Welcome to Wednesday Word, a weekly linkup for everyone, not just health and fitness bloggers. Each Wednesday you will have a single word prompt to write about. Let your imagination run free and share with your readers your interpretation of that word, or simply use it as inspiration for your post. Today’s word is procrastinate….. I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.
Procrastinate – to be slow or late about doing something
that should be done;
to delay doing something until a later time
because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.
~ Merriam-Webster
I really meant to write this post a couple of days ago, but kept putting it off… 😉
Procrastination – so easy, yet so risky.
Every time we procrastinate, we risk running out of time, we risk something else more pressing coming up, and we risk missing a deadline. Yet over and over again, we let it happen.
Why do we let it happen? We find things more interesting to do… We don’t have our hearts in the project at hand… Because we can…
Or can we?
When it comes to training for a race, we can’t procrastinate. Successfully running a race requires setting up a training plan and completing the required work week after week. Anyone waiting until the last minute to train will find themselves suffering on race day.
Successfully completing a race cycle requires carefully planning out each weekend with our longer training run in mind. We have to remember that our runs (and rest afterward) might interfere with time we need for projects around the house, so it becomes even more important that we stay focused on what needs to be done.
We can’t put off making our menu or going to the grocery store to shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy meals to make to fuel us during our training. And as important as what we put in our bodies, we have to be timely in buying what we’ll put on our bodies. Waiting until the last minute to pick out the perfect running shoe won’t give us enough time to break them in properly.
I can be guilty of procrastinating, but when I have a plan of attack, I’m much less likely to put things off. Give my tips a try and let me know what you think!
Tips to avoid procrastinating:
- Make to do lists
- Schedule projects into time slots your calendar
- Pick one project you dread doing and give yourself a deadline
- Break overwhelming projects into smaller tasks
- Alternate fun and boring tasks
- Reward yourself for completing a difficult task
- Limit time on social media (close those tabs so you’re not tempted)
- To borrow a phrase from Nike, “Just Do It,” just buckle down and do it
So get going, stop procrastinating, and get your stuff done; but first, you might want to watch this fun video I just found!
When are you most likely to procrastinate?
Grab My Button!
Next Wednesday’s Word: Lost
Housecleaning, because I don’t enjoy it. Sometimes calling people.
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Never put off til tomorrow . . .
Calling people – that’s a good one that I wouldn’t have thought of, but is probably one of my top things I procrastinate on.
nice tips, especially limiting sm and keeping just one tab open! Love the red hot chili peppers reference! For me packing for a trip…I always wait until the last possible minute!
Lauren recently posted…Why Procrastination Kills a Long Run
Same here! I despise packing and for a good reason, but it’s a very long story…
I notice that the thing I procrastinate in doing the most is writing my column. It’s not because I don’t enjoy doing it though. I think it’s because i’m always afraid it won’t be good enough.
And yet when you finally finish your column, you’re probably look at it and think, “That turned out great.”
I’m the biggest procrastinator and I don’t know why! I guess I need a sense of urgency before I can get things done.
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Sh** or Get Off of the Portapotty
I’m the same way – there’s nothing like a sense of urgency to light a fire under me!
I was going to say housework but Judy’s comment reminded me that I am worst (best?) at procrastinating making phone calls, especially to make appointments. That’s actually on my to-do list today.
Coco recently posted…Procrastinating Versus Prioritizing
I agree. I wouldn’t have thought of that, but I don’t like talking on the phone, making appointments, etc. and having those types of things looming over my head turns me into a huge procrastinator. Hope you got your appointments made!
I think procrastination is universal! It’s always been a challenge for me, especially for any tasks that I’m a little afraid of.
But I also wanted to comment on your link — did you know that Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is a runner? His interview with Runner’s World is just great — his thoughts on running are really beautiful: http://www.runnersworld.com/celebrity-runners/im-a-runner-flea
Great choice for a Wednesday Word!
Yes, I love that Flea ran a marathon! I thought it was funny that Flea never listens to music when he runs, and it was the Red Hot Chili Peppers that got me through the DC North Face Endurance Marathon. 😀
Haha! love the video!
I am terrible at procrastinating!
I think I have tried every suggestion on your list but yet….still procrastinate…uuugh!.
As I procrastinate from writing today’s blog post, I found your comment from two weeks ago in my comments trash folder!
Deb Runs recently posted…Bucket List Adventures For The Great Outdoors
I think today’s word has really helped some people realize what’s going on with their training and/or life stuff!
And by “some people”, I mean me.
😛
HaHa – you’re welcome! 😀
Well I really need to clean out my garage and my son’s closet. Those are the things I procrastinate on!
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Skirting Around Boulder-Skirt Sports Retreat
Here’s to getting both projects done! I can add cleaning out my closet to the list of things I’m procrastinating on…
I’m really bad about using running to procrastinate other things I don’t want to do (like taxes, dishes, etc.). But there are also times that I will procrastinate a run, and it almost always ends up in me either skipping the run entirely or shortening it. That happens most when I’m without a training plan. Like you pointed out, having a training plan in place keeps the procrastination at bay. I think that’s primarily because it helps you/forces you to plan in advance to make it all work and also reminds you where your priorities (need to) lie for the time being.
Meagan recently posted…From Road Marathon to Trail 50K
I do well simply because I get up and meet friends for most of my runs. I would not have such a good record if I tried to fit my runs in after word. Kudos to you for being able to do that so well!