The weekend is over, Monday morning has rolled around and you know you should be up by a certain time and heading for your walk or to the gym, but instead you do what you have been doing for the past five weeks since you set your goals — you procrastinate. Later, you feel badly, like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. This article deals with how you can stop procrastinating and reach your goals.
Procrastination is another form of excuse. The reason you did not get dressed and go for your walk is —- fill in the blanks. That’s your excuse.
So naturally the next question is why did you make that excuse? Maybe you don’t like walking. Maybe you find it boring, tiring, tedious, whatever. These excuses, say the experts, may be the result of “task aversion.”
So, how can you cure this habit of procrastination? Note that it is a habit, a practice of doing something else instead of what you know you should be doing. Therefore, instead of doing something else, anything, other than walking, can you think of an activity you enjoy that will produce the same results as if you walked for 30 minutes?
Walking the dog, pushing the baby in a stroller are all forms of walking that you may find more enjoyable. Also, walking with a buddy or walking while listening to music or an audiobook will make the time seem to pass more quickly and may even make you look forward to walking every morning. If this doesn’t work for you, try breaking it down into a shorter period, say fifteen minutes.
So far, I’ve only talked about walking, but what about other things you keep procrastinating? Like adopting a new way of eating or preparing your food? How do you avoid putting these things off? Here are three suggestions:
- Write the activity somewhere where it’s always visible — like on your fridge, mirror, or planner. Do not make a long list of things you should be doing. Just the main one you want to work on.
- Think of the end goal. What do you hope to achieve when you stop procrastinating? Weight loss? Lower glucose levels? More energy? Keeping the benefits in mind will motivate you to move toward your goals.
- Enlist the help of others. If you are trying to change your eating habits, and the rest of your family is not, then you have a problem. Look for flavorful recipes that the whole family can enjoy. When dining out, choose menu items that cater for those who are on low-carb, nutritious diets that are pleasing to taste and satisfying.
Procrastination is a habit that can seriously derail your goals if you don’t overcome it. You can do so by writing your goals down, focusing on the benefits of achieving your goals and enlisting your goals. How do you beat procrastination? Drop us a line and let us know.
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