Jan. 11--A flurry of fitness goals can accompany the beginning of the year.
But the first step is taking that first step. To the treadmill, to the gym, whatever it might be.
Why is it so easy to put it off?
Renate Reimann has advice on overcoming the overwhelming temptation to procrastinate fitness goals.
Reimann, a life coach and author of "Beyond Procrastination: How to Stop Postponing Your Life," says one simple way to stop procrastination is to incorporate things into everyday life that trigger some action.
For example, she said, "Put your workout shoes right next to the door -- anything that reminds you in a constant way of 'OK, I'm going to do this.'"
Place photos of yourself around the house that show you at a reachable weight or goal. Not necessarily ones from 20 years ago, but something that embodies how you would like to feel. "That's a great motivator," Reimann said.
Affirmations around the home can also help. Write them down and switch up their locations, she suggested, to keep them fresh.
"The mind, after a while, just gets used to them," she said. "By rotating them, it becomes fresh every time."
Telling a friend about your goal can also be productive.
"Ask them to hold you accountable," said the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Reimann. "Find people who share your goal and do it together."
Above all, leave behind the shame often associated with procrastination.
"You procrastinate, you feel ashamed and you feel guilty," she explained. "The more guilt we pile on top, the less energy there actually is to pursue a goal."
So forgive yourself, focus on your goal and take action.
"The guilt almost becomes a way to justify procrastination," she said. "If you really want to change, you have to get rid of that, because that's just an easy out."
The One Simple Thing series appears weekly, offering specific and small ways to improve health.
abowen@tribpub.com
