We have hit the 6-month mark – can you believe it’s June already? Typically this is a time for us to reassess our goals, and kick procrastination to the curb. Being winter in Australia most of us start with the best of intentions and make promises such as ‘I will exercise all through winter’, ‘I will not succumb to indulgent foods’ and ‘I will be my best, healthiest self’. These promises sound all well and good, however the calling of fluffy duvets, snuggly pillows and morning milos are far too enticing. I mean c’mon, nothing beats a good ol’ fashioned warm and snuggly sleep in on those chilly mornings. Well, I am proud to say that while it has tried to play a lead role, it’s finally becoming a very rare event in my world. Why? Because I have learnt to take hold of procrastination and kick it to the curb.
This has been a massive feat for me, which is why for this Monday Motivation I am sharing my top 3 tips for beating procrastination – for good!
1. Keeping motivated by setting goals
Making sure I plan my week in advance by prepping my meals, making a to-do list (nothing feels better then ticking things off), committing to a training regime and promising myself that when my alarm goes off, I am not allowed to press ‘snooze’!!! Some helpful tips are, writing little memos on your alarm title to motivate you that little bit more.
I also like to play a little mental mind game by setting my clock 10 minutes earlier; this ensures I am always on time and never behind schedule!
2. Have A Sporty Sister / Brother Support System
Working out with a mate makes exercise time fly, is super fun and makes you accountable to show up!! I make sure I designate “Bootcamp” training, running and walk dates with friends at the start of the week so procrastination doesn’t stand a chance. I find that doing this makes exercise become a healthy habit rather than a burden, plus I am eager to wake up (despite the icy temperatures) knowing that I will be spending time with my girlfriends while moving and lovingly whipping our bodies into shape. We also make it worth our while by not being afraid to reward ourselves once our workout is done. Whether that be treating ourselves to a delicious porridge and a green smoothie at our favourite café, or taking turns to make each other breakfast at home. Whatever it may be, we create exciting rituals that make working out a fun lifestyle choice – never a chore.
3. Control the mind
Last but not least, I keep my thought-life under reign because nothing encourages procrastination more than allowing mental games to rule my productivity. I often will speak words of positivity to myself so that negativity won’t have a place to fester (I like to find cute and visually inspiring quotes on Pinterest to print out). The most effective tool in doing this has been through finding encouraging quotes and words of wisdom to surround myself with, so that when I wake up in the morning, or go to bed at night, I can fill myself with truthful thoughts that motivate me for the day ahead, or affirm what I have achieved that day.
I have said it before but I will say it again, I find that when I fall into procrastination traps, it is usually because I have aimed for “perfection”, and have lost sight of “progression” as my goal. We all know that perfection is seemingly unattainable but what helps to truly shut down this stubborn and selfish desire is knowing that perfection is only momentary bliss. There will always be something more to strive for. That is why accepting this fact constantly reminds me to be content in the now, and always be focused on the bigger picture.
If you are in need of some encouragement to push out procrastination for good, seek satisfaction in doing the little things every day that will make a big impact. Don’t let procrastination hinder your potential, just chisel away bit by bit by setting your own personal short-term and long-term goals, flanking yourself with like-minded sporty sisters and remembering not to be too hard on yourself. Soon enough you will get to where you want to be.
Don’t let procrastination get the better of you this winter.
It is all about progression not perfection after-all.
You can do it!