HW: #MondayMotivation – Prevention, not treatment is the way to go.

Much of our lives revolves around treatment.

We get sick, so we rush to the drug store to get some flue medication.

We get overweight, we rush to the gym.

We experience burn out, we consider changing careers.

Treatment.

Not prevention.

Why is that?

 

The weather has turned! (I knock on wood.)

The days are significantly warmer, the sun is out more often, and the days are longer.

All this is music to my ears.

Even though I have not done anything just yet, I am already making plans on how to restart my outdoor activities. My first priority (and the easiest to achieve) is biking.

Is it warmer where you live?

Did you notice the day being longer?

Do you plan on taking advantage of the above?

Whenever I discuss my plans, consisting of a new habit, with people around me, they ask: “Why?” They follow up with something along the lines of “you do not need it”. No, I am not diagnoses with any major illnesses, no, I do not aim to become one big muscle, no, I do not need to lose weight.

My answer is: “I just want to do it. For me. I like doing what makes me feel good.” If, as a byproduct, I become healthier (or anything else), I see that as an ADDED bonus.

In this post I focus on physical activities, because that is what is on my mind at this point in time. But that can be translated into ANY field of life.

Take blogging for example.

If you have been at it for longer than a day, or two, you should know that it is not all sunshine and rainbows in here. (If you do not know that, then, take a needle and pierce through your bubble. Trust me, once you are higher and the bubble bursts, the fall will be that much harder.) As bloggers, we are faced with a myriad of different obstacles. I know that firsthand. (If you have not read my post on the most common trials of being a blogger and some of the easiest solutions, you should open THIS link right now in a new window and read it as soon as you are done with this post.) The thing is that when it rains, it pours. Or bad luck comes in threes. In other words, it can be a domino effect. Or a snowball – turn avalanche effect.

My point is, that it is often too late when we hit a roadblock. I am tired. I do not have an idea for a post. I do not have the mental capacity to create anything original. I do not even have the time to sit down and try to type. And so I skip a post. No one will hold me accountable (but I sure will). For a moment I break “free”. And then another day rolls around, and I think to myself: “I already missed one post. This week is messed up. Let me skip this post and I can start anew next week.” And so the cycle continues.

This might not be you, but I am sure you can find something in your (blogging) life that you can compare this to.

Are you doing anything preventative in your life here in the world of blogging, and/ or in the outside one? Do you mind sharing?

Are you currently treating something, wishing you would have put more time into preventing it in the first place? If so, please share your lesson with us. 

Pre-scheduling has never been my cup of tea. Since I am a spontaneous person, I wanted my blog posts to be impromptu. But I did not want to post 7 posts a day, and then nothing for a month. So I came up with a rough draft of a schedule in my head. Then, I would have to sit down and write the post right before it was “due”. The deadlines were imposed by me and for me. No one else. It did curb my spontaneity, but I thought that having such minute limitation was worth it. It would motivate me to write, which was (and still is) my main goal for this blog. Unfortunately, sometimes that plan would backfire, because I would rebel against all the pressure I felt (subconscious and imposed by myself). Or I just would not have the time, or motivation.

However, with the start of February, I have decided to post VERY systematically. I called it a soft opening. There were no announcements, in case I failed. It is still early stages, and I already had doubts, but it HAS been working so far. By making a strict schedule ahead of time (when which post category will be published), I have the freedom to write it as inspiration strikes. That way it is still spontaneous for me, but more structured for you. Doing so prevents me from stressing over a post the very day it is meant to go live.

Prevention. Not treatment.

I realize we are all short on time, but I do think that good health and lack of stress are things worth working on.

Today, I would motivate you, URGE you, to take a look at your life and see if there is something that you can work on improving, before the poop hits the fan.

Stay golden,

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