We’ve all been there.
“The day got away from me.”
“There’s just not enough time in the day”.
“I’ve been so busy.”
These days happen, yet our goal is to have them less and less, and eventually, even on “busy” days (or more full days, as we like to call them), to have time set aside for the things most important to us. Here are our top 3 tips to making time for YOU – AKA the things that fill your cup and lead to your desired short and longterm goals.
1. Use your schedule. “What get’s scheduled gets done.” And we are NOT talking about scheduling in MORE, we’re talking less. Yes, still schedule in your daily movement, and transport time, and also schedule in transition time so if things “go awry”, you have wiggle room without feeling behind or rushed. This means you’re likely going to need to say NO to things that fill up your day and lead to the “go go go” and feeling rushed. What do you really need and want to get done each day (think 1-3 things), and then what can wait, be delegated, or not done at all?
2. Make your daily “non-negotiables” simple AND have a back up plan. So instead of expecting to go to an hour long workout 5 days a week where you have to drive to and from the gym (totaling at least 2 hours), have a go-to that can be done even if you don’t have the time to go to the gym or do something with fancy equipment. For example, have a 15 minute go-to bodyweight workout. That could be a light jog, 4 rounds of air squats, push ups, lunges and planks, or a Youtube yoga session. This works on the food side of things too! If you ran out of time to prepare a meal, have a back up meal in the freezer such as sausages or chili, or, fry up some eggs and pair with some avocado, berries or no prep veggies (sauerkraut, carrots, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, etc.). Prioritize protein and then keep it simple from there!
3. Set better boundaries with yourself, work, and friends. If you tend to be a people pleaser and often say YES to too many things, implement this habit… Whenever someone asks you to do something or for a favor that will take you longer than 5 minutes, pause, and respond like this, “I’ll check my schedule and get back to you shortly.” This gives you a buffer time to breathe, think about it and actually look at your schedule to see if its something you want to do and can do. Remember, when you say YES to someone else, you’re saying NO to you (or something else you likely had planned).
So there you go, 3 great starts to making more time for you, so you can feel better, live happier. And if you are doing these things, yet find it hard to get up in the first place so you can do what’s first on the schedule, then start with getting a consistent bedtime. Prioritize that for a few weeks, and then get to the above tips.
These things take practice. So start being brave and bold, sit down for 10 minutes right now to get things on your schedule, and get the reps in so you can start feeling the weight be lifted!
