It’s the #1 reason everyone has for not doing something they know they should – “I don’t have time to work out.”

Whether you’re looking to start a workout routine, adopt a healthier diet, or begin any new habit that requires time and effort the first reason people give for falling off the program is that they just don’t have the time to work out. You’ve probably heard or said it yourself. I have a saying that reflects this for most people: “It’s not that you don’t have the time, it’s that you’re not willing to make the sacrifice.”

Think back to when you were a kid or if you have kids currently. When it was time for bed, you probably fought brushing your teeth like you were defending the Alamo. Now you wouldn’t go a day without brushing your teeth. I don’t know a single adult that despises oral hygiene to that extent. I’ve had plenty of nights when I was so exhausted that I couldn’t fathom taking 5 minutes to brush my teeth. But I did it anyway. It’s an ingrained part of my day. It would feel weird not to do it.

You’ll Find the Time You Need

Think back to when you were in high school. Your curfew probably felt way too early. You didn’t have enough time to hang out with your friends. How great does an imposed curfew sound today?

Now think about college. An 18-hour semester was a really full schedule. Throw a 20-hour a week part-time job or sports on top of that and you probably felt incredibly overwhelmed. Can you imagine how easy an 18-credit hour semester would be today?

Now think about your first job out of college. You probably gained a little autonomy, had daily – maybe weekly – deadlines, and managed your own schedule for the first time ever. You didn’t have a ton of responsibility, probably got some health insurance, and had some decent PTO. Compared to that 18 hour semester, a 40-hour work week and a full inbox felt insanely busy.

Think about the first promotion you got after that first job. You probably started managing people and became a non-exempt employee. Now, you leave when the work is done not when the clock strikes 5 o’clock. You answer emails from home, go in on some weekends, and can’t seem to find time to use your PTO. You probably regularly put in some 60 hour week. This is busy.

If you have kids, think about that first year. You probably slept 3-4 hours a night and still put in 60-hour work weeks. You cook a separate meal for the kids, shop for them, cart them around to appointments, and find time for their extra-curricular activities. Looking back on time before kids, you have no idea what you with all that free time.

You Have Time

The point of this thought experiment is to look back on all the stages of your life. In each stage, you felt as though your current schedule and responsibilities were the maximum amount that you could handle. Then, you move on to the next stage of life and the discomfort forces you to adapt and realize that you can make time for things that are important.

So, it stands to reason that right now – in this very instant – you are capable of more than you are doing. Regardless of your life stage, you have the ability to adapt your schedule. You’ve probably done it 3 or 4 times throughout your life and you’re capable of doing it again. The difference between being forced to adapt and choosing to adapt is that you’ll always find a reason to not do the latter. Getting a new job forces you to adjust your schedule. Having kids certainly forces you to find time. Starting a business mandates you to become more productive.

When it comes to nutrition and exercise, the only thing that will force you to adapt is a major medical event. My hope is that it doesn’t take a heart attached or Type II diabetes diagnosis to force you to adapt. I hope you choose to adapt. I hope that you opt to wake up an hour early, scramble some eggs, and do some burpees. After 12 weeks you’ll realize that you actually do have time and that you’re actually more productive and judicious with the hours that you do have.

We all have the same 24 hours, after all.

We talk about goals all. the. time.

• I want to get in shape
• I want to eat healthier
• I want to do better in my career
• I want to be more available to my family
• I want to travel more

And this list goes on and on.

Most of you can identify the fault in these goal types.

We’ve all heard of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Focused, and Time Bound. In these previous examples, the goals aren’t specific, measurable, or time bound. Perhaps we can guess the results, but even that is a bit difficult to ascertain.

So, let’s turn one of these into a SMART goal.

“I want to get in shape” isn’t exactly a great goal. Let’s tweak it a little: “I want to lose 20 pounds by my honeymoon in 6 months.” We’re getting somewhere now.

• 20 pounds – Specific & Measurable
• 6 months – certainly Attainable and Time-Bound
• Honeymoon – Results-Focused

But I still hate this goal.

When an athlete comes to workout for the hour It’s not just an hour of exercise. It’s EVERYTHING that goes into that hour. We’re asking people to:

• Wake up earlier
• Pack a gym bag
• Purchase workout clothes
• Be better time managers
• Pack a lunch
• Skip happy hour
• Adjust their kids’ schedules
• Communicate their schedules with their significant other
• Invest money today that will not see a return for 30+ years
• And this list goes on and on…

It’s daunting to think about, but what if we changed our “goals” to embrace the process of their attainment? We’d probably be a lot more resilient as humans and have the tools to tackle any new goal going forward.

Going back to our “20 pounds by my honeymoon example,” this looks like: 

• I will wake up at 5:30am Monday-Friday and work out first thing in the morning.
  • Don’t leave this till the end of your day – you won’t do it.
• I will eat a breakfast I made and pack a lunch and snacks everyday of the week.
• I will not schedule lunch meetings and happy hours.
• I will be in bed by 10:00 every night.
• I will spend at least 20 minutes everyday reducing stress, practicing mindfulness, or meditating.

Feels pretty extreme when you put it that way, right? 

It’s difficult to look at the process on the front end of change. It’s much easier to simply say “I want to lose 20 pounds” without examining the work you’ll need to do to achieve that goal. But acknowledging and embracing the process on the front end will immunize you from the inevitable “I don’t have time…” that will come up about 3 weeks into your life change. By embracing the requisite process of change you’ve built in the time and effort component. You’ve made time, eliminating the need to find it.

Don’t fool yourself – this will be very uncomfortable at first. But, you’ll eventually wear this process like a badge of honor. You’ve crossed over into the group that makes time, delays gratification, and embraces the process. You’ll experience small victories along the way that will make the journey of change worth every second.