Making the Most of Your Time

You know it really is CRAZY just how many people I have tell me they "just don't have time" to workout or they wish "they had more time" and then they could workout. I would really like to be more sympathetic, but the truth is I really can't be. I know that may sound a little harsh, but when someone says this to me the first thought that goes through my mind is "you are telling me you don't have TIME for YOU!" WOW! You have decided that everything else in the world is far more important than YOU. Ok, maybe that is really not what you are intending to say - but it is how it just came across.

Truth of the matter is we all have the same 24 hours a day as everyone else on the planet. There is no possible way I could give you more hours in your day, or for that matter take any away from you. The thing I will do for you is show you how to plan. You need to know how to put "YOU" on the list.

1.  Start each day off by making a "to-do" list. List out the 10 most important tasks you would like to accomplish that day. Then number each item by relevance of importance.
2. Invest in one of those cute little inexpensive daily planners. I like the ones that have my days broken down in 15 minute increments.
3. The first thing I want you to put in your daily planner is your workout time. Block off at least 1-hour of uninterrupted time you can devote to working out (whether it's going for a jog, walk or hammering out one of those P90X routines...GET IT IN THE PLANNER). If you are going to a gym to workout, be sure you allow travel time to and from the gym. BONUS: If you are doing P90X or another home fitness program...you are already making more effective use of that precious time =). Statistics prove we are more likely to keep our appointments when we schedule them. So think of it like that important meeting or doctor's appointment you wouldn't want to miss. Then just as you would keep those appointments - commit to the one you just made for your fitness.
4. Next, take each of those important task you want to accomplish and schedule them in your planner. You will be surprised how much easier it is to fit something into your daily routine when you have it on paper. 

Your fitness really is an important part of making sure you are living the quality of life you deserve. So when you are making that appointment, try to schedule a time that will be both realistic and productive. If you are a morning person, plan to workout first thing after you get up. If you are more of a night owl, plan your workouts for the evening hours. All of us are different. Just be sure to find a time where you will be energized to give it your best effort.  Working out first thing in the mornings works best for me because then I know it will get done and don't have to worry about any other distractions taking away from my "me-time."

You may find that you run into the unexpected and sometimes all the things you wanted to get done don't happen on your "to-do" list. That's ok. Life is like that. We all have projects that take a little more time than we expected or something else comes up and you don't get to it. You haven't failed. As a matter of fact, you probably accomplished much more with your day had you not planned at all. Just carry it over to the next day's "to-do" list. The point is to try to schedule your day instead of leaving it all to chance. Successful people make good use of their time. They have a plan!

I'm really excited that my planning is starting to pay off. The other night after going for my jog when I came home to take a shower I noticed my back muscles are FINALLY starting to show! YAY me! So I had to grab the camera and take a quick photo. I have my 30-Day photos coming up on Monday. I can't wait to see the comparison. It truly is the best reward when you can actually see your efforts!

Keep bringing it!!!