Have you ever said “I don’t have time” when presented with an opportunity, task, change in life, new experience? I have. More times that I would like to realize. What this really comes down to is a convenient excuse. Straight up. That’s what it is.
Could be uses for your kids, spouse, going to spend time with someone, working out, trying something new – Pick a topic.
Let’s break this down and turn it around in your favor.
Since fitness and health are my expertise, let’s use this topic for our turnaround. One of the most common complaints I hear from people who are struggling to stay on track with their fitness goals is, “I don’t have time.” And that’s unequivocally not true. We all have time, it’s just a matter of how we spend it.
This goes back to two factors: 1) Time Management; and 2) Mindset.
Let’s tackle mindset first.
First, we need to acknowledge that most limiting beliefs aren’t true; they’re just a story we’ve told ourselves to justify not doing something we don’t want to do, and/or to make excuses for why we didn’t succeed in the pursuit of a goal. If we tell ourselves at the outset that we don’t have enough time to exercise and eat healthily, then we’ve established a limiting belief that is going to guide our actions (or inactions). And this sets your mind for not enough time.
So let’s fix this. The first thing we need to do is re-program our brain with a new decision. It’s always best to start small: “I believe that I have enough time to exercise 3 times a week and pack a healthy lunch to bring with me to work on the other 2 days.”
But that’s too simple Coach. I know it seems that way but it works. You must decide that you can do it and tell yourself continuously that you can, and take action!
Big tip here: It will still be challenging so if it doesn’t work exactly as you expect, do not just disregard and say “see coach was wrong, I knew it wouldn’t work.” — Trust me, it will – Don’t quit!!
Keep working at it and telling yourself you can and then follow with the actions. Get in a short workout, schedule a training session with me, take a walk, and just get started.
The second aspect is time management … or how we view time. If we never seem to have enough time to do the things we “have to do,” then maybe we should be doing fewer things or prioritize what we are doing every day. It’s also how we view the time that’s required for exercise.
1 – If you get home late from work and can’t get to the gym or do a full-blown home workout, do some squats and pushups for 10 minutes before dinner.
2– Here is one of my 4-minute no excuse workouts
3– If you’re working from home and have a big deadline, do walking lunges to and from the bathroom or kitchen when you take our breaks.
4– While you’re on a conference call, you could multitask by chopping and seasoning some veggies for dinner.
Looking at these options you can see there is time when you make it. And once you start it will become a habit. A lasting, easy to follow habit.
Wrapping it up, resetting your mindset and breaking your exercise and meal-prep into smaller, more manageable tasks is a great way to free up time that you thought you didn’t have. What’s the biggest obstacle standing in your way when it comes to making time for exercise and healthy eating?
