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Do you find yourself using these phrases?:​

“I have no time to (thing you are hoping to become).”, or
“I’m too busy to (thing you want to do).”, or”I wish I had time to(thing you would be so happy if you could go do).”, or “I know I need to (thing you know you need to do to be healthy or more balanced).”

The truth about time​

It seems these days that everyone has fallen into the trap of believing that they “have no time” because they are “too busy”. Now granted, everyone is busy; that’s pretty much a given. DISCIPLINE is the key element that separates people who are living well-rounded, balanced lives and the ones who are not. Those who have it make the time to do just about everything they say they want to do. People who do not are usually relying on the excuse of being “too busy”. This is because the thought of having to exert even more energy just feels like too big of a challenge.

Here’s the simple truth: You make time for the things that are important to you at different stages of your life. Period. It all comes down to time management and discipline. There is always something you can do, no matter how small, to start changing your current situation.

Here are a few ways to engage discipline and time management in order to create more time in your day:​

1. Get up a little earlier or stay up a little later

If you get up or go to bed even a half hour or an hour earlier/later each day, you will gain so much time! You can easily add an extra 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours to your day every day that you do it! You could start with one day a week or maybe two, and work your way up from there if needed/as needed.

The key to getting used to it is starting small. Big changes all at once are not typically sustainable for most people. In a half hour you can put away dishes or throw in a load of laundry. You could make a meal, or meditate, or get a jump on answering emails. This will help relieve, or better yet, remove a few small stresses in your day. It will help you to get a jump on the rest of the day (or the next day if you stayed up late instead of getting up earlier). An extra hour or two could allow you to fit in a workout or do something social in the evening or the next morning.

2. Limit the use of electronic devices throughout the day

This one is HUGE! Cell phones and TVs will suck away time like nothing else can. Simple actions like turning off notifications or turning off the ringer on your cell phone will keep you from being distracted and keep you on task. They will help you reduce nighttime stimuli and get to sleep earlier. You will be forced to go and DO something you need or want to do, rather than just sitting there disconnected from the world. You could instead use that time to live the actual life you are meant to have.

Browsing the internet, texting, and Facebook are never anywhere near as important as actually doing all the things you are dying to do but “don’t have time for”. Binge watching Netflix is fun and all, but do it only AFTER you’ve accomplished everything else you wanted to do that day.

3. Rethink how you do things and create more efficient systems to get them done

Often we go along in life unconsciously doing the things we do day after day without any real thought as to whether our time is being used efficiently or not. This leads to always feeling like we’re never “done” or “ahead of the game”..i.e. always “too busy”. There are SO many things you can do just a little differently that will gain you time and simultaneously relieve stress. Lay out your clothes the day or night before so you aren’t always late or rushing around like a crazy person every morning. Learn to meal prep and do it every week without fail so you always have nutritious food with you to maintain good health and proper weight.

Change the order you do things so that they make the most sense and save the most time. For example, every Sunday morning, I throw in a load of laundry and then start my meal prep. While the food is cooking, I do dishes and clean the kitchen while catching up on my favorite radio show, and throw the laundry into the dryer when it’s ready. By the time the food is done cooking, my laundry is done and I have a nice clean kitchen plus food and clean clothes and dishes for the rest of the week. This gives me time each night to work out without fail, instead of stressing that “yet again, I didn’t work out today”. I never miss a meal or a workout…because it’s important to me.

4. Write daily “to do” lists

It is so easy to feel totally overwhelmed when all the things you have to do are swimming around in your head, and it’s too easy to forget to do something without writing it down. Buy a spiral notebook or a legal pad, and before bed every night, write down everything you need to get accomplished the next day. You’ll be amazed how “doable” it all looks once you get it out of your head and can actually see it in black and white. Nothing better than crossing items off a list! This will keep you focused and motivated all day and serve as a solid reminder of what you need to do. It always feels like more in your head than it actually is on paper.

5. Ask yourself the question, “Is this important to me?”

If the answer is “Yes”, you need to MAKE TIME AND JUST DO IT. This is key. you will find the time and make it happen if it is important enough to you. Use this as your motivation to become more disciplined with how you use your time. If you really want to lose weight or get in better shape, you will make changes and make the time to exercise and pay close attention to your nutrition. If you want more time to spend more time with your friends and family, you will make the time.

If you are not willing to engage discipline and make the changes needed to make something happen, you  just don’t want it badly enough. It’s as simple as that. But if you DO want it and it IS important enough to you, you are capable of having it and living it.

JUST GO DO IT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!