Procrastination – The Painful Truth

Why do individuals procrastinate doing something about their health before it is too late? Does physical pain or a scare have to drive some to the tipping point of taking action?

How many overweight people do you see every day in public? How many people do you see eating at fast food restaurants? How many people continue to eat poorly despite the fact that they feel uncomfortable in their clothing? How many cars wait in line at the fast-food drive thru because some people didn’t take the time to pack a good, healthy lunch?

How many people drive motorized scooters around stores or town fairs as they tip the scales over 50 pounds of their ideal weight? When physical activity will improve their quality of life and health, they decide to compensate with a device that inhibits the very activity that will help them: walking.
How many people do you hear complain of low back pain, but continue to sit for long periods of time, avoid stretching, and fail to exercise? I see and hear every day. What do athletes do when they have an injury?… Retire?….No, they exercise and strengthen their injury!

So at what point does the unhealthy person take action and do something to positively impact their health? In my experience, I have seen many clients procrastinate until it “hit” them to take action. Is it pain that they feel that warrants their initiative? Why do they procrastinate? Procrastinators sabotage themselves. They put obstacles in their own path. They actually choose paths that hurt their performance. I did some research on procrastination and this is what I found:

Procrastinators are made not born. Procrastination is learned in the family social setting, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style.

Procrastinators tell lies to themselves. Such as, “I’ll feel more like doing this tomorrow.” Or “I work best under pressure.” But in fact they do not get the urge the next day or work best under pressure.

“Your future is determined by what you do today, not by what you do tomorrow!”

Procrastinators actively look for distractions. Particularly ones that don’t take a lot of commitment on their part. Liquid diets, fasts, fad workouts, or any other “get rich quick schemes”.

Does this sound like you or someone you know?

Many of our potential clients wait to make a drastic change in their lives. Unhealthy individuals wait until drastic repercussions develop from their sedentary lifestyle and poor healthy behaviors. It is not until “pain” is experienced that action is taken. This pain can be emotional stemming from a childhood episode related to a food relationship, social acceptance, or embarrassment that is re-hatched in adulthood. Or this pain can bear physical repercussions such as suffering the risk of diabetes, stroke, cardio-respiratory failure, angina, or other endocrinology disorders that make a person come to the conclusion that they need to take action.

Back to my original question….when are you ready to make a change in your life? When there is pain?

My message: stop waiting. Get off the scooter and stop accepting you have a problem. Find a solution to the problem before the real onslaught of pain (family loss, death, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, or depression) take hold. Make time to be healthy now, or make time to be sick later.