Confession time folks:
When I get busy the first thing I cut out is exercise.
For some reason I’m able to completely rationalize not going for my afternoon run when I get stressed or overwhelmed. When I fall behind on schoolwork or start slacking on blog posts, I skip the workout and hunker down in front of my laptop instead. “Once my business is where I want it to be, then I’ll run everyday” I think. But of course this is nonsense.
First of all, it’s that kind of if-then thinking that gets us in trouble. ‘When I lose 5 pounds, then I’ll be happy.’ But by the time you lose those pounds you’re chasing down another happiness goal and then you hop right back on that happiness treadmill. So of course by putting my exercise off to a more favorable time when I’ll be less busy, I’m setting myself up for complete workout failure.
But more importantly, me exercising is crucial to my personal and professional success. I need to exercise in order to continue kicking ass and taking names. When I run, I feel strong and confident and powerful. When I get finished with a good bike ride, I feel completely unstoppable. My mind is clear and the ideas start flowing – I often come up with new blog post concepts and product ideas while I’m doing something that gets my heart pumping. Ironically, I’m avoiding doing the thing that is absolutely necessary in order for me to thrive. Putting off my afternoon run is actually detrimental to my business.
So my challenge to myself – and to you – is to hold on dearly to the things that help me feel more confident and powerful. I’m going to schedule exercise into my week and defend that time fiercely.
Do you find yourself doing the same thing? What are you putting off that is actually good for you? Is there something that makes you feel unstoppable that you keep procrastinating on?
Let’s hear about it down in the comments!
