Blue Monkey's "Stop-Faffing-Start-Doing" Diary

**confuzzled**

Hi BM:wave:
You sound exactly how I was(& still am on occassion:o) its not how much you get done, it's the qulaity of whats been done that bugs me too...I can happily spend a whole day pottering around the house but only feel unguilty if it's productive pottering like sorting out clothes/organising a drawer/doing any of those horrible niggly jobs that are on my 'should do' list;):)
I agree the should do list can be used for procrastinating, ideal for me when, like now, I currently have 'clean inside windows' on the should do list has been for ages but now the sun is shining it's motivated me that little bit more to get them done, otherwise I'd have just gone out in the garden with a book & then felt guilty later on:o:rotfl:
Just a thought, but on your list you could possibly put in a time frame for each job, for example, calling bank/ikea/phone company....assuming you're tight on time like me as you work and probs only get your lunch hour free, dedicate 15mins(5mins per call) of your time doing this, otherwise before you know it your lunch is over and you're lucky if you've called 1 of them. and as for making lunch, could it be done just before you go to bed and then all you've left to do in the morning is get ready and walk to work:)

Whatever you do you're definitely on the right track:D...keep up the good work:T

morocha

op, are you sure ur post is not mine ?? i am exactly the same !!!! Except i have a 3 yo and dont work.!!

my in laws have far more energy than I.... i will start doing to do list too, i need to get myself in the routine of going for a jog in the morning and taking my little monkey out every day.

Blue_Monkey

Cooo-eeee! I'm back!

Just got back to Sydney after a wonderful couple of weeks in the UK. Timed it great as the weather was fab back home and it was lovely to see friends and family in the sunshine! I was also massively busy and productive whilst I was home which I suppose is down to the fact that I had a lot of things to do and people to see in a relatively short time. Kind of ironic really that I can get more done when I'm busier and not so flush with time, and then come back to Sydney and have a less hectic life and plenty of time on my hands. So again, it's about putting the time I do have to good use.

Yesterday was a cracking day productivity-wise, and whoever knew that jet-lag would be a positive thing! I woke up at about 6am wide awake, got up, put some washing on, made OH's and my lunch, went for a run and managed to get to work for 9am!

Today is a Working From Home Day (WFHD) and these are my most challenging days. It's easy to sit around faffing on the laptop, not doing much in general, including work... But, I'm off to a good start - I lept out of bed and got straight in the shower, which may seem basic, but on most WFHDs I kid myself that I'm going to go and do some exercise and therefore don't get dressed straight away and it can quite often be 3pm before I've accepted that I'm actually not going to for a run/swim and therefore should get dressed. So I'm up and dressed and have had breakfast, hoovered, put the dishwasher on, done some washing.

Later this evening I've got circuit training and I usually go straight from work, so I'll need to keep the motivation up and actually go - so much harder to leave the house when it's cold and dark at 5pm. The thing that is motivating me to go is that I know that I'd put weight on since I was last in the UK so going back a fatty was horrid. Also the City 2 Surf run is on 8 August, so I've got no time at all really to get sorted for it. I'm even having a semi-dry July... Not completely abstaining from booze, but not getting drunk... Self-control I think it's called..

Right, on to today's list, in no particular order:

• 3 x loads of washing
• Food shopping list
• Go food shopping
• Sort out finances (pay circuit training, sort cash to transfer back to UK)
• Empty dishwasher
• Drink lots of water
• Tidy up
• Put clean washing away
• File nails as they are too long and gross

Ciao for now,
BM

Mrs_White

Hi BM,

I have just read your thread and wanted to say 2 things:

1. Did I actually subconsciously write this thread myself, as I swear that I could have written every single word you wrote?!?! (I am a Brit living in Oz too - at least I assume you're a Brit as you used the word 'hoover' instead of vacuum! - although I am in Melbourne not Syd and I'm slightly older than you at 34). And I even have the same friend as you; I went round to see mine just after the birth of baby number 1 and she was all immaculately dressed and looked like she always did, the flat was spotless, the baby was like something out of an advert and she'd even made a cake!

and 2. THANK YOU!! I didn't think there could be anyone who procrastinated as much as I do. I think I honestly spend about 10 times as much time thinking about doing things than actually doing them! And then I get really frustrated with myself and feel guilty for wasting so much time.

I too have realised that I have the power to change this and make my life how I want it to be. But then my alarm goes off in the morning and despite my best intentions it still takes me half an hour to get out of bed, so then I have no time to do anything productive before I go to work. Then I get to work, spend half the day getting things done and the other half looking at things I should be getting done, wasting time on pointless or purely social tasks, and putting everything off until it absolutely HAS to be done and I can't put it off any longer.

Then I spend my whole journey home planning what things I can get done when I get in, I get in, make (or order in!) dinner and then I just collapse on the sofa and that's it for the rest of the night. I either feel so worn out, or one of the cats has made themselves comfortable on my lap and I don't have the heart to move them! But I still find myself thinking 'in the next ad break' or 'after this show' I'll get up and do X, Y and Z. 9n times out of 10 I don't do them, and then finally go to bed - usually much later than I planned because I even procrastinate about going to bed!! - and I'm feeling guilty for wasting my evening and still having all these jobs to do!!!

Reading it back it all just sounds a bit ridiculous, but I honestly don't know how to change and get some more 'get up and go'..??

Having small aims like the ones on your list definitely helps, I think because it makes me focus more. I do find that I get easily distracted and when I'm supposed to be doing one job, it reminds me of another I have to do, and then I make a start on that one (leaving the original job half done), and so it goes on. And on the occasions when I can get up in the ad breaks it's amazing how much I can get done just in those short spaces of time! (Maybe because I've only got time to do one job so I just concentrate on getting that one done before the ads are over...?)

Hmmm, just typing this has already helped me! I guess I've never really sat down and properly analysed why I'm like this or what makes me like this. When Errata said we should think about the reasons behind our procrastination they were completely right, so thank you for that!

So I think my next aim should be to think about ways to focus on just doing one thing at a time, and seeing each one thing through to completion...

Thanks for letting me join you on this journey! Hopefully we can encourage each other and be 'Anti-Procrastination Buddies' together?! :beer:

cuppacha

... and I'm another one who read your first post and thought 'hang on, are you me?'!

Hello! My name is cuppacha and I am a procrastinator.

Everything you've written sounds like me... well, I don't live in Australia, but the rest is uncanny. I am a 30 year old female, I work from home and I often feel guilty for not doing all the things I know (or think) I should be doing. Even when I know I have stuff to do, I still manage to waste time doing other far less important things, and I definitely think I am an internet addict!

Sitting here, reading and posting on MSE right now being a serious case in point! :rotfl:

I've always been like this; very ambitious, driven when I put my mind to it, but I just can't seem to manage my time. At university my tutor told me I was an 'anxious motivator' - leaving everything until the last minute, rather than pacing myself. He said this was fine, it was just the way I got things done, but I am still jealous of people who can tackle a task way before it actually needs to get done.

As I get older, I am trying to go a little easier on myself though, and not feel so guilty if I don't do all 100 things a day I think I need to be doing. I've managed to get myself into a routine of doing regular exercise in the morning, which makes me feel I've already done something really productive and helps with the rest of the day (iyswim?)

Anyway, sorry for the long post... not really sure what I'm trying to say other than hello, I know exactly how you feel, and will be keeping an eye on this thread. MSE is a fantastic place for mutual support and encouragement :T

downshifted

Instead of "anxious motivator" think of yourself as "pressure prompted" :-)

I know I do.......

katym79

Hello I'm Katy and I'm a procrastinator.....:o

You sound a bit like me. I'm sat here at work, not working!
On the home front I've found that since having a child I'm slightly better at not wasting time and regret the years I had before the baby came along for all the missed opportunities. I'm v.lazy, simple as.

I started to make a list a while ago of all the things i'd like to achieve in my life.(I was turning 30:o). Then i make a list in Jan of what i would like to achieve in the year. Then each month i make a list of what i want to achieve in the month. Every day i make a list of what i have to do that includes all the mundane everyday tasks, but i try to do the small things that will help me reach my monthly goals - in turn this helps me get my yearly goals...etc.

If I don't get all my daily tasks done i'm pretty easy on myself but that task will be written down for me to do the next day....and will stay on my list until i've bloody well done it! Sometimes the goalposts move so i think you have to stay flexible and not get too annoyed with yourself. I think it helps to have much bigger long term goals in order to stay on the straight and narrow on a daily basis.

Someone was right when they said quality not quantity. Good Luck!!:T

Callisto

I'm a procrastinator too...

I came back from my holiday yesterday and had booked today off work as my 'catch up with housework and look for a new job day'. I've done one load of washing and been food shopping. I've also spent about 10 minutes on job sites on the internet, the rest of the day has been spent on the internet, looking at houses in the area I want to move to (even though my OH doesn't want to move there and I've no way of affording it on my paltry wage and I would need to find a job in that area first!)

Need to do the vacuuming, clean the bathroom, do the washing up and go to my sister's house for a family gathering in just over an hour, so I doubt I will get anything else done today!

I do manage to make my lunch for work each day, but I struggle to get up in the morning (I usually have the snooze button going for an hour before I finally get up! ) I normally go food shopping one evening straight after work, otherwise I just go home and then can't be bothered to go out again.

I was doing quite well with my 'to do' lists, but recently started hiding them so I didn't have to see what I hadn't done! So I haven't made one for a couple of weeks now... I think I need a kick up the ar*e to be honest! Although having thought about why I don't want to do anything around the house at the moment, OH is being very lazy, so I don't see why I should bother when he isn't - but that seems a bit petty!?

MrsMoo2U

Hello, I just posted a long post, three times. I give up but wanted to say hello and can I join you. Back when my computer stops playing up.

Blue_Monkey

Wow - I'm flattered that people are actually reading, and it's actually lovely to know I'm not the only one who faffs around a lot!

Mrs White - Yep, I'm from the UK, been living in Sydney for nearly 6 months now. I know exactly what you mean when you talk about thinking about doing things. I'm the same and would win prizes for my good intentions - it's just making them actually happen that's my problem. I'll look forward to you joining me on this quest for productivity and good use of our precious time.

Cuppacha - I reckon I'm an anxious motivator too. Deffo leave things to the last minute (or not at all) and although I wish I didn't, I can't seem to help it. I'm very impressed with your daily exercise routine - can I ask how you managed to get that buttoned down? I'd love to be able to do that, and actually really enjoy early mornings - just need to learn to avoid that snooze button.

Katy - Your lists sound fab. Thing is, I lose focus on being focused... Most years, around the end of Dec, start of Jan, I write a list of what I want to achieve and a few weeks back I found a diary of mine from about 8 years ago and the same things were on my NY Resolutions / Things To Do List. How do you keep focused on your lists? Do you set aside time to look at them each month or day?

Callisto - hilarious that you hide your lists! Out of sight, out of mind eh?

Cherison - welcome aboard!


So yesterday started off really well for me, and then I must've just lost interest and I spent the day on the internet mainly. Didn't do much work-work and only ticked off a couple of bits from my list:

[STRIKE]3 x loads of washing [/STRIKE]
Food shopping list
Go food shopping
Sort out finances (pay circuit training, sort cash to transfer back to UK) I did half of this one
[STRIKE]Empty dishwasher [/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Drink lots of water [/STRIKE]
Tidy up
[STRIKE]Put clean washing away [/STRIKE]
File nails as they are too long and gross

I didn't go circuit training which I was quite disappointed with myself about. I love it when I go, but it was raining (it's outside) so I chickened out. Also, where I'd faffed about on the internet for most of the day, I was behind with my work and got caught up with something I should've done earlier. Bad Monkey.

Actually, I ended feeling pretty bad about yesterday's lame attempt at my To Do List. OH came home from work, did some tidying up, then went to the shop to get some bits for dinner and generally was very productive. I felt guilty that I'd been at home all day and was too lazy/selfish to get off my fat ar5e and pull my weight and left it to OH to do . He didn't seem to even mind which made me feel worse.

Onwards and upwards I guess...

Wednesday 14 July 2010 (in no particular order)

• Do mealplan/shopping list
• Buy hair dye
• Look for / buy new work shoes at lunch
• Buy birthday cards (for niece and friend)
• Walk home from work (as the sun is out today)
• Walk via greengrocers, drop that off at home, then go to supermarket for the rest of the food shopping
• Cook nice dinner for OH
• Sort out passport and utility bill for int'l transfer

Best get cracking with that little lot.

Wishing you all a very productive Wednesday!
BM