How NOT to Slack-Off
Happy SUMMER!!! It is beyond exciting [to me] that summer is officially here -- however, it's totally crazy that it's already almost July! DUDE. How?!
For many of us, summer ends up being B-U-S-Y. That's not to say every other part of the year is busy for us... but there's something about the increased social commitments, travel, and other factors like kids home from school... that somehow makes summer feel packed with plans, and short on time. I sure wish it didn't seem to fly so fast, and I know you're with me. But even with the increased busy-ness, we HAVE to find a way - and commit to it - to keep our health & fitness a priority.
Easier said than done sometimes, I know. But I'm here to help, and here are my top tips to keep your head in the game, even when it seems impossible to stay above water.
CREATE TIME For tip #1, yes I said it -- you need to CREATE time. We all have 24 hours in a day, and how you use that time is one of the most important factors when it comes to feeling like you're 'short' on time for ____ (fill in the blank). If you're struggling to consistently find time for your workouts & they keep getting pushed off "until tomorrow," I have one powerful suggestion for you: WAKE-UP AND WORKOUT. Get up before your kids. Get up and get it done before work. Simply commit to getting your workout done (whether you create time for 15 minutes or an hour) before the rest of your day happens & causes a million reasons to skip it. That's the BEST PLACE to create time in your day. Not possible for you (for whatever reason)? Think hard about your schedule, and find a place to make it happen. It's not impossible... just might take some thought (and trial & error along the way). Be kind to yourself as you figure it out, and allow for mistakes & flexibility. It's never all-or-nothing, so don't make it that way. We're constantly evolving and changing, so when you're making a new change to your schedule, be sure to give yourself time to adjust. Don't give up immediately when it doesn't work out perfectly right away. Good things always take time.
PLAN AHEAD This goes for your workout (see tip #1), for your food, for anything that is important enough to you to prioritize. Set a schedule. There's a million apps for that! Or if you're great with a paper calendar, use that. It doesn't matter how you plan, the important thing is that you HAVE ONE. Schedule your day, to the best of your ability, from the moment you wake up forward. Put the important things on your calendar. And if your days are the type that consistently keep you on your toes (i.e. ever-changing), be sure to prioritize YOUR WORKOUT first thing (you're sensing my repetition, right?). Also plan ahead when it comes to your meals. That doesn't mean you need to all-out meal prep (see tip #4), but it does mean you need to plan ahead enough to be stocked with healthy, easy-to-grab foods so you're fueling yourself well, and not leaving your health to chance as a day becomes crazy.
BE REALISTIC. This applies to almost anything in life... but when it comes to your fitness, don't over-commit to a workout routine that doesn't make sense. The result of doing this is quite simply discouraging (and no one should bring discouragement / disappointment upon themselves unnecessarily!). If you're a full-time parent / work long hours / etc, it may not be realistic to say you're committing to a 6-day/week workout routine of an hour every day. Nor do you need that to have results / be in great shape! I would encourage you to shoot for 4+ days / week to workout. But the time you have to commit doesn't need to be an hour! Whatever time YOU have time to commit (remember... create the time!) is enough. Make the most of that time. Be committed in that time period. Be focused & efficient. Don't 'walk' through the time... PUSH through it. Give it all you've got and I promise you'll feel AMAZING, whether you have 15 minutes or 45. Not to 'advertise' myself here, but honest-to-goodness, the 15-minute workouts I have created and made available to you are effective, efficient, and you don't need a darn thing to make them happen. Just sayin'.
BE PREPARED [when it comes to food] Whether you decide to make time for 'meal prep,' or you simply stock up at the grocery store with simple, easy to prep/grab, healthy foods... consider it a win. I'm NOT a great meal-prepper. The fullest extent to which I 'prep' my food is grilling all of our chicken / burgers / steak / protein for the week so it's cooked & ready when meal time comes around. That's it. On occasion (usually in the winter), I'll prep with a slow-cooker... but that's pretty much it. I keep my fridge & pantry stocked with things that are quick to prep and provide healthy fuel for my bod. Whatever your strategy (and again... this might take some trial & error to figure that out), commit to it & be prepared!
Do the above to CREATE A HABIT that is nearly impossible to break I know this doesn't seem like much of an independently helpful tip... because it's not. Sorry. But seriously this is the most important tip of them all. In order to be successful, feel good about yourself (truly good!), and know you're doing all that you can to be committed to your health, & wellbeing (both for YOU and for those who LOVE YOU -- because you want to be healthy for them, right??)... you have to create the time, plan ahead, be realistic, & arm yourself with a food prep plan that works for you. If one part of this equation slacks... it can all come crumbling to a halt. And when you consistently make each of these tips happen in your life, you become closer and closer to creating a real HABIT that is UNBREAKABLE. I can't imagine my life any other way than the routine I have built for myself. And you have the power to do the same for your life. I am always here to help, and I'm always hopeful that I can be a source of motivation & how-to to help you along the way.
I wish you nothing but happiness + strength + confidence + health + endurance + fun + smiles. You deserve it all & more. So give yourself the love it deserves. I'm cheering for you!!
Maggie
