How to stop procrastinating continues to be an adventure for me. Especially when it comes to fitness.
I’m masterful at explaining away in my mind reasons to not exercise or eat properly.
It’s really easy to do. Perhaps you do it too.
Even things not related to exercise or self care are easy targets for my procrastination. It’s been that way since I was a kid.
Specific targets for it are things I should do but don’t want to. Those things are at the top of my procrastination list. I just haven’t gotten around to writing it out.
When it comes to how to stop procrastinating I don’t know if there is a magic formula. It’s definitely a habit worth breaking. I suppose if your are aware that you are doing it and you’ve sounded the alarm, you’re halfway there.
Over the years I picked up a few tips that are incredibly helpful to me. If you continue to struggle with figuring out how to stop procrastinating give them a shot.
1. Grow It Into A Fun Habit
Struggling with how to stop procrastinating I realized for me became a habit.
Whether it was finishing work that I brought home, taking care of something that needed fixing around the house or exercising, it became a habit for me to procrastinate.
Usually it was always just easier for me to find something more enjoyable to do.
I’d rather go out with family and friends, see a movie, grab something to eat… anything is better than doing what I have to get done.
And yes, I definitely consider exercising and maintaining your well being something that you must do.
So I turned the things that had to get done into things I enjoy doing. At first, it was difficult with things that feel like work. But it got easier.
It’s even easier with exercising because there are so many benefits to derive from it. What made it considerably easier was making it a habit everyday to prioritize my health over other things.
Once setting the priorities each day became habitual, the procrastinating dropped off considerably. From there I designed additional habits to keep me thinking about fitness, so it became a regular fixture in my day.
After that, it became considerably more fun and enjoyable.
2. Change The Delay To Deliberate And Promise Yourself Results
The worst kind of procrastinating for me is described above. I would put off doing something important in exchange for doing something more enjoyable and maybe not get to the important thing at all.
That was a terrible habit. Definitely a good one to overcome.
The next kind of procrastination I struggled with was the idea that I would definitely get around to doing the thing I was putting off, just not right at the moment.
The thing I want to delay gets done later in the day but not with much effort. This definitely happened with exercising.
So I changed this to a deliberate kind of scheduling.
Let’s say you keep waking up with every intention of a morning workout but keep finding excuses to put it off until later in the day.
Just accept that you aren’t a morning person. You obviously don’t want to be but you know you should be exercising and taking care of yourself.
Schedule every workout session to be at a set time in the day. Give yourself the chance to focus without distractions on the workout and promise yourself to go full out until it’s complete.
This effectively turns a bad habit into a tool you can use to reach your fitness goals in less time with better results.
In fact, I found an interesting study about active procrastination. It seems to be about the success of students who schedule tasks for a later time.
3. Tell Yourself: You’ll Be Better, Stronger and Faster. (How To Stop Procrastinating Like A Pro)
Photo by Scott Webb from Pexels
If you’re a fan of seventies TV you’ll get the reference. The Six Million Dollar Man lives in all of us. That guy does the work and reaps the rewards.
And so will you.
What keeps me going and away from procrastinating more than anything is envisioning where I want my fitness regimen to be and what it is doing for me everyday.
I know how much better I feel each day when I workout and remind myself of all the benefits I derive from it.
Work days go by faster because I’m better equipped to deal with daily challenges.
My energy remains high so I can spend more time with family and friends and excel at activities I really enjoy. Maybe that’s hiking outside, visiting at somebody’s home or challenging my nieces to a jump rope competition.
I rarely get sick and am not bothered by aches and pains as the years go by. In fact, I believe that because of my health and fitness regimen, I’m in better shape than I have been in years.
Every once and a while procrastination may still get the better of me. But by staying focused on the big picture, putting off my goals until “later” is mostly a thing of the past.
Good advice.
Thanks Mitch!