5 Surprising Ways to Make Sure You Always Have Time to Workout

…or do anything else for that matter.

Since I can’t give you more hours in the day or help you clone yourself (top two things people swear would help them accomplish more), today I’m going to do the next best thing: readjust your thinking about time and help you eliminate the excuses you make for not having enough of it.

Rule #1: You always have enough time.

And if you don’t believe me, listen to Goethe (fairly intelligent individual, right?)

One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If I were you, I’d print this blog out and hang it on the fridge. These 5 surprising ways to make sure you always have time to workout help me stay tight all year round.

**Disclaimer: Many of these strategies are easy for me to say and do as a young single woman with no kids, no roommates and no family to support. However, I teach these strategies to clients who are in relationships, have families, run businesses and even some single moms and they figure out ways to make it work, so hang in there with me. You can do this.

1. Immediately eliminate these two phrases from your vernacular:

I don’t have time

I didn’t have time

From now on you will acknowledge that you have the time, it’s just a matter of making the time. This small shift is huge. It takes you from victim “booo, wahhhh…I don’t have enough time.” To being in complete control “I didn’t make the time to do that.”

Too many of you let your schedule manage you instead of the other way around. Today we stop doing that.

2. Recognize the “time sucks” in your life and avoid, avoid, avoid!

I love urbandictionary.com, they had the perfect definition for a time suck ready and waiting:

Facebook is a great example, others include:

TV marathons of anything on Bravo, The Food Network, E!, MTV or etc.

People who can never have a quick conversation (and/or are magnets for drama which can only be relayed in very lengthy versions of painful stories)

If you’re a business owner, blogger or other provider of content or information-people who want free advice. I’m all about helping people out, but certainly do not have the time to read encyclopedia length emails filled with questions that are answered all over my blog or that are totally “google-able.”

Couple tips to avoid time sucks:

Limit your exposure to these people, places or things (yes, this means saying “no” once in a while…or often)

Set boundaries for yourself: “I won’t watch TV/go on FB/check my email between the hours of x and x” or better yet-get rid of your TV. I did this when I moved to NYC, there is a direct correlation between my productivity and even income and making this decision.

Have an exit strategy. This works really well in social situations and conversations. Let people know when you arrive or begin that you only have “x# of minutes” or that you have an appointment at x o’clock so you don’t find yourself sitting there thinking “how the hell am I going to get out of here???!”

3. Prioritize what’s really important to you.

Consider the ROI on what you put your time and energy into. Let’s use an example. Say you plan to workout Sunday morning and have a productive day, do laundry, clean your house, etc. Then someone calls and asks you to:

a. single person example: “Let’s go to brunch”

b. family example “Let’s have a play date”

Either of these events may include snacks or meals that aren’t healthy, not working out and they probably last longer than you anticipate (since they always do). Then you get home to your not-clean space, with laundry to do, low on energy if you ate badly and didn’t workout, so now you’re totally behind the eight ball and that’s how you’re going into Monday? Yikes.

From now on, you’re going to be a little bit smarter and choose to prioritize. You can either say no thanks, like I mentioned earlier OR in the case of brunch, invite your friends along for your workout and grab a smoothie after. Make sense?

If you want get and stay in shape, prioritizing where you spend your time and energy is enormously beneficial. All of your smart choices add up.

4. Ditch the excuses.

When people say, “that’s not an excuse, it’s a valid reason,” I always remember a question my old manager at Cutco used to ask “Would you rather have reasons or results?”

Grab a sheet of paper, I want you to write down every excuse you make any given day of the week for skipping a workout or eating badly. Every one. Be honest here, and don’t stop until you get them all out of your system. If it’s easier, just pop down and do this in the comments of this blog.
List. Them. All.

Then I want you to cross them out and write BULLSHIT across the page.

There’s another old quote (warning: it’s not classy at all) that a manager I worked with at Cutco used to say, “Excuses are like as*holes. Everybody has one and they all stink.”

I rest my case.

5. Choose YOU first.

At the end of the day, most people are busy. I have friends who aren’t working and they’re even busy. If you want to be a more effective human, choose you first. Take the tips I’ve given you and decide what matters most. Decide what you will and will not make time for, and what boundaries you can start setting for yourself so you’re intentionally set up to not waste time.

You won’t be perfect at this, I’m certainly not-but to the extent that you can be conscious and aware of what you do with your time, stop making excuses and letting it get away from you-you’ll reap some serious rewards.

What do you think? I want to know which tip hit home the hardest for you and how you can start implementing these strategies today. Drop your comment, hit the”like” button and let’s start making the most of our time together!

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Marie

Hi Liz! I’m new to your blog and I love it! I really like this list. I always made excuses before, but not anymore. I like what I see in the mirror and want to maintain or even improve so I don’t make excuses anymore, I make the time!! My before pics are a definite motivator in kick-starting my butt in gear!

Liz DiAlto: Glad you’re loving the blog, Marie-happy to have you here. And congrats on finding out first hand how simple it can actually be to make time. Love that you have before pics to motivate you. If you want to be super accountable-feel free to share your progress on the FB page. http://facebook.com/lizdialto. See you back here soon!

Michelle

Actually writing down my list of excuses? I can think of 5 I used tonight to skip my planned workout (my knees hurt, it will wake me up too much before bed, I’m still sore from my last workout, I’d rather watch TV, I deserve a night off…).

It’s frightening to see them all out there.

Liz DiAlto: Way to be brave Michelle! From here it looks like you could have done something low-intensity that wouldn’t have bothered your knees or gotten you all revved up before bed, perhaps in front of the TV?

Leah

Perfect timing! This is exactly what I needed. I’m trying to rework a few things and have been trying to manage my time and all the tasks but I’ve been struggling. This is so easy to follow. The “time suck” is so accurate. I’ve been doing that a lot lately but didn’t realize how much. Thanks Liz.

Shaun Hadsall

ok…it might be kinda girly to be a guy posting on this blog but I’m impressed. right up my alley Liz. learned about u from Roman. the key to success on line and in the internet arena is to be “remarkable” and “unique”. You’re definitely on your way (or there already). great post Liz. we should talk. my list would love your stuff.

Liz DiAlto: Good information is good information, Shaun-how about we call you smart and open minded instead of “girly”? Appreciate the comment and happy to talk, my email is liz@lizdialto.com

Carolyn

Liz, i LOVE this post. Not only is it true for workout, i would say it is true for any goal someone is trying to achieve. It is honest, straight forward and a no BS way of looking at it. Sometimes I need that slap in the face (I have been creating way too many “reasons” not to work out lately). Thanks!!!

5 Surprising Ways to Make Sure You Always Have Time to Workout

If you enjoyed this article, get email updates. (for free!)

Things I Dig