I think we’ve all fallen for the “I don’t have enough time to workout” or “I don’t have enough time to eat healthy” at some point in our lives. But who are we kidding? Instead of not having the time, we’re just not making the time. Here are five things that you can incorporate to create the illusion of more time in your schedule.
1. Wake Up Earlier
Even waking up just 30 minutes earlier than usual can give you the time you need to get that workout or devo in. Chances are that you will feel more productive for the rest of the day after you have accomplished something right away in the morning. And not to mention, this actually does create more time in your day. Make it worth it and get something done!
2. Schedule Your Day in a Calendar
You are much more likely to get things done if they are scheduled into your calendar. To make even more time in your day, make your to-do list or schedule the night before so that you are ready to hit the ground running the next day. Lack of structure will decrease intentionality and awareness and lead to an unproductive day.
Even if you find yourself 10 minutes ahead of schedule, don’t waste your time mindlessly scrolling on your phone. Sweep the floor or put away the dishes. Those little housekeeping tasks add up.
3. Meal Prep
Seriously you guys, think about how much time we spend either in the kitchen or eating food… A lot! Meal prep is your best friend not only when it comes to eating healthy, but saving yourself time as well. “Meal prep” can include making a weekly or monthly meal plan, creating a grocery shopping list, and preparing food in large amounts that will be ready when it comes time to put the meals together. This saves the time that would have been spent on thinking about what to eat and tasks like cutting up produce, etc.
4. Multi-Task
More specifically, multi-task with mindless tasks. You could check emails during lunch, or have the dishwasher running while you are cleaning the bathroom, or make your grocery list while you’re watching your kids play outside. Think about whatever makes sense to do at the same time in your schedule and do it.
5. Avoid Day-Wasters
I challenge you to identify your biggest waste of time. For me, it’s probably social media or T.V. It is SO easy to let an hour pass by scrolling through Facebook. Am I really getting anything out of that? Probably not. Granted, I do use social media for my business, but I can justify that as being productive. Otherwise, it is mostly just waste of time in my opinion. Think about using that hour you spend on social media time towards a business venture, or exercise, or meal planning to eat healthy. Where would you be in even a week? That’s 7 whole hours of productivity. Think about it!
If you are still convinced that you “don’t have enough time in your day” to do more, start keeping a time journal. Be honest and write down everything you do for 24 or 48 hours. I am willing to bet that you could create 10 minutes here and there to fit something productive in that gets you towards your goals.