I was recently contacted by a college acquaintance whom I haven't seen or spoken to in more than two decades. We exchanged a few messages before he hit me with a comment I have heard many times before: I don't know how you find the time to stay in such great shape.
While I can appreciate that such a comment is meant to be complimentary, it's also grating in its suggestion that I have some unique ability to create or "find" time that others don't have.
There are many subjective elements in life. However, when it comes to time, it doesn't get more cut and dried: we all have the same number of hours in a day. Twenty-four hours.
That's all the time any of us have on any given day to accomplish all the tasks on our never-ending to-do lists. "Finding the time" to stay in shape simply comes down to where exercise falls on the priority list. If you want something badly enough, you will "find" the time to do it. Want to go on that cruise or Disney World vacation? You will block that week on your calendar. Want to see that football game or concert? Done.
Want to go to happy hour or lunch with friends? No problem.
Want to go for a 30-minute run before or after work?
Wait. What? Impossible. Suddenly there is simply not enough time in the day.
The wanting is what is key. Many of us want to stay in shape, lose a few pounds, train for a 5K, look good in a bathing suit. But far fewer want to put in the time and effort it takes to achieve those goals. And exercise also lacks the instant gratification found in many other endeavors. That happy hour cocktail will be in your hand mere minutes after walking into that bar or restaurant, and the peace and relaxation found on vacation is yours for the taking the instant your toes hit the sand.
But crossing that finish line or fitting into those jeans will take weeks, even months, of hard work and dedication to see results and experience satisfaction.
And, sure, life is full of a constant stream of obstacles and responsibilities that seem designed to keep us from reaching our fitness goals. The real challenge is to separate the obstacles from the excuses. A good place to start is to make a list of your top daily priorities and how much time each task takes.
Then take an honest look at how each day is spent. Making time for fitness can be as simple as getting up 30 minutes earlier, or deciding to hit the treadmill instead of the couch for the next episode of "The Bachelor" or "Monday Night Football," or going for a walk during your child's soccer practice instead of sitting in a camp chair and scrolling through social media, wondering how others find the time to stay in shape.
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