Hey there reader
Can we chat about time management today? I know it's not exactly a "fun" topic, but I think it'd be helpful to tackle some time management challenges you might be having.
It's no secret we all have busy schedules. I get it.
Between work, kids, activities, keeping up a home, volunteering, having somewhat of social life, and everything in between, it can seem downright impossible to make time for new healthier habits.
I mean, some days, it's a miracle just getting dinner on the table by 6:00 pm.
Here's the thing. While I can completely empathize with a busy schedule, I also know it's not impossible to change habits, eat healthier, exercise, and lose weight despite having limited time.
How do I know that? Because I did it.
When I first started on my weight loss journey, I worked 40+ hours outside the home with two small kids. Every day I'd wake up and rush them to daycare, work a full day, rush back to daycare to pick them up, get home to eat dinner, spend some quality time, and then do the same thing over again the next day.
It was beyond exhausting.
Also, most weeks, I worked a couple of nights, and once in a while, I worked weekends. So trust me, I get it.
Today busy looks different for me because my girls are older, and I work for myself, but I still understand the struggles of being a busy working mom.
The mindset shift that changed everything for me during that hectic season of life is instead of trying to "find the time," I "made the time." I made eating healthier and exercising my new hobby and, in turn, made it a priority.
I wrote a blog post on this topic when I first started.
Read it here: 5 Tips to Make Weight Loss Your New Hobby and Lose Weight Like a Boss.
I know you're probably thinking, "Tammy, I've told you I have no time."
Well, I'm trying to tell you that you have more time than you think. It's about prioritizing the time for the things that are important to you.
If eating healthier and exercising is essential to you, then you'll make it a priority. If it's not then, you'll make an excuse.
Now, I'm by no means trying to judge, reprimand, or say what you're doing is wrong. Absolutely not. You're a grown adult reader and can do whatever you like with your time.
However, I would like to challenge you to think differently about spending your time.
Here are some tips to help prioritize your time better.
Get rid of, or reduce, time suckers.
I think it's crucial to hold ourselves accountable to the facts. It's easy to get overwhelmed and feel like we're too busy to do anything other than surviving the day. But in reality, when we pay attention to how we spend our time, it's clear where the time suckers are.
I know it's hard to admit that we might spend too much time on social media, watching TV, playing videos, talking on the phone, sleeping, or other things.
Still, in reality, those things might be taking priority over habits that could bring you closer to becoming healthier and losing weight.
Remember, change only happens with change. Of course, I'm not saying we shouldn't relax and unwind once in a while, but if you're struggling to "find the time" to exercise, meal prep, or other healthy habits, then you need to take a look at how you're spending time.
One of the lessons I've learned over the years is to see what's important (or a priority) to a person, then check how they spend a majority of their time and money. This information will tell you more about a person (or yourself) than anything else.
The money talk is for another time (or blog), but I encourage you to take a hard look at how you spend time. You can't change what you don't know or acknowledge, so don't be afraid to take a hard look at this.
My boss back in the day always said to me, "we don't get better by people telling us how great we are; we get better by telling us what we need to improve on." Those words always stuck with me.
Schedule exercise, meal prep, and other healthy habits.
Changing your habits doesn't just miraculously happen one day, and if it did, you wouldn't be reading this email.
Change requires structure, organization, and plan, and you need to do things differently. Don't treat exercise, meal prep, and other healthy habits like an afterthought.
Take time each week to schedule all the healthy habits you want to make a priority - I call this time-blocking.
For example, take time on Sunday to schedule exercise for the week. Then create a plan to make sure exercise happens.
Same with meal prep and any other habit you want to prioritize. I always say if it's not in my schedule, it doesn't exist". If it's a priority, then it makes it into your schedule.
Read more about time-blocking for weight loss here.
Start every day with a to-do list
To-do lists keep you focused on everything needed to get done that day. Often we think of our to-do lists just for "work or home-related" things, but you can use a to-do list for any goal you want.
I love the quote, "a goal without a plan is just a wish." If something is a priority and ultimately a goal, it needs to have a to-do list.
Protect your time
This is HUGE and something I only recently learned. In a way, it goes back to the time suckers. After your schedule is put together for the week, you need to work hard to protect the priorities.
Why? Because everyone and everything will try to take over that time slot.
I've learned to turn off my texts and phone calls during a workout because I'll get distracted if not. I also learned to say no to things if it takes me away from my exercise routine, meal prep, or anything else I'm making a priority this week. Of course, emergencies happen, but going out to lunch with a girlfriend is not one of them.
Get up early
One of my best tips to add more time to your day is to wake up earlier. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but I highly recommend it if it is.
I believe that if you can master your mornings, you can master the day. Mornings are a great time to get in a workout and get things ready for the day.
At first, it might be hard to wake up at 5:00/5:30 am, but it'll be like second nature after a week or so. I love being a morning person, and I get a ton done and feel very accomplished by bedtime.
I can go on and on about this topic, but these are my best tips for time management so we can prioritize the habits that'll make us happier and healthier.
Tammy
Organize Yourself Skinny
Ps. If you don't already have it, check out the Organize Yourself Skinny eBook & 30-Day Workbook Bundle. You'll find 4-weeks of habit challenges, exercise challenges, and meal plans. I put together this OYS bundle to help you put in place structure and time-management so you can prioritize a healthier lifestyle.
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