Los Gatos Personal Trainer - 7 Reasons Why We Procrastinate

Think over this past week. I'll bet it's not hard at all to find examples of when you put something off.   Cleaning, replacing worn out shoes, signing up your kid for swimming lessons, booking that vacation you talked about 2 years ago, finishing up that certification, taxes, and the list goes on and on.  As a personal trainer in Los Gatos, I see people every day who have put their health, wellness and sanity on the back burner for years (some even decades).  So here we go:

7 Reasons We Procrastinate . . . and how you can get past them!

 

Let's be honest, putting things off is something we're all good at, especially when it comes to taking care of ourselves.  So here are some things that "help" us justify putting tasks off.  Do any of these sound familiar?

 

  1. Distractions - Facebook anyone?  How about TV, surfing the web, playing games on your phone?  Some distractions start as minor attention grabbers, but too often suck you in and you look up hours later wondering where the time went.  Block out time in your schedule for the project and your "down time" and stick to the plan!

  2. It's too daunting.  – If your task or focus is too big, time consuming or overwhelming, break it down and tackle things head on, one step at a time. “Eat an elephant one bite at a time”

  3. I'm not sure how. –  "I'll figure it out later."  Later very rarely comes, until something bad happens or is about to happen.  Take a few minutes to research - find an expert who knows how to tackle the topic and copy them, ask someone if they've successfully navigated it before, read a book or two on the topic, delegate, hire a professional to help you.

  4. Perfectionism – Remember that on most things, little progress is still progress, and done is better than perfect.

  5. Unpleasant task – “I don’t love ____________”  Get creative.  Find ways to get the task done while still enjoying yourself.  Listen to your favorite music, Engage friends (coffee hikes anyone?), hire professionals that you connect with, make it a game where a little progress is better than none and take the pressure off of the big picture.  Break it down into manageable chunks.

  6. Accountability – I don’t have a boss in my personal training studio, and you don’t have a boss for your life.  We don’t get fired from life if we procrastinate a bit or skip a project.  We DO have other consequences though.  Health, sanity, friends & family relationships can all suffer when we don't take care of ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally.  Instead of negative accountability, or no accountability at all, choose to take some positive steps and grab a buddy!

  7. Fear – Fear of the unknown, fear of success - being “that guy” who always talks about ________________, fear of losing yourself in the process, fear of having to give up everything you love, fear of failing yet again on the weight loss roller coaster.

When it comes down to it, there's usually a couple of areas you can adjust to set yourself up for success.   Get a *good* plan.  The right plan of attack, that's set up just for you, can help you tackle that goal in manageable steps, once and for all!  And while you're getting a plan, make sure you have some accountability - schedule the work out in your calendar and find someone to check in with you so you'll be more likely to stick to it!

Life is very rarely a straight line trajectory to a specific goal.  Through the ups and downs, times of doubt and distraction, urgent needs and battles with yourself and the world around you, the right person to put in your corner can help fight with you to help ensure success.

If something in this post hit home, or you know of someone who could use it, please like and share to pay it forward.   If you are procrastinating with your health and fitness, I'd love to chat.  At our personal training studio, we specialize in supporting our clients and the community in their journey of health and wellness by creating a customized plan, walking alongside them in their journey and supporting them along the way .  Our consultations are focused around you and your needs, and there's no pressure to buy "yet another program that won't work".  Schedule a time to talk here.

 

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