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 healthy, then we’ve established a limiting belief that is going to guide our actions (or inactions).
So, 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.”
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.
It’s also how we view the time that’s required for exercise. If you get home late from work and don’t have time to do a full-blown home workout, do some squats and pushups for 10 minutes before dinner. 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. While you’re on a conference call, you could multitask by chopping and seasoning some veggies for dinner.
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? Shoot me a reply, I’d love to help you brainstorm some solutions.
Your friend and coach,
Paul F Sweatt CPT
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt