On Procrastination

...I'm sure we can all relate with this guy:



Especially when it comes to starting a new habit or practice, we always think that we'll have time for it later or tomorrow.

I know I used to have 2 things working against me: procrastination and the fact that I can be very OC. I always wanted to have the perfect practice and I wanted to have the habit of practicing 6 days a week, as my teacher said I should. This meant that I needed to have an empty stomach, a quiet practice space, a full 1.5-2 hours of uninterrupted me time, the discipline to actually get onto my mat...and I needed to be able to do all this a full 6 days a week or it wouldn't be worth it.

Believe me, that is so not the case. I tried it and was completely overwhelmed. Yes, it would be great to do all the above, but unless you've got superhero powers of time and mind control, all that probably won't be happening anytime soon. Instead, take baby steps. Try 10 minutes of practice 3 times a week in addition to your weekly class. When You've gotten the hang of that, move it up to 4 then 5 then 6 times a week. After that, start adding onto the duration of your practice. Move it to 15, 20, then 30 minutes.

And about the procrastination? Doing yoga first thing in the morning actually gives you more energy throughout the day to get your "stuff" done. Plus the early hours are usually quieter and you'll have less chances of being disturbed. The dirty desk, squeaky chair and groceries can wait a while. There's really no shortcut to this one other than being aware of when you're procrastinating and telling yourself to buckle down and get going.

So in short, take it 1 step at a time. Remember, you have the rest of your life to develop your practice. Just start it today so you can be sure that you do have the time to develop it.

Let me know if this was helpful!