During this busy season, as I’m preparing for my children to go back to school and enjoying the end of the summer filled with family fun and last minute activities, I find myself preparing for my fall schedule with excitement and glee. However, as I recently read on Facebook, it’s not really back to school, it’s forward toward the future! With all this hubbub my exercise commitment has been sliding just a bit. The excuses “not enough time” and “I’m too busy” can become easy phrases to latch on to.
While there is an ounce of truth to that statement, the good news is WE have the choice to control our time. As life gets busy, we may think we are spending our precious time on the important things in life we value. However, the truth is, most of us get so busy in our lives we just react to whatever life throws our way, rather than pausing to ask ourselves, “Does this serve one of my core values?” Although you may answer no, chances are you continue to do the very things that are draining your precious energy and wasting the rapidly waning minutes of your day.
So, how about enough with the “Not enough time” excuse and on to 3 ways to overcome it!
Some of the things I hear most are: “There just isn’t enough time,” “I have to take my kids somewhere,” “I have meetings,” or “I have to help with this first then…” Beneath these complaints and procrastinations are very real truths, otherwise we wouldn’t say them! We all want to be healthy and feel sensual knowing we take care of ourselves, and none of us want to purposely sabotage our efforts to attain these goals. Luckily, time management is about SELF CONTROL and a thoughtful approach to the obstacles that come up in our daily lives.
First, instead of setting a goal that you want to get in shape, decide where you want to be in 3 or 6 months from now. What would that look like? How do you want to be? Examples of this may be:
• I want to walk up the stairs without being out of breath and have an extra spring in my step.
• I want to have more energy to play with my children outside instead of being so tired that I plop down in front of the TV.
• I want to be the mom that feels comfortable and confident in a bathing suit and stop wondering what other people are thinking of me.
• I want to slip into my favorite pair of jeans with ease, feeling sexy in them no matter what the size!
In making these commitments, you choose to be compassionate to yourself and make the best choice that honors not just you, but your dreams and your family.
Now, as you know, “life” happens and things WILL come up to challenge you. This is your time to shine and RE-DIRECT yourself to keep your commitment. You can do this by building some form of accountability into your plan. For example:
• Have a backup plan to deal with things like an unexpected appointment, a sick child, or a deadline at work. Plan to do your exercise program at home, do only a 10-minute circuit, the 10-minute minimum Kettle Ball workout, stretch, or do yoga. Make sure it is something that you can do anywhere and helps you keep consistent with what you are striving for.
• Track your workouts on paper, the computer, or anywhere that keeps it in the front of your mind. If you notice you missed a couple workouts, check-in and review the reason. This will help you notice patterns.
Tracking and building “troubleshooting” into your plan like this really does work! Samantha shared that tracking her workouts helped her realize that she not only slowed down during her menstrual cycle, she sometimes didn’t even workout at all! Like many of us during that week, Samantha found that since she was tired and often got headaches, it was hard to find the “time and energy” to workout. Once she got into the familiar territory of NOT exercising during this time, it became harder and harder to keep her commitment to exercise. Something as simple as journaling short comments into her exercise log and then stopping to review has helped her realize she must continue to exercise but choose less strenuous activities. She now chooses yoga, mild walks, and only 1-2 strength training exercises for the week. She has kept her momentum, re-directed her efforts, and does not have that start-stop feeling. Her body, mind, and soul are recognizing a NEW familiarity to her being.
So, during this busy back-to-school season, pay close attention to the obstacle patterns in your life, make a commitment to yourself that honors you, and re-direct yourself when you get off course. Also, one more tip if I may? Choose to call on your inner COACH rather than your inner CRITIC when helping yourself along this journey. It is a process that continues to evolve. There is no finish line, only a journey that can be made so much richer by your efforts!
To helping you become your VERY BEST SELF,
Amy
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