Here’s a little secret regarding our relationship to time & how to start owning it….
Today, I want to talk about the phrase, “I don’t have time to exercise.” This is just AN EXCUSE & a “little white LIE” that we use as a cop out. We’ve all used it or some form of it like, “I’m just SO busy,” at one time or another. However, it keeps us playing the victim against time, and most people let us off the hook when we use it. In actuality, it is just a polite way of saying, “I don’t want to do that right now.”
We have to consider that we get done what we put an importance on everyday. However, what is important to you and me is sometimes very different, and that’s okay. We all have different goals, priorities, and dreams. But, I will tell you that what we feel is really important, we MAKE the time to get it done.
Time is a treasure. The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away….Time properly invested is worth a fortune; time wasted can be devestation. Time invested can perform miracles – so invest yours. – Jim Rohn
We ALL have the same amount of time everyday. When you DECIDE to make exercise or movement your intention, it happens! Now, I also understand emergencies do come up like, sick kid, parent, or spouse, get called into work unexpectedly, &/or accidents…But, let’s face it, these types of things don’t happen everyday. And when they do, obviously you might not get your exercise in or have your day go as planned, myself included.
How to Take Ownership of Our Time
Acknowledge When You’re Complaining About Time
As Gay Hendricks states in his book, “The Big Leap”, “Do whatever it takes to get yourself in harmony with the reality that you’re the source of time.” He then goes on to recommend to stop complaining about time. As you do this, you “cease perpetuating the destructive myth that time is the persecutor and you are its victim.”
The next time you catch yourself saying, “I don’t have time to exercise, or I just can’t seem to find the time to exercise.” I want you to replace it with, “I choose or chose not to workout today.” Or even, “I wasted time today, and didn’t get my workout in.” At least, we’re taking ownership of our actions and decisions.
Remember, there is no time! We are the source of time, and we MAKE the time to do the things we want to do. This also applies to using the phrase in general, “I don’t have the time to _________.” This same ownership of time could be applied to building a business or making the time to do the actions necessary to reach any goal, not just exercise.
Identify Time Wasters
The reason we feel like we run out of time or that there’s not enough time and feel stressed is because we’re not aware of how much time we are wasting. Here’s some common time wasters that I find myself and others doing. I’m not saying there’s not a place for these in our lives, but if we’re not getting what we truly want accomplished, it’s a great place to evaluate how much time is spent on these activities.
- Scrolling through Facebook and Stalking People (totally guilty btw..?)
- Watching TV or Movies
- Gossiping via phone or in person
- Checking Email Constantly
- Online Shopping or Store Shopping
- Cleaning
Shorten the Daily To-Do List
I’d recommend identifying 3 things each day that you would like to accomplish that are going to get you CLOSER to the goals and outcomes that you want to achieve, and doing those first. If there’s time left over, then time waste away or hit the other less important stuff on the To-Do list.
For example, I always strive to do some type of movement, meditation/visualization/reading, and business related tasks every day. If there’s time after I’ve finished those, than I think about watching movies, washing dishes, or dusting something.
Let’s face it, everyone will survive if something doesn’t get cleaned one day. But I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile if I don’t move, meditate, and add some type of value to the people that I reach with my business each day. Your top three things will be different than mine because you might have different goals or priorities, and that’s totally okay. I just want you to be aware of your top 3!
So, do you think you’re ready to start OWNING your TIME? No matter your goal, I just want to get you thinking about your relationship with time and how it is affecting the consistency of your workouts, business or career goals, &/or the relationships that matter most to you!
With that being said, you don’t have to let TIME be the excuse to not get a workout in! If you need some Time-Efficient workout ideas, check out my girl Jen Sinkler’s, Lift Weights Faster Program. I’ve been loving it! There’s over 180 metabolic conditioning routines in this program ranging in time from 5 – 30 minutes. Check it out & purchase HERE!
Plus, when you purchase LWF, I’m going to send you a copy of my Lean Eating Guide , a 4-week workout schedule of my favorite LWF workouts to help get you started on the right foot, and a video to show you how to get started with your new program.
Thanks for stopping by,
Tommie
A great idea to make your workouts excuse free is to lay out workout clothing the night before. Don’t lay out your regular clothing. Right when you get up, put them on, put your shoes on and go to your favorite workout activity .Set the timer for the amount of time you can workout and just do it.
Another idea is to manage the clean time is to follow fly lady and dedicate 15 minutes per day in one room. I’ve found it effective by setting a timer to tasks that you don’t want to spend too much time on, but it’s necessary.
Time management is valuable and if we all used it during the day, we can fit in more in a day and not be so stressed. Journaling and keeping track of what comes tomorrow will help you stay on track too.
Thanks for sharing these great ideas. I agree that setting a timer could benefit many of us, even myself. I’m really big on making a TO-DO list with only 3-5 things on it every morning. Then, I just focus on those top 3-5 things. All of these things you mentioned, really help with our FOCUS!