Some Time Management advice: Your Key to Weight Loss

Some Time Management advice: Your Key to Weight Loss

 

My secret to “getting it all done.”

I just recently had a conversation with my sister that I believe holds true for many of us.

After we both discussed our endless to-do lists, what we just HAD to accomplish on a daily basis, and our need to take care of ourselves, my sister finally broke down and said,

“I just can’t do it all!”

Have you ever had a moment like this? Where you look at the daunting to do list you’ve created for yourself and it seems like climbing Mount Everest might be easier to tackle?

Yup, we all do it… especially parents. We want a lot for ourselves and we want a lot for our children so we give ourselves more tasks than an army can handle.

And to top it all off, "lack of time" is one of the top reasons (or excuses) for many people when asked, "what is getting in the way of your weight loss goals?"

Why is that? Is it because you really don't have the time, or is it because you aren't making the time to fit healthy eating into your routine?

Well luckily for my sister (and now for you) I’m a bit of a time management expert. Okay, this is self-proclaimed, but I think I can live up to that title with how effectively I run my life each day.

You see I’ve always had a real passion for figuring out how to get more done is less time. It started as far back as in high school when my dad told me I could keep my job at the GAP only if I kept my grades up.  Because working at the GAP was super cool and gave me money to buy my own clothes, I strategically had to manage my time in order to get all my school work done, get all my chores done at home (which were a lot) and get to my job on time… oh yeah, and I think I also tried to sleep somewhere in there, too.

Fast forward many, many years later and I had to take my time management skills to a whole new level when I was writing and developing what is now the outside Diet program while concurrently running my own personal training and nutrition business. I was able to see an average of 8 clients and write every single day.

But that was not the most challenging.

I really, and I mean really, had to step up my game once kids came into the picture (I can see all the parents nodding their heads now). Kids will require you to take time management to the “expert” level if you really want to get anything done throughout the day. I don’t mean this statement to be negative, it’s really just a simple fact. Kids require a lot of your time, as do your health and weight loss goals, so how do you “do it all” as my sister asked?

Reaching your goals – including your health and weight loss goals – begins with time management.

Here are the following strategies I use on a weekly basis in order to accomplish my personal, career, and health goals. You don’t need to implement every single one of these at once for your days to become more effective, so start with the one you think you can easily implement first.

1.  Wake up early.

This right here is my secret sauce, my magic bullet, and the strategy that works for me the absolute best. In the quiet hours of the morning I get more done in 2 hours than I do the rest of the day. That seems like a pretty bold statement but it proves to be true over and over again. I wake up between 4-4:30am and get started on my tasks right away. Now, you may not need to wake up that early (remember, I have 2 toddlers, a husband, and a business to run, all while fitting in exercise and healthy eating each and every day).

Maybe just waking up a little bit earlier than you are right now might do the trick. What can you accomplish when the rest of the world is asleep? Well, I’m writing this newsletter right now and its only 5:15 am. I’ve already put in a load a laundry and completed a business document that is due today. After I’m done with this newsletter, I'll get in a 30 minute workout, eat a healthy breakfast, and get myself ready for a few hours of homeschooling before my afternoon meetings. Yup, jam packed, so managing my time is really a must.

2.  Plan your week. Plan each day.

By suggesting you get better at managing your time, I am in no way implying that I want you to rush through your day. Actually, it’s my goal to teach you to do just the opposite. I want you to go about your tasks in a peaceful way so as not to be that crazed person running out the door, madly searching for your keys, while screaming at your kids (and yes, I have had these moments too). If you plan each day ahead of time and leave a little room for setbacks and unexpected events, you will be able to accomplish a lot on any given day.

For me, I take about 1-2 hours on Saturday or Sunday and I write out what my goals are for the week (2 newsletters, 5 workouts, 4 different meetings with certain staff members, each week is different) and I then go into my online calendar and put everything on the calendar…. yes, even my workouts! This really helps me stay focused throughout the day so I’m never asking myself, “What should I be doing right now?” I also plan meals and snacks for the week. I always have leftover dinner for lunch so as long as I plan out what we’re eating each day, lunch is always taken care of.

3.  Be flexible, but not too flexible.

Hey, life happens. Your schedule will not always be perfect. If you come to terms with the fact that this will undoubtedly happen, you won’t be so frustrated when it does. When my kids were infants, my schedule was derailed a lot, but because I’m a master planner, even accomplishing 50% of my to-do list was better than what would have happened if I had not planned at all.

Be sure to respect your schedule and follow it, but when you need to be a little flexible and move things around, that is still okay.

Remember, I want you to be strategic with your time, not hurried, rushed or stressed. I truly believe that if you have a game plan for each day you will be less hurried and stressed and will feel more peaceful as you go about your day. And to bring you even more peace, "being healthy" is something that will become habitual and part of your daily routine and much more attainable once you make time for it. 

If meal planning is a stressful part of your day, I've got you covered. Let me take care of creating your shopping lists, healthy snacks, and quick-and-easy meals every week (and ensure they are all a delicious part of your Beyond Diet weight loss plan).