Time - It seems as if as we age until retirement there is always more expected of us with less time to do it in. There are more demands on our time from our families and our employers. And these are both important. Add to this that we each have to do our part within society by volunteering or sitting on councils, going to meeting, coaching amateur sports or whatever that is important and we are left with even less time.
Previously I mentioned determining your priorities, putting them in the correct order and assigning time to each accordingly. I won't repeat these points as you've heard them all before. But here's a new angle on this.
Try and figure out what is absolutely essential that you do. For me I don't need to be the one doing any of the following:
* banking
* mailing
* taxes
* GST
* advertising
* marketing
* checking email and voice mail
This is just a sample list. There are lots more things I could add to this list that are business related such as:
* grocery shopping
* paying bills
* housework
* yard work
* meal preparation
The point is that I could quickly and easily find 5-10 hours a week between all the things I do that don't absolutely have to be done by me. A colleague refers to this as figuring out what is your '5%'. What he means is that as soon as you determine what is essential that you do, this is your 5%.
And you know what is interesting about figuring out your 5%? There are probably things on your list that you think absolutely have to be done by you but don't need to be. So your 5% may in fact be your 25 or 50%. Whatever. The point is you can find someone else to help you or you can hire some to do a lot of the things on your plate to free up some time.
Nutrition - This is where most fail. And for a couple of main reasons. One is that they don't know what to eat so they choose poorly. Or they know what to eat yet for whatever reason choose poorly anyway. The solution to both is the same.
Having a meal plan prevents you from not knowing what to eat. It prevents you from going to the grocery store and aimlessly searching the aisles for healthy food that will jump into your cart. It prevents you from getting home from work every day and not knowing what you will have for dinner. It prevents you from going to work without a healthy lunch. It prevents you from wasting time on prepping foods that could be used for multiple meals throughout the week. For example vegetables chopped and prepped on Sunday can be used for salads every night the following week. As well, they can be added to a stir fry. And the chicken you grill while chopping vegetables can be served as a grilled breast one night and chopped up for the stir fry later in the week.
You've probably heard the expression 'prior planning prevents poor performance'. Well this holds true with nutrition as well. Know which day of the week you do your grocery shopping. Know which meals you are going to make. Buy the foods for these meals and do as much of your prep work at this time as well. It will pay itself back in time savings and better nutritional choices during the week many times over.
Training - This is very similar to the nutritional example. Sometimes we are like sheep. If we walk into the gym without a plan we will simply do what everyone else is doing. Which if you go to a gym like a I do you don't want to look like everyone else. This is what a colleague refers to as the 180 Principle. If the members of your gym are not the physical specimens gracing the covers of fitness magazines then do the opposite of what they are doing. For example:
* If everyone is doing cardio then lift weights.
* If everyone is using machines then use free weights.
* If everyone is doing slow, low-intensity training look to up the tempo and be explosive.
* If everyone is moving forward and back (sagittal plane) look to move side to side or rotate (frontal and transverse planes).
Make sense?
And you know what else? Consistency will get you results. If you have a program that you follow consistently and work at it you will get better results than not following a program and being inconsistent with your training.
Two of the three points above are provided to everyone in the Year Long Training Program. Each of them has 2 weeks full of meals to follow so as to never wonder what they will eat. As well, they all have 5 days per week of progressive gym workouts that guide them safely towards their goals.
In the next week I will be sending out the next phase of the Year Long Training Program workouts. This is a 12 week training program that includes whole body workouts to add lean mass and burn fat.
If you are interested in getting on board with the Year Long Training Program let me know.
All the best.
Chris
okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'
250.212.2972
Finding the Time to Work Out
