Procrastinators, get your pompoms. Let's cheer each other on and kick the procrastination habit!

[ProcrastinateNoMore]

Inspired by the thread in AIBU... This is a thread where chronic procrastinators can get together to share tips, hold hands and try to break the habit of a lifetime! We all have our reasons for procrastinating (some conscious, some less so) but this thread is our chance to talk to people who understand the stress and help each other make positive changes.

Useful links from the original thread (thanks to all who shared):

This is the best description of procrastination I've read, written by a chronic procrastinator. This is his attempt to suggest strategies.

This is an excellent website from Carleton University in Canada - the page from the Procrastination Research Group. There is a blog with the key posts - useful for understanding and tackling procrastination. The work on goal focus is quite practical.

This post from BBC suggests apps you may find useful.

It might be useful to say hello and identify the key areas we procrastinate in below. Also think about small steps we can take to change that.

Good luck fellow monkey-minders!

Frugal, yes it's going to take months which is partly why I've been procrastinating for so long. As well as being sad and an acceptance that my parents are gone.

Well done with tacking your difficult task! And think it's good to be realistic otherwise you're setting yourself up to fail.

Oh threads moved on!

lotta you are doing so well.

Ok I've name changed as it's bad.

I have just registered the whole family at the new doctors our old doctors is over 300 miles away. We moved house TWO YEARS AGO! I had tried at various times over the past two years but there were always obstacles that ment it wasn't possible to register that day so started a viscous circle, get home put it off for the next day........ Lose forms, get new forms put off filling them in. Can't find birth certificate. Have to apply for a new one. Each time it just became a bigger thing to over come.
But it was a constant nagging and would sometimes wake me at night through worry.

But it is finally done! And it feels fantastic!

ItTook. Well done! And...I moved to where I am currently living 2 years ago and still haven't done it ( living in denial...) I don't have kids so it's just me.

One more thing to put on the list...

Hello, oooh yes this is the thread for me.

The more I get overwhelmed, the more I procrastinate, and the more overwhelming it all gets. And the terrible thing is the procrastination only makes it all worse, little situations develop into bigger badder situations, which puts me off dealing with them even more.

Currently procrastinating about 2 very important things. Very very important things. With deadlines in June. Both time consuming and difficult, but essential. Going to start breaking them down into little steps and trying to do something towards them every day. Strategy so far has been to ignore it all and hope it goes away while eating too much chocolate and waking up at 4am every morning worrying, which obviously isn't working to reduce the stress!

Tonight's step - call a friend who has offered help with one of them and fix a weekend to work on it together. Call other friend who may or may not need me to do something for them as part of one of the projects and get them to commit either way so I know how much work is going to be involved overall.

Also find the MOT certificate for the car as we think it needs doing in May but not sure...

I just read those links about the Dark Playground etc. It's so right. I spend most of my time in there and it's not even fun, is it. I do ask myself why I sabotage myself so much and make life so unpleasant through procrastination. Damn that little monkey. I might buy a monkey toy to thump whenever temptation to go to the Dark Playground strikes. The thought of being able to relax and really enjoy myself in the Happy Playground is also tempting - I need to make that temptation stronger somehow.

I am so glad I found this thread. I am a procrastinator and I had stuff to do and have left it so long it's getting me in trouble. I procrastinate about many things including weight loss , housework , maintenance work , paid work and some personal financial work which is now the ones getting me in trouble. I am now going to

Get up
Put on laundry
Hang out wash
Make breakfast
Fill dishwasher
Go for walk
Do a minimum of 5 hours tackling my financial work
Get teenagers to hoover and make beds. Seems like a lot but I have to get on with it as it's making my life miserable.

Have got to page 4 on this thread so will finish it later.