"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." — William Penn
A challenge that I hear so often from women who want to make changes in their health and their life is that they just don't have enough time.
Between work, family obligations and having a social life, finding time for healthy habits can be difficult.
And the response these women usually get from well intentioned but misinformed fitpros is that "wE aLl HaVe ThE sAmE 24 hOuRs In A dAy". 🙄
While yes, those who maintain healthy habits don't have any more time than those who don't... To say that we all have the SAME 24 hours in a day is not only 100% false, It's also just another way of shaming women for not "having it all together" ALL of the time. And I don't know about you, but I don't find shame to be a very effective motivator... But do you know what is motivating? Having a clear plan that you feel 100% confident you can implement. So if you are feeling challenged with finding time to do all the things you need to do for others and want to do for yourself,
Here is a simple 3-step plan for making the most of YOUR 24 hours each day:
1) Do a time audit Most people are familiar with keeping a food journal or tracking their spending...but have you ever done a time audit? Documenting how you are actually spending your time (versus how you think you are spending your time) can be a real eye opener. Think you don't really watch that much TV or don't spend that much time on social media...? Think that cooking a healthy dinner takes sooooo much longer than grabbing takeout? Doing a time audit might surprise you. I suggest doing a time audit the same way I suggest doing an initial food journal, Track 2-3 weekdays and 1 weekend day.
Write down EVERYTHING you do, and when you start/stop each activity.
At the end of the tracking period, identify ONE tweak you can make and then track your consistency with that change before moving on to another one. 2) Shrink the change One of the reasons many women feel like they don't have enough time is because they are trying to take on too much change all at once, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and so they quit before they gain any traction with a new habit. Instead of trying to go from no exercise to three 60-minute sessions per week, try adding two 15-minute sessions. Instead of trying to go from takeout and frozen dinners to a 3-hour Sunday food prep, try adding a serving of vegetables to your lunch. Instead of trying to go from being glued to your phone 24/7 to a daily 20-minute seated meditation, try adding a 1-minute breathing break before/after the most stressful part of your day. By starting small you are exponentially increasing your chances of successfully implementing that new habit, which will improve your motivation and belief in yourself...both of which will make it easier for you to take on bigger changes in the future. 3) Bundle up Most of us have plenty of opportunities to "bundle" activities to save time and sometimes even enhance the experience. When considering activities to bundle, try to combine things you have to do with things you want to do. Can you fold laundry while watching a TV show? Can you go for a walk while taking a work call? Can you do food prep while listening to a podcast? Can you go to a yoga class with a friend? Not only will bundling help you get more done in less time, it can help make the not so fun stuff a bit more tolerable.
So even though we don't all have the same 24 hours in a day, we can all benefit from taking an honest look at how we are using OUR 24 hours. Because where you spend your time is a reflection of your priorities. And if there is a disconnect right now between what you say matters to you and what you actually spend your time on, then the 3 steps I've shared above will help bring you closer to living a life that is in alignment with the kind of woman you want to become.
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