Dearest reader, I hope you’re doing well and having a nice day.
Specifically, by “having a nice day,” I mean “spending your time in an intentional way that reflects your values and goals.”
Now I admit… that latter is kind of a mouthful. But I think we can probably agree that’s a fair definition of a “nice day.”
To be clear, spending time intentionally isn’t synonymous with “being productive” or even dedicated QT with loved ones. Some days we can be intentional about doing nothing, having no plans, and even experiencing (GASP!) boredom.
Being intentional just means you’re personally satisfied with how you’re spending time because you know it’s in line with your values and goals.
And this may be one of the most important focuses for living your Best Life. Because ultimately, time is your only non-renewable personal resource.
It’s easy to feel out of sorts these days. The world is coming back online and some days it feels like a whole lot.
That’s part of why creating a schedule and committing to self-care activities can be so powerful. It gives our life structure. It’s the time management equivalent of “paying yourself first” when you’ve got a lot on your plate.
Here are some best practices to organize your day for fitness success.
Plan Your Day the Night Before
As the saying goes, to fail to plan is to plan to fail. We all know life has a way of offering us daily “surprises,” But rather than being reactive and making decisions on the fly, make a plan for:
- When you’ll workout
- What you’re going to eat
- When you’re going to eat
This isn’t to say you can’t riff or respond to your day. See Point #4! But without some template, your life will feel needlessly chaotic. You’ll be adding a whole other set of decisions to make on top of the normal demands of your day. Make a plan before bed as to how you’ll make time for fitness the following day!
Plan Your Coming Week on the Weekend
Related, it helps to have some sense of what your week will look like in advance. After all, most of us don’t want (or need) to work out every day. Some tasks like grocery shopping are not daily affairs. And while not everyone is into Bulk Cooking Life, most of us benefit from some period of dedicated food prep to make the rest of the week easier, even if it’s just cutting up veggies in advance.
By thinking of the week ahead, you can be strategic about when you have more or less breathing room and plan your week accordingly.
Schedule Your Fitness When It’s Not Likely to Be Interrupted
If you know your work life is wildly unpredictable, adopting a morning workout routine may be a necessary choice to create consistency.
We can and should balance this against your natural rhythms. Some people truly aren’t morning people, and that’s a real consideration. However, if you find your midday or evening workouts get cancelled more than 20% of the time due to the slings and arrows of life, it’s worth considering some morning action.
PRO TIP: Weekend workouts are another great strategy for the 9-5er who often winds up a 9-9er.
Prepare “If-Then” Strategies For Life’s Curveballs
You already have a good idea about what’s going to get in the way of your fitness goals. I’ll bet there are no more than two to three prime offenders that prevent you from eating the way you want or getting in a training session.
While there will always be one-off challenges you genuinely couldn’t have planned for, most of our challenges are predictable and happen over and over again. Take a moment and identify any repeating patterns that prevent you from staying on track. Then design a solution.
In other words:
IF my mid-morning meeting runs late into my lunch and I can’t make (or run out for) my salad…
THEN I will eat my emergency protein bar and nuts I always keep on hand.
Incidentally, this is a research-backed approach. The real magic is creating a contingency plan in advance. Once again, we want to minimize making decisions on the fly so you know how to respond when things inevitably get weird.
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There you have it, gentle reader.
I hope you can take action on the above tips and go forth and make your dreams come true!
WISHING YOU INFINITY,
Mark
PS Are you looking for some accountability and structure to keep up with your fitness during the summer time months?
Want a proven done-for-you system of three weekly virtual workouts, guidance on exactly how to eat for your goals, and weekly check-ins with a nutrition coach?
We’re currently enrolling for our next round of Snatched in Six Weeks @ Home, offered totally online and starting July 12th. Sign up in the next week and save 150 clams.
You see, our body is our first and last and truest friend.