Let me paint a picture for you. It’s an ordinary day, the kids are arguing about who brushes their teeth first (in the vain hope that they will run out of time to actually do it), the dog doesn’t want to go out into the rain and after spending several hours getting organised to leave the house with presicion timing- I can’t find my keys. Sound familiar?
How many times has the routine been carried out? How many times have I thought there needs to be a more efficient way to get it all done? How many times have I just kept doing it all the same way?
As I get into the car (mumbling about the awkward routine) my son comes up with one of those comments that brings clarity to the confused rush.
“Mum, why do you make the morning so stressful for yourself? If you do things straight away, you won’t need to cram it all into the morning rush!”
Genius, I think. A 10 year old has reminded me that the little things I put off are all catching up with me. If I put the dog out earlier, I wouldn’t be shoving her out the door now. She would have gone out BEFORE it started raining. If we had a bathroom roster, the kids wouldn’t have a chance to argue. And if I put the keys in my bag, they wouldn’t be lost.
Sound familiar?
I see many clients each day who do the same sabotage to their exercise plans. By putting off the walks or the Pers0nal Training session, they begin to slide down the path of complacency and disinterest. It’s a slippery slope indeed. Cancelling a session here and there is NOT fine. Your body can become it’s own worst enemy. Before long, you don’t have the energy for that workout or you don’t feel like that workout and your body starts findng excuses to be fatigued.
Your brain becomes starved of endorphins (due to a lack of exercise) and the cycle keeps on going. The less you workout, the worse you feel. The worse you feel, the less you workout. See where is this going?
So my message today is : Once you have planned something- stick to it! Keep that training appointment, get the small, fiddly jobs done early so you can more of the good stuff when it comes along.
Exercise, following a good nutritional plan and spending time with friends and family are all healthy practices that need to be done when they are scheduled. Not when you get around to it.
For me, my keys are in my bag, the lunches are made for the morning and I have drawn up a colourful bathroom chart for tomorrow.
Just remember: you’re a role model. If you don’t pick up on time management, someone else will. Set a good example (especially with exercise!)
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