How often do we get to the end of the day and say to ourselves, darn, I didn’t get_______ done. You can always find a reason for why it didn’t happen.
How do you find ME time
Why not think about how you can change that narrative and find time to do those “me” things that you really want to do, but sometimes never get to.
Because I am a personal trainer, I will focus on exercise as our conceptual framework, however, these tips can apply to virtually anything that leaves you saying I don’t, I can’t, I didn’t have time.
New Day: let’s change that narrative!
Excuse #1: “I don’t have time to work out”
Does this sound familiar? You have had a long workday and way too many zoom calls (I call it zoomageddon). Now it’s time to cook dinner, feed the dog, do the laundry, etc…there’s no time for a workout. Right? Wrong!
Don’t eat it all at one time – snack on it!
If you are in a time crunch, I advocate breaking workout into exercise snacks. Who can’t find 5-10 minutes in your day? Start adding movement 3 to 4 times a day, whether it’s while you are making your morning beverage, during your lunch break or in front of the TV in the evening. A burst of movement is better than nothing. I do balance work while I am brushing my teeth. I am sure you can find a few seconds while you are watching the microwave tick down and get some squats in.
Think of those empty minutes and how you can fill them?
Excuse #2: “I am not motivated to work out”
I’m too tired, I don’t feel like it, I’m too old. You might have the time, but you don’t have the motivation to work out? Sound familiar? Your internal voice will tell you time and time again why you can’t. I hear this from so many friends and family. If it not “my this” hurts, then it’s “I have a xyz appointment.” How many excuses can you come up with? Go ahead and write them down just for fun.
Let’s change our self talk
We can use the technique of distanced self – talk. What is distanced self – talk you might ask? According to Ethan Kross, author of Chatter distanced self-talk is the ability to reframe what seems like an impossibility to a challenge. With your own encouragement, you can have a discussion with yourself and find something you can rise to.
Here’s an example. If I were saying to myself, Sandi, you’re just too old to start exercising now, so why bother. I can change that narrative and say, Sandi would really like be able to walk around her 5 acre property when she is 95, beside the Koi need to be fed. Now there is context, and this technique gets us out of the I CAN’T to envisioning what I CAN do.
What narrative do you want to change?
Lack of motivation is probably the most common excuse for skipping exercise or skipping many things and one of the hardest things to get past unless you change your inner dialogue. If you are in your 60s, you have likely another 30 years to live. How DO you want to live them?
Here’s how to do it?
Getting motivated can be as simple as visualizing what it is you want to be doing, either in the long term or the short term. Long term it might be playing with grand children, taking a vacation that requires walk up lots of stairs or riding a bike through the countryside.
You may have heard how athletes visualize the perfect golf or baseball swing, a basketball dunk that goes right in the hoop, or the perfect flip off the balance beam. Watch the athletes faces as we approach the Olympics, you can see many of them visualize before they compete. What do you visualize for yourself. Maybe it’s just doing that squat while the microwave ticks down.
Excuse #3: “I don’t know which workout to do”
There are so many different kinds of workouts, gyms, trainers, apps, and more that it gets so confusing. I find that people will go to the gym and do the same exercise over and over, mostly because they don’t know which to do. I personally advocate working with a trainer who can see what you are doing, your form and talk to you about your goals for fitness. Rather you have a business coach, fitness coach or nutrition coach, you need an expert to show you how and it has to work for you
I am happy to help
I am always happy to have a 30 minute FREE consultation if you have questions about what is right for you. I may not be the right person, but I can help you ask the right questions.
Can you make a commitment to YOU to get started RIGHT NOW? Think of the beginning of June as the new beginning of the year. Hit the restart and do something for YOU!
