Ha! Isn't it funny how, even as adults, we're still childlike in many ways?
I am such a procrastinator. Work, school, house work, you name it, if I can put it off, I often will. What helps me is focusing on how I'll feel AFTER it's done. (And where exercise is concerned, DURING the activity I feel great too.) No, I don't want to work on this project, but I'll be so relieved when it's finished. Okay, Katie, just get it done. No, I don't want to do this paper now. I have two weeks! But if I do it now, I can revise it as needed in those two weeks and not stress about how I have this giant paper to write every day until I get it done.
Too, so many of the things we put off take up a small part of our day. For instance, where housework is concerned, most chores don't take longer than 30 minutes max. And when it comes to tidying up, it's much less time than that. (For us anyway but we're childless.) I tell myself if something takes less than 5 minutes, I need to just do it. Because if I put it off and put it off, it's only going to pile up into a chore that will take 30 minutes instead of 5. Get it done now, avoid the hassle later.
With exercise, I think it's all about creating a routine. Once you have the routine down and keep at it for a couple weeks, it becomes easier to make yourself go. For me, this meant going to the gym every day after work. I made it a habit, and now it's easy to do. If I don't feel like going (need a nap, need to eat, etc.), I'll go home to take care of the things that need to be done, but then I go by 7 p.m. All I have to do is look in the mirror, see the improvements that have come about so quickly through exercise and dietary changes, and you don't have to tell me twice to get moving. I want these changes to stick around, so I'm going to do my part to make sure they do. Now that it's a habit, it's not something I have to make myself do. It's just something I know I'll be doing every day, same as going to work or eating. It's gotta happen.