Hey guys. Obviously it’s Wednesday, so as per the tradition this semester I have a Medical Terminology quiz today. But, blogging sounds like more fun than studying – so let’s do that huh? 
Today I want to talk about deciding you want to change your life somehow (for the purposes of this blog, we’ll focus on health) and then the execution of that decision.
It seems easy, right? You wake up one day and think, “man I haven’t been strength training as much lately, maybe I should change that.” OR “I think it’s time for me to lose that last 20 pounds to get to my goal weight.” OR “I think I’ll start cooking dinner every night again instead of relying on eating out or eating a turkey sandwich every night.”
Fact is, we all have these moments. We ALL have multiple things that are still on our “to-do” lists or areas of our life that aren’t our strength that we forever want to accomplish.
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And for some people the cycle looks like this: they wake up, have these thoughts, want to change, try to change, and the change only lasts X amount of time. Then that change goes back on their “to-do” list and they have a failed attempt at instituting the change.
Because I’m talking all kinds of ambiguous, let me give you a real life example from MY life.
In January, I started strength training 2-3 days per week. And it went great! Then, March came along and my PT told me I couldn’t go to my Body Works classes anymore because all the leg work we did agitated my hip. So I continued my upper body/core/back workouts, until May. In May, school ended, my spring routine went out the window and strength training never made it’s way back into my summer schedule. Or at least not consistently.
And here it is November, and I’m not consistently strength training anymore.
So of course, the obvious answer is – Well I should take it up again, right? Actually, no, I shouldn’t.
I know you think I’m crazy, but hear me out. First – I still can’t go to Body Works classes because I’m still doing specific recovery workouts and am not ready for those classes. But furthermore, right now is not the right time for me to start trying to strength train again. I simply don’t have the time.
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This is the most coveted piece of advice I have ever received when it comes to a healthy lifestyle and making changes in your life. It has to be the right time and you have to be willing to make the changes your top priority in order for them to stick. I first learned this principle in 2008 with Sparkpeople, as they religiously say on their stress survey – “Now may not be the right time for you to be losing weight. You need to evaluate your life and see if it is the right time.”
The fact is, we all have a finite amount of time in our life. That time is filled with the things you DEEM worth the time. If you want to lose weight (for example), you’ve got to give up some time from something else that isn’t as important to you. If you try, try, try to lose weight and you fail every time – you aren’t prioritizing your life in the right manner to make losing weight your priority. And maybe you just can’t do this because you are too busy. Realize you are too busy, realize you can’t make losing weight a priority and move on. Revisit losing weight when your schedule clears. If you aren’t too busy, give up something else that isn’t as important and get on with the weight losing!
Just make sure you aren’t making excuses and be real about how busy you are. Make sacrifices when necessary.
Source: fatmumslim.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest
I stole this from Lauren, but it’s a great reminder that if you have time to ask yourself this question, chances are you aren’t working out because your priorities are out of line. You aren’t really that busy. (sorry but it’s true)
In my life, right now, I have a full plate. I have a relationship, school, an internship, friends and my personal life. I also am actively working at losing weight and recovering from my injury. And just like Kristina pointed out on my half marathon revelation, I don’t have time to train for a half marathon right now. I don’t have time to add back strength training into my life either.
It sounds bad, right? It sounds like somehow I am not taking care of myself because I’m not strength training. Well, yeah in a way it is bad. However, it’s not a decision I’m making forever. It’s a decision I’m making until December 14th, when the semester ends. And then once the semester ends, I’m making it my goal to get back to strength training and to get myself back in 1 hour spin classes.
Because over Christmas break, I’ll have time to make those two areas a priority. Right now, I don’t, and so I don’t worry about it. I just let it roll off my back and prioritize it to a later date, when I’ll have time.
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Strength training is just an example taken from my life, but the message I want to pass along is to stop beating yourself up about the items on your to-do list if it’s not the right time to DO them. Seriously. Take a hard look at the things you bash yourself about not finishing and ask yourself, “Is right now the time in my life that this needs to be done?”
For a long time, it wasn’t my time to lose weight. I was leaving my job and starting school and weight loss didn’t have a place in my life at that time. However, right now is the RIGHT time for me to be focusing on weight loss, so I am. And even though I can’t workout as much as I want (both from time and physical condition), I’m reaching my goal by making the other sacrifices I need to make to get there.
But right now might not be your time to lose weight, start running, train for a marathon, etc. Maybe you have the time, but you are committing to it something else that is more important to you. I’m not saying be unhealthy, I’m just saying realize what is on your plate already and be realistic with yourself. Don’t push yourself into something if it isn’t the right time because it just flat out won’t get done.
Let me also say, there is a big difference between “not having time” and just not making stuff a priority. Inevitably, all of the things on your to-do list SHOULD get done at some point. If you have something that’s on there for years and years, either you aren’t meant to do it or you aren’t holding yourself accountable to achieve that goal. I’m mostly focusing on the short-term in this post.
SO, I want you all to tell me what you are not going to guilt yourself about anymore because you’ve realized it isn’t your time.
For me, it’s strength training and group exercise classes. Those are my Christmas Break projects!
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Great post! Since May, when I had my stress fracture tibia injury thingie, I had to put off running, so I took up strength training and loved it to pieces. Right before I was able to start running again, I took up hot yoga and it was awesome. Due to lack of time with the hot yoga classes, work study for hot yoga, studying for my CPT exam and working, strength training fell to the wayside and I’ve been super sad about it. I had replaced the strength training with the hot yoga, which also makes me crazy happy, but I really missed my weights/strength workouts. Sooooo I’m not guilting myself into the hot yoga right now {because I feel like I SHOULD be doing it} and I’m getting back into my strength training. I do not have time for it all, so something has to go–besides my guilt, it’s the hot yoga right now, until I have more time. Tonight, we are going to Dick’s after work {well, my hubby is coming to see me there, since I’ll already be there working, haa} and getting my Power Tower and a curl bar. My number one goal of the summer was to do one doggone pull up successfully and then move on to the chin up. I’m going to start working on that tonight!
Oh girl, you have no idea how applicable this is to my life right now. I’ve been struggling so much, in so many areas, and it’s because I have so dang much going on! I’m in school full time, trying to get awesome grades, working 25-30 hours a week, volunteering about 5 hours a week, then all the little stuff like cooking meals, cleaning house, marriage, relationships, blog, HLB, blah blah blah…AH! No wonder I’m exhausted all the time, feel like I never have time for exercise, and am actually starting to gain weight again! Oy.
It’s difficult, and frustrating, though. Obviously school is really important right now – I’m focusing on basically doing it all so I can be in the 50% that does get an internship, especially since I have a specific place in mind I want to go. But that leaves little time for much else, including weight loss. It drives me crazy though, because I also feel like I need to finish losing weight for the career I want to have! So it is important, but how do I make it more of a priority right now/ how can I even have the time to/ when will I ever have the time to?
All that to say – I totally understand. Sometimes we really just have to focus on the fact that we just have to do what we can, when we can. (Which is totally my new mantra: do you what you can, when you can.)
I still need to email you back from like weeks ago! I haven’t forgotten about you! Good luck on the quiz/ exam!
I am in no rush for your reply, clearly as I am just replying to this!
I feel ya though. When I went to school and worked full time together it was the hardest months of my life. Hang in there and if you need support, you know I”m here!
Great Post Laura!
Now is not the right time for me to look for a new job. I would be doing it for the wrong reasons.
Now is the right time for me to focus on my diet and fitness
You can only fit so much into a day and all the things you do you should want to do for some reason or other.
If it is the right time for a change you will make the time to make the change.
This was a good reminder for me. It made me think about why I am not doing some things I would like to do. It doesn’t mean I won’t do them, its just not the time yet
Wonderful blog, Laura! I think you should write a book.
It would probably help a LOT of people out.
I’m glad you posted this though, because I’ve been trying to channel this for myself for a while now. I finalllly graduated with my BA in December, so being too busy with school instead of eating right, planning, grocery shopping,exercising just wasn’t an option to say. Then I was busy working a crappy part-time job and searching for a full time job ALL the time. I used that as an excuse to not always make the best choices. But now…. Now I’ve been in my FT job for 4 months and I’m really putting a focus on taking care of me. I work 9-6, Mon-Fri– that leaves plenttty of room for focusing on my health and well-being. Anyway, great attitude and great ideas here.
loved this post, especially the part about not kidding yourself about how busy you are and making sacrifices when necessary.
Agree completely!! Timing is everything! Right now I am at a place where I have the time and the extra cash for the pricey gym membership. The time is right for me to invest the money and time into going to the gym everyday for spin, cardio machines, group classes, etc. While it’s something I have always wanted to do, a year ago wasn’t the right time. In fact it would have stressed me the eff out!
There will always be time for a half marathon! Good for you for recognizing that you have to prioritize and find balance. It’s tough to do.
Awesome post!! So many people don’t look at what is going on in their lives before they make a commitment to something. For me, the past month has been very stressful and incredibly busy (I moved, started a new job and am still going to school), so I put my workouts on the back burner until I get things situated… which is now, so I am gearing back up again. But I believe that the key to an overall healthy lifestyle is knowing when to step back in some areas and push forward in others to maintain balance (and sanity).
Michelle I agree with you whole heartily! I’m so glad you have some extra time to get back on those workouts
The gym will always be there, that’s the nice thing about it even when you need to step away for a while!
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