But today, I want to take the discussion of time to the next level.
Actually, believe it or not, you can create time.
What?
No, this isn’t “Back to the Future,” and I don’t have a time machine.
You don’t need a time machine to create time.
You simply need to, as my mentor Dave Meltzer taught me, “be a student of your calendar.”
Huh?
In short, look at your schedule… whether that is on your smartphone or on a good ol’ fashioned paper planner.
Look at it with eyes that want to see the “white space” or chunks of time in between other commitments.
These are sweet pockets of time that you can fit in simple but critical tasks.
Have 10 minutes? Foam roll, chop fruit to munch on for the afternoon, or meditate.
30 minutes in between meetings? Boil a dozen eggs for future meals, chop sweet potatoes or any other veggie and put them in the oven to roast, or get in some movement.
Aside from assigning tasks to the white space, here are a few other ways you can make time happen:
- Delegate one thing that you don’t enjoy doing and/or doesn’t serve you or give you a return on investment
- Stop doing one thing that’s wasting your time (ahem, MINDLESS SCROLLING ON YOUR PHONE, ahem)
- Make a list of your priorities — things that are important to you and crucial to your success. Pick one of those things, and move it to the top of your to-do list. Magically, things that you may have thought were necessary or important (which really weren’t either) will get “crowded out” or pushed off your to-do list, to be replaced by something that will serve you and move you forward.
So yes, it’s impossible to add more hours or minutes to the day. But you can make time for things that matter by better utilizing time in between other tasks, as well as delegating or eliminating things that don’t.
I’ll close with an example specific to your health and fitness.
Think about the last time you skipped a workout, or delayed getting started with an exercise program.
Then, think about the other things you did that day instead of working out or starting an exercise program.
Were those things that you spent your hard-earned time on actually worthwhile? Did those activities actually move you forward, contribute to your well-being, or result in positive change or progress?
If not, make a note of those things and either delegate… or better yet… eliminate them.
And make time — and space — for you.
