This procrastinator reform process can be a bit wrenching - conflicting voices, the old "you don't need to do it now" one is doing battle with "if you do it now, you won't need to worry about it later and you can enjoy some free time for once." But I have made progress. I read a bit yesterday and again today, and I'll share a few points.

She says to "stop the 'shoulds'" by rewording the internal dialog. For example

"I should stop procrastinating" -> "I will feel better about myself if I make some progress."

I should be on top of things -> "I like feeling organized."

These and several others are intended to help the readers push themselves into doing the activity they are considering ignoring. They're also meant to help stop the self-critical tone we may have learned from parents or teachers or others in childhood ("you're lazy!") and have internalized as adults.

Negative emotions like guilt and negative thinking like self-criticism can affect your actions. They keep procrastination going instead of stopping it. . . . You can increase your chances of overcoming your tendency to procrastinate if you can get past the haibit of beating yourself up.

And the one that I have been the master of for way too long:

Stop Making Excuses.

This is the next chapter, I've just started. I've been aware assigning blame to everything but myself. Too many red lights made me late, waiting for the kids made me late, finding a parking space made me late . . . things misplaced, when if I'd simply put them in the correct file folder when they arrived, or paid it when it arrived (of course, having the money is a limiting factor on this one) would have made things easier.

I have to go walk the dogs. This is good for them and for me, and so the last point I'll make is that as I work through the chapters in this, I realize that the work I do in one area is also happening in others. And I need to make time for myself as much as I do for everything else I've been putting off. So it's out the door with the girls for a sunset walk on this pretty evening.

SRS