Three Simple Ways to Fit in Athletic Goals within a Busy Lifestyle

If you are like me, you are busy. Whether you are a stay at home mom, work from home, work out of the home, or are a student, life is full (and usually in the best way possible.) But there is really no way around it, life is busy and it can be hard to ‘find,’ the time to fit in athletic goals, or  really any goals in general. But, what I’ve found is that we do have enough time, it simply is making it a priority to properly manage the 24 hours we all do have.

I hear a lot from athletes (of all ages), “I just don’t have enough time,” “I’m just so busy,” etc. but I want to suggest, if it is important enough you can find the time. And I want to give you a few, practical ways to find that time. I know, from experience, just how much work this takes. After having Benaiah, I realized just how much different I had to approach my running/fitness regime. I didn’t have the luxury anymore of being able to run/workout whenever I wanted to. I had to make the time and find the time in the day. And with enough effort, I did find the time and trained for my first full marathon and ran it, almost exactly 1 year postpartum. The funny thing? I felt like I didn’t ‘have the time,’ before Benaiah. But, after Benaiah, life was a lot more full and I trained for a marathon? How does this work? I think, that it can all boil down to

  1. Determining your core values/goals
  2. Being aware of where your time is actually going
  3. Finding something that lights you up

This may seem a little vague, so let me break this down for you.

First off, let’s talk about core values. Basically, core values are what is most important to you. What drives you? What makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning? What lights you up? What are things you KNOW that the Lord has burdened you with? Having core values has helped me not only manage my time, but my activities SO much the past couple of months and has helped me feel like my days have alignment, direction, and purpose. For example, have you ever gotten to the end of a day and felt like, “I was so busy today, but I have no idea what with.”? And even worse, “I don’t feel like I have anything to show for my business,”? I totally get the feeling of being so ‘busy,’ all day long, but not productive. And it is so easy to do, especially in this information age where we are continually surrounded by noise and things demanding our attention. A simple practice that I have started implementing into my routine is to reflect on my core values and use it as a check point to make sure that my activities align with my core values. For example, my core values are:

  1. My faith in Jesus and love/devotion for and to Him
  2. My family/relationships with others
  3. Running/fitness
  4. Discipline
  5. Impact on others through coaching, blogging and other platforms.

Having these values helps me determine simple choices like: should I spend time on my phone now or play with Benaiah (i.e. if my core value is to have a good relationship with my family then I shouldn’t be on my phone, even if it seems important or fun.” or I don’t feel like working out.” But if my core value is fitness/discipline > I should practice what is important to me, no matter how I feel. And then I know that my daily actions (little and big) are aligning with my core desires/values/goals.

Secondly, I have found it mind blowing if I take time to really do some introspection and realize just how much time is going where. If you have an Iphone, click on the tab, “Setting,” and then click on the tab, “Battery,” and you can see just how much of your time is going where. When I first did this, I saw that in one week, I spent 6.5 hours on Instagram. Guys, that’s almost a 8 hour shift! What would happen if I cut down to 4 hours? What could I do with that other 2.5 hours? If you realize just how much time you are spending doing activities that may or may not be helping you reach your goals, you will be better equipped to know how to manage the time well. We all have 24 hours in a day, it is how we use the time that sets people apart. If you can manage your time well, and devote your time to doing things that are important to you and productive and fruitful, think of how much different life could look like. If fitness/running is important to you, but you don’t feel like you have time, take a hard look at how much time you are spending doing other things and where you time is truly going. I’m guessing, but I bet you can find an extra, even 30 minutes, you could devote towards a run or workout! Get creative and be honest with yourself.

Lastly, find something you LOVE. Not everyone will be a runner. That is okay. Not everyone will be a Crossfitter. That is okay too. Find something you love, find a goal that lights you up. And chase after it. It will be easier to get out of bed, sacrifice time on Instagram if you have a goal you are chasing after that lights you up when you think about it. Visualize it. See it. And dedicate yourself to it with excellence.

Know this, life is busy and I totally understand how hard it is some days to get everything done. And some days, you don’t and that is okay. But, don’t let that be a reason to settle. Challenge yourself, find something to chase after and run after it with dedication, perseverance and courage.

Have a great Tuesday, friends!