Well, I would’ve if…I could’ve done it but…man, I should’ve started it when – face it Divas, it’s called PROCRASTINATION! Say it with me PRO-CRAS-TI-NA-TION. Yes, that 5 syllable word can kill our fitness goals. How many times have we thought in our minds, “I really need to start working out”? But we put so many other things that we deem more important ahead of that very important task.
If you are like me, I tend to write a daily list – with fitness at the top of it for the entire week. When I sit down at the end of the week, I think of all the things I completed that were not as important to me but were easier tasks to complete. It’s easy to be too busy today and just convince yourself that tomorrow you will have more time to work; so, you put it off till tomorrow. Guess what? Tomorrow never comes, and we as Divas just continue to make our list with fitness at the top of it and watch our health continue in a downward spiral.
After evaluating just how we get into the slump of procrastination, I figured these were some pretty good points to share with you to help you combat your problem of putting your fitness regime on the back burner. So, you ask yourself, “Just how to I get my exercise done?”
Well, you can start by resisting the self-deception that getting anything done is better than getting the right things started. If you still don’t feel like you are getting in enough fitness, re-assess where you are putting your time. See if any other non-essential tasks are taking time from your real priority of working out.
Planning to workout is one thing; actually doing it is another. Learn to recognize that we can have negative emotions without acting on them. Stay put for a minute – don’t walk away. Don’t give in to “I’ll feel more like working out tomorrow.” Acknowledge the negative emotions, but get started with your regimen anyway. Progress on a goal provides the motivation for another step forward. The hardest thing is to get going. Just get started; the negative emotions will pass.
We’re more likely to procrastinate on tasks that lack structure; meaning that if our fitness task is not concrete, we will have a tendency to be distracted by some of our more organized and accessible temptations. Therefore, it is very important to reduce available distractions. Shut off your email. Isolate yourself as much as you can and make sure the environment around you is working to strengthen your will power and focus. This means, no kids…no husband…no cell phone – just you and the dumbbells!
Attention and focus is the first step in self-regulation, so learning to keep focused attention will help you procrastinate less by strengthening self-regulation. Let’s get physical busy ladies!