Someone once told me that I was incredibly lucky that I had the time to work out. They continued on to say they had no time to work out as they had full time work and they had a child. Apparently, I was lucky because I had no children and I am a fitness instructor, so I get paid to work out. Now, some of this is true. I don’t have children and yes, I am paid to work out; however, I think we all have roadblocks that could stop us succeeding or achieving our goals, and priorities are important.
For instance, I also work full time as a high school teacher. I write articles for magazines and I contribute to social media management for a popular brand. I also have to eat, sleep, complete work outside of school hours, socialise and see my family. Let me tell you – my life is very busy and free time is at a minimum. While it’s true that I get paid to work out, this isn’t my own workout. I am coaching and there to help other people achieve their goals. On top of my already busy lifestyle, I have to fit my own workouts in too. This does not happen by accident and there is certainly no luck involved. I have a perpetually early alarm clock where the number at the start begins with a 4. I run between jobs and gym classes, fitting in my daily steps as I go. My day starts before the sun rises and I get home when it’s dark – 15 or 16 hour days are the norm. I’m not saying this so you pity me or even to brag (as I’ve previously talked about, being busy isn’t the badge of honour that we think it is). It’s my choice and I love what I do. I’m saying this so you have an understanding that for a lot of people, things don’t just happen. If you think you don’t have time (or whatever resource it is) to achieve something, maybe you need a little reset of your mindset.
- You don’t find the time, you make the time
Not many people just have the time for things. We all have work, kids, families, demands on our time. If you want something, you are going to have to make the time for it. This might mean getting up a little earlier. It may mean putting your kids to bed and getting a workout in. It could entail going for a walk on your lunchbreak. I can assure you that successful people don’t just have time that they are dying to fill. They make time to fit in the things they need to achieve and what they want to achieve. If I work out in the morning, I know it’s done for the day and I don’t have to worry about fitting it in later.
- Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Do you prep your food for the week or pack your bag the night before an early morning gym session? Or do you leave everything to chance and hope it falls into place? Like I said, I’m a high school teacher and I can tell the students who have prepared themselves when it comes to exam time. The same principle applies to life. If you want something, you have to prepare for it. I prep my food on Sunday for at least 3 days of the week. This is for health so I stay on track, but it’s also because during the week, I am time poor. Rather than buying lunch every day or having to make dinner every night, I can go to the fridge and I have something to heat up to make my life easier.
- There will be temptations – this doesn’t mean you have failed
I totally understand. Sometimes you just want to sit on the couch and eat chocolate. Sometimes bed is so good and you really can’t be bothered getting up for a workout. This does not mean you are lazy and the whole week is ruined. Maybe you went to dinner and overindulged. Will beating yourself up make it better? You get back “on track” at your next meal. Drink some water and eat some vegetables. Get some more steps in and I guarantee you will feel better. There’s a saying in the fitness industry – “If you got a flat tyre, what would you do? Change the tyre or get out of the car and slash the other three? “.
For most of us, we’d change the tyre, right? (And if you’re in the percentage that would slash the other three, you might have other issues to deal with). Don’t dwell on any perceived mistakes or continue down the same path because you “messed up”, just get back to business.
- Accessibility and affordability are not excuses
Some hard truths – some of the busiest people in the world find time to work out. People who have kids, high powered jobs, many demands on their time. The gym is too expensive? Go for a walk, buy a bike and ride everywhere, get together with a group of friends and share the cost of hiring a personal trainer who will come to you. During lockdown last year, no one could go to the gym because they were closed. I didn’t stop exercising – I found new ways to move my body. The perception that exercise has to be expensive or done in a gym is crazy. Accessibility? When I suggested a gym creche as a solution to access, the same person from above told me that they also couldn’t put their child in the gym creche because their child didn’t like it. WHAT?? I did heaps of things I didn’t want to do when I was a kid, in fact, I’m still doing things as an adult that I don’t really want to do. That’s life, right? Get your kids involved with your exercise routine. They can scooter while you walk. Search YouTube and find a workout you can do together. Building a healthy and active lifestyle is something that’s important for kids too. I know a husband and wife who tag team so they can get their workouts in. The wife will come to the gym in the morning while the husband is home with the kids. The husband comes later while the wife stays home. Single parent? Use your friends and swap over to help each other out – same scenario. Join an online program. Injured? Work around it. The possibilities are endless.
Please don’t get me wrong. You don’t have to give up everything you love or do “whatever it takes” to have success. The point is, think about if someone is really lucky or if they are working really hard for something that’s important to them. Perhaps it’s a compliment that I make my life look so easy, but, in reality, it takes careful planning and ownership of my goals. I know that excuses just aren’t going to cut it. Tell me all of your excuses and I’ll find you a solution to each and every one. If you want it, you have to work for it.