“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst” – William Penn
No truer words have ever been spoken. Sometimes I shudder at how much time I waste “thinking about what I should be doing”. God is so fair in that he gives us all the same 24 hours each day. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, rich or poor, male or female…we all have the same amount of time every single day. The difference of course is what we choose to do with it.
Some of us complain it away. Some of us plan it to the tee. Some of us manage it well, while others squander it away. Where do you fall when it comes to making time to workout? Notice I didn’t say “finding time to workout”, because there’s no such thing. You have to make it!
So, how do you spend your time? Do you find yourself saying “I don’t have time to exercise”, or “losing weight takes so much time”, or “I never have time to do the things I want to do for me”? I’ve been guilty of thinking and saying all of the above and then some. But the bottom line is this. You and I both have time to workout, we have just chosen to put other things in place of it because somewhere along the line we’ve lost sight of our “why”.
I hope I’m not the only who wants to put myself back at the top of my “to-do” list and better learn how to budget my time so that the things that matter most will get accomplished. Here are just a few tips that I am finding helpful in disciplining my time to workout and take care of myself:
Learn to think differently about your exercise time – Look at it as “your time”, because it is. This is YOUR time to take care of yourself. This is YOUR time to do something good for YOU. This is YOUR time to do something fantastic for YOUR body. This is YOUR time to decompress, think clearly and maybe even find some answers to those burning questions that have been swirling around in your head. No matter how you look at it, time spent working out is always time WELL SPENT!
Budget your time like you budget your money – now for those of us who are challenged in this area, this could require some planning. But planning is good and very necessary to the weight loss process. Look at your week to determine what you have scheduled. Look to see where exercise can fit in. For example, if you have an early morning meeting on Tuesday, then working out in the evening would probably work better for you. The idea here is to get it in where you can fit it in…just so long as you get it in.
Establish a routine until it becomes second nature – routines are good. They help you to manage your time better. Routines eliminate the need to have to “think” about it or “wonder” if you’re gonna do it. Once they are established it takes the guess work out of the equation and sets the ball in motion for good habits to be formed.
Guard your time with your life – this is one I take very seriously. It seems everyone has an idea about what you “should” be doing with your time. Write this down: I will not let anyone “should” on me. The only thing you “should” do is that which YOU have decided to do with your time and hopefully that includes working out
Your Turn To Share
How do you discipline your time? What things do you hold sacred? Is exercise one of them?
Dominique Goh says
I’m still procastinating a lot about time spend on exercise. I need to schedule more time for it but without an accountability partner it has been quite difficult.
Dominique Goh recently posted…Writer’s Workshop: Lesson Learned Through the Years
Stacey Strickler says
Hi Dominique! Thanks for stopping by :-). Having an accountability partner would definitely help. I hope you can find one. Make sure you join forces with one who will gently push you especially on those days when you don’t “feel like it”. I have one and she does not let me get away with excuses. I can’t thank her enough. Good luck!
Holly Higbee-Jansen says
All of what you said is so true. You do need to schedule time for yourself, to take care of yourself and pamper yourself. If you don’t, you will definitely pay the price. Thanks!
Stacey Strickler says
Hi Holly! Thanks for joining the conversation. You’re right about paying the price if we neglect our own self-care. I think I’m going to take my own advice and schedule a much needed pampering session at the spa. Hope you’ll do the same.
Julie - One Lucky Mama says
So true. We spend time on what we value. Taking care of our bodies is something we need to make a real “value.” Love your cover photo by the way.
Julie – One Lucky Mama recently posted…When Breastfeeding is Hard – How to Make it Work
Stacey Strickler says
Hi Julie! Thanks for stopping by! You’re so right, we do spend time on those things that we value. I’m making the commitment to value my body now so it will not fail me later. I’m glad you joined the conversation…and thanks so much, it’s one of my favorite photo’s