Run, rabbit run
Dig that hole, forget the sun
And when at last the work is done
Don’t sit down, it’s time to dig another one
For long you live and high you fly
But only if you ride the tide
And balanced on the biggest wave
You race towards an early grave
I know- these lyrics from Pink Floyd are a little bit depressing, but I really think they get the point across very well about how we live our lives in such a mad rush- going nowhere sometimes.
I think a lot of people can relate in terms of how hectic their lives are and how like the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland is always so concerned about the time passing by.
It’s such a cliche- but time is really too short to not make time for being healthy and having fun!
I’m here to help you with a dilemma that’s all too common these days: how to stay fit when your calendar is overflowing.
It is frustrating when you want to go for a run or a weekend hike, only to see your workout time get swallowed by endless meetings, work you bring home with you or other urgent tasks.
The good news is, staying fit with a busy schedule isn’t just a pipe dream – it’s totally possible with the right strategies.
I’m taking a different approach to this topic than you might be expecting. The most important step in time management is to manage your SELF.
If you don’t know what the time wasters are in your life and how you’re spending your time- the best fitness program/routines in the world won’t help you.
I have a system I use called P.S.S that aids me in being very productive and leaves plenty of time for fitness.
I am sharing this system with you in hopes that you will benefit from it as well. But-You actually have to GO and DO the exercising! AI can’t take this one for you..sorry.
If you are already a Time Management Ninja- and just want the Ideas on Shorter, Efficient workouts then skip ahead using the Table of Contents.
P.S.S. System
P- Purpose, S- Simplify, S-Schedule
Rather than use the term time management- I like the words Self-Management better. Time management is not accurate because we can’t tell time to get to work, stop procrastinating, and start making better decisions.
However, we can manage these components within ourselves in relation to Time. To do what we want in this life- we have to manage ourselves better and HOW we use time! Once you’ve identified priorities, and eliminate what is no longer necessary, then you are able to have the time for staying fit.
Takeaways
My Goals for this article are to help you:
- Eliminate people or to do’s in your life that waste your time and suck your energy
- Simplify your life first- then look at scheduling the priorities/ Identify how you spend your time.
- Use the Pomodoro Technique – can increase productivity and reduce working hours.
- Start with a Clear Plan every day- Use your tools & resources wisely
- Fitness exercises & workouts for a busy schedule
Purpose
How often do you question what you do every day? Deep down do you really love what you do? This is a crucial question in managing your time because if you don’t like how you’re spending your time- then You won’t be good at it no matter how many scheduling systems you have. You will procrastinate or just blow off whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing.
Here are 3 Crucial questions to answer:
- What is Your Why?
- What Makes you Happy?
- Do the People You Spend Time With Take Away …OR Add Value in Your Life?
The Why
Identifying the Why in your life will help you get to the heart of what drives you- what means the most to you. When you know the Why- you keep going no matter what. You will find the fire inside you grows brighter and brighter.
Before asking myself this question- I struggled with my business activities and business ideas in general. I knew I loved the outdoors-but I kept dodging what I really wanted and through this activity- it moved me into a new level.
I looked back at my business ideas, websites, etc- before I started this site-and I had 6 different Business ideas that fell flat! I would create business cards, start promoting, etc. then several months later abandon everything.
So after discovering my Why- I have stayed with this specific website and I’ve continued with my Outdoor MeetUp for almost 5 years now.. I am still running into numerous road blocks, but my WHY is so crystal clear that only death will stop me in this endeavor!
What Makes You Happy (What you value)
Are you living your life according to your Values and what makes you happy? Or- are you doing things that others want you to do?
Step 1: Write down everything you value and makes you happy (Family, Fun, Finances…) Here are my Top Five Values: Faith, Family, Financials, Fitness, and Fun
Step 2: Write down everything you did (and remember) in the last two weeks (I came up with close to 50) If none of what you did in the last two weeks was fitness related- then YOU really need to heed this advice!
Step 3: Now compare the lists- what did you do that you enjoyed? How much time did you spend on things you didn’t enjoy?
There are three takeaways from this application:
1) Look at what makes you happy- and try to extend those.
2) What makes you happy and adds value in your life that you haven’t done in the past two weeks?
3) And what areas/tasks are you spending time on that YOU DO NOT VALUE?
How you can make changes?
Also, keep in mind the thoughts you have as well can detract or enhance your fitness endeavors. Each thought is a unit of energy. If you have a negative person in your life that you speak with on a regular basis or think about- this is taking up precious energy..
(Or,,, if you wake up thinking about finances this can be a huge drain on you. (Remember-One thought is a Unit of energy). You only have so many units of energy to spend every day- use them wisely!
This is why you have some of your top Execs, like Zuckerberg that wears the same clothes every day. One less decision to make.
Who Do You Spend Your Time With
The final concept for living a purposeful life is to surround yourself with the right people. I think sometimes we can truly underestimate how others can affect our lives in a positive or negative Way.
So here is an application to analyze who’s making either a good difference or a bad one in your life.
1. Make a list of long term, intermediate, and short term goals. (Include Fitness of course)!
2. Write down all of the people you’ve spoken to/associate with in the past 2-4 weeks (Everyone)
3. Now Compare- how many of these people you’ve spent time with contribute towards your goals?
After you identify the people you spend time with that are draining you- perhaps you rethink your association with them. Okay- I realize family members can be difficult to minimize contact. Do the best you can to have a discussion with them about your goals/values. Have them go through the above exercise!
This is not meant to be a selfish activity. When I went through this, I realized there was someone in my life that was sucking my time and energy. I have set boundaries and am now spending less time with them.
This activity could be a huge wake up call for you. From your results, you could end up spending more time on those things and people you love and less on those that add zero value in your life.
Simplify
YOU are your number #1 Resource. As business owners, employees, busy parents, etc. don’t we seek out programs and gadgets that help us be more efficient? What if your main resource (being you) isn’t running that well? Then the operator is running on 2 or 3 cylinders vs. 4.
Energy Conservation
If you are tired and drained all the time- how can you possibly have energy to expend in different areas?
Conserve your energy for what matters: Energy/vibration is flowing from you to other people and things around you constantly. First, you need to stop the loss of energy and then harness this energy from leaving you. For example, ever find you get exhausted from certain people?
Then you need to ask why you keep spending time with them. I realize if this is a spouse or relative, then of course this is trickier. Eliminate everything that is no longer serving you. When I cleaned house in my life- I was left with more energy to focus on my family and business.
Here are some additional pointers:
- Maintain focus and drive: If you don’t have clear priorities. -then other people can dictate your schedule.
- You must make time for yourself- truly carve out time to think about what really matters. What is the 80/20 route?
- Have a solid morning routine – Top advice- don’t look at your phone for at least an hour after you wake up! My routine is to wake up by 5:30 am, drink coffee, journal, read, and then work out. Or, you can take a dip in an ice bath like Tony Robbins.
- Identify the time of day where you are most productive- this is when you should do your work that requires the most brain power.
- Have habits that are obstacles to your goals? (Evening Cocktails- waking up in the middle of the night- being groggy in the morning…cycle continues)
- Maintain a clean home, car, and work space. The clutter you physically see in your life- turns into clutter in your mind. It is very difficult to think straight when you have too much stuff in your living spaces.
- Have set times when you check your Text and Emails- don’t be a Slave to your Device.
Okay, this brings us to our final S- Schedule!
Schedule
Life is much easier to schedule- when you have less on your plate. I don’t know why in our society we look at being super busy like some badge of honor. There is a BIG difference between being busy and productive. I know this from working in the Corporate World for over 20 years. People waste a lot of time when the priorities aren’t clear.
It is for this very reason why it’s so important to go through the applications first regarding your purpose and then simplifying. If you don’t love what you do and are spending time with people that drain you- then it doesn’t matter how much energy you give it. Your day will not be a success.
Pomodoros
This system absolutely changed how I work! Using Pomodoros took me to the next level of productivity and lowered my stress level enormously.
The person that is attributed with this work is Chris Winfield– he’s an expert that uses this technique which he claims if used correctly, you can get 40 hours of work done in under 17 hours.
Pomodoros are 25 minute time increments and the goal is to get up to at least 8 per day= 40 Poms per week.
You will work in 25 minute – 4 x’s in a row, with 5 minute breaks between. Then, after 4 Poms, you take a half hour break or so and repeat 4 more times.
The Pomodoro Math
8 Poms X 5 Days per week = 40 per week / 200 Minutes/ 3.5 hrs a day VS 8 Hrs
200 minutes X 5= 1,000 minutes
1,000 minutes=16.7 hrs. (1,000/60)
It is recommended to work no more than 8 poms in a day. Allow yourself to have free time and to be creative. What is really fantastic is how you can take these Poms and move them to Certain Days and Times.
Shift your Thinking into – How many Poms can I schedule today? (Focus is on the poms) VS. I have so much to do- what project am I going to work on?
Main Take Away: Block out 4 hours a Day – morning or afternoon and keep this time Sacred. Let others know this is a new technique you are using to be more efficient and less stressed! ?
So- now with working a solid 4 hours a day vs 8- this frees you up for Exercise and Fitness!
If you don’t work for yourself -and your boss is a tyrant..(or just a bit stubborn), share this information with him or her. Ask if you can try it out so they can see how much more productive you will be.
When I was in the Corporate world, I worked for a manager that would make time for our Team to go hiking on Fridays. We realized how rare this was- and as a result were even more dedicated and productive.
BARS- Batch, Automate, Routine, Situational
Here are some final self management tips I want to share with you. The BARS systems helps you to be efficient in all areas of your life.
Batch: This includes calls, emails, etc. I like to use the Jogging example. Let’s say your goal is to run 5 miles, but every 15 minutes you’re stopping to get a pebble out. Don’t you think this will make it more difficult to reach 5 miles? The emails, text, people stopping by- those are all the little pebbles in your schedule.
A Pebble in your Day when You need to work on your Big Rocks. Set aside blocks of time to check email/text only once or a FEW times throughout the day. There have been studies that conclude that some people can spend up to 5 hrs a day in their email alone.
Automate: What routine systems can you set up?
Emails: Set up Rules so emails will go directly into certain folders.
Scheduling appts: Program like Calendly.com/ Block out the times you are working and let clients/coworkers schedule around this. Avoids the back and forth..
Routines: Doctor visits (schedule same time every year- same day preferably), keep track of bdays on one Calendar, keys in the same place every day, Dinner- plan for the entire week or buy from a company like Hello Fresh.
Situational: Life happens- and you will have those emergencies. Do need to flexible, but if you have a solid plan than it wont’ be as stressful when a kink gets in your schedule.
Okay- so now we looked at how you identify your why and values, prioritize what is most important in your life, how you can modify or eliminate who you spend time with and what your tasks are, and how using Pomodoros make you more productive.
This is a solid foundation for staying fit with a busy schedule.
Efficient Workout/Fitness Ideas
Rethink your typical workday to include physical activity. If you work a full 8 hr day plus commuting-I realize this is a lot of time eating into your day. This leaves the options to exercise before you go to work, after work, on the weekends OR during your Work Day.
It is possible to make movement & fitness a priority while you’re at work so you can be active for the entire week vs. only on the weekends. What we discussed above still has MAJOR applicability here. If you are too bogged down with work- then you won’t have time to implement the majority of the below strategies either.
Walking: Go for a walk during one of your breaks or during lunch. Or another way to get in walking is during a business meeting. These types of meetings are getting more and more common- doesn’t hurt to ask.
Workplace Gym: Not my preferred place to work out, but if you’re concerned about getting sweaty on a walk this could be your next best option. Go during your lunch hour if you’re workplace has one rather than going out to eat with coworkers.
Desk Exercises: It’s amazing the type of equipment that is designed solely to work out while you’re at your desk. There are under desk ellipticals, treadmills and desk steppers. If you’re really serious about staying fit, then you won’t care what people say. Use any one of these while working on your routine tasks or even while on a conference call.
Short & Effective Workouts. You don’t need to spend hours each day to maintain your fitness. Exercise bouts as brief as 20-30 minutes can work wonders, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or circuit training can maximize your calorie burn and keep your heart rate up without dominating your schedule.
Combine Social/Fitness time: Meet with friends on the weekend for a drink or lunch? Why not be an amazing positive influence and do a fun activity instead? There are so many different outdoor activities you can do to bond with friends that does not require going to a restaurant or bar.
Opportunities throughout the Day: Some of these are obvious- but many of us don’t do. Always take the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator. Driver furthest away you can from store entrances so you need to walk farther. Do lunges or squats in the kitchen while you’re waiting for pasta to boil, etc. Kids playing at the park or have a soccer tournament? Don’t just sit there in your lawn chair- go for a walk during this time!
If you have time to watch TV or scroll on Facebook- then you definitely have time to work out! If you love watching movies or TV when you get home from work, then make it a priority to do body weight exercises/stretch while watching your movie.
I keep a yoga mat in my living room for those times I absolutely have to watch my Hallmark Movie. I can place my laptop on the floor while I do leg lifts, etc. 🙂
How to Stay Fit with a Busy Schedule Summary
The P.S.S. system works like magic once it’s implemented. You can manage yourself in relation to time through answering the Why- living with intent and having a purpose in this world every day. Once you know your purpose, then it’s time to move on to simplifying your life. It is so much easier to prioritize with less on your plate. Finally- you schedule. You know your purpose, priorities, and have a plan so everything you schedule is moving you towards the final destination and end goals you have set in your life.
If you would like additional coaching on self management and getting more fit- then please contact me! Have experience you’d like to share? Please leave a comment below!
