The Countless Excuses and Ways To Procrastinate
There seems to be some very rational excuses for not taking action that we use to convince ourselves that now is not the right time. This can pertain to starting an exercise program, job hunting, going back to school or even smaller projects such as cleaning out the garage.
What is common about making excuses is that there is a part of us that knows on some level that it is an excuse. When is the perfect time to do something?
Roger Babson said, ” Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present.”
H. Jackson Brown Jr stated, “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
Often once we start doing something it isn’t as bad as we dreaded and it actually is a relief from the anxiety we feel in putting it off. The things we postpone are still part of our awareness and they eat at us because we know we are in avoidance or distracting ourselves. Inaction actually can be very stressful.
When you think about it, is the time ever perfect for anything we do? When we make time for something it becomes part of our lives. For example , once you decide that you are going to exercise forty five minutes three times a week, you then pick a block of time on those three days that can work with your schedule.
When we are honest with ourselves, we know that we waste more than 45 minutes a day between tv, internet surfing and other activities that give us a breather. Write down at the end of the day for three days in a row what some time wasters are that you engaged in . This can be quite eye opening and you can see you have a little more extra time than you realized.
Of course, there are times when we truly should not add something new on our plate. Self-honesty is what can help us discriminate if our situation right now is one of those times or not. Also you can start slowly with something.
If you genuinely are pressed for time, then take an exercise class one time a week rather than three times a week. Once you see the benefits, you will want to increase your own practice sessions.
When we procrastinate, we don’t get a taste of the activity we are postponing…
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