I then proceeded to find out the answers to the questions and write them down as if it were an assignment. The questions didn't get the task done but they did get me to a point where I've been able to determine the steps I need to follow to get the real assignment done. It seemed pretty silly to me, but it worked.

An insight and a question

Well, this is the Questions, Answers, and Insights forum, so I thought I'd share an insight, ask a few questions, and see if I get any answers!

I was about to post this on the Bookending thread, and thought it might be more appropriate here:

[I'd been saying that I had been procrastinating, and still am...]

although I'm not sure it can technically be called 'procrastinating' on a day off. I'm certainly putting things off, but they're not things that ~need~ to be done today. I'm half toying with the idea that I'm trying to escape thinking about something I don't want to think about (I was in a bad mood that felt unnecessary, so I'm reading a book I enjoy and it's put me in a much better mood), but if that's the case then I could just as easily work to avoid the negative thoughts that got me in the bad mood. Hmm, maybe it's a ~punishment~ - maybe, in putting things off, I'm making things harder for myself next week as a punishment for having negative thoughts? I wouldn't put it past me.

The difference between an Excuse and a Reason

Well, I said I was going in to College today to finish off that job, and I didn't (which means I also didn't do the other errands that involve going into town). It would be much better if I went tomorrow because DSO is at home today so I can be with him and work here, and we can do stuff together today, and then I can go to work tomorrow when he goes to work (makes sense).

Anyway, I wasn't sure if I was giving myself an excuse, or if it was a reason, so I couldn't work out if I was skillfully manipulating myself into procrastination, or if it was a genuine better reason.

So I thought about what, for me, is the difference between an excuse and a reason. A 'reason' is something I've thought about before the event is due to happen, come up with a better solution, and decided to go with it. An 'excuse' is something that happens after the event was due (or not pinning myself down to a time to do it in the first place).

Syndicate content