Time Flies - Are you having Fun?
How many times have we heard or rather said to ourselves or someone else, "How am I going to find the time"? Other popular statements are; "That just won't fit into my schedule" or "Right now I just don't have any room for anything more". These are all the I am too busy excuses. I know a few people that go to work and go home, do not have kids and do not have any extra activities going on after hours and they tell me they are just too busy. I also knew/know a single Mom of two, who is working 2 jobs, actively involved in her kids sports activities and trained to run a marathon, showing up for runs 3-4 times a week. She was never too busy, to her she was leading a full life.
We all have 24 hours each day to do with what we want. How do we spend our time? Do you feel like you are too busy or do you feel like you are living a full life? I am currently working with a client that came to me to lose a significant amount of weight. She is married, she has 3 kids a full time job and after school activities with her kids that would make your head spin. To lose the weight she wants to lose, she knew she needed to get out and get active and she knew she needed to find the time. She has not only found the time, I would have to say she has created it. She is walking to work which is 3.2 miles round trip. J is running on Saturday mornings with her husband and listen to this, she has created "Bathroom Aerobics". My client is doing squats and lunges and jumping jacks in her office stall type washroom. She has recruited a colleague to join in on the fun and the two of them have created a whole exercise routine to be completed everytime they enter the ladies room. It doesn't stop there, J has reportedly be running to the corner and back during the commercials of The Biggest Loser, which has become her favourite reality tv show. My client is burning over 3000 calories a week by being creative with her time and not falling into the I am too busy trap.
We all need some down time, to regroup from our up time. Downtime does not have to be in front of the television or sitting in your lounge chair for hours everyday. Last week while I was on a hike in Altos Del Maria, one of our hosts commented on how she loves to hike the trail to relax. This is a hike with steps and inclines and declines but to her it is relaxing. After I heard that I started to think and came to realize that swimming and running are my relaxation activities. My 76 year old Dad, hikes on average 5-8km five times a week, as he too finds it extremely relaxing. I know for Allan golf is his relaxation activity and for many of our friends surfing and tennis are their chill out sport.
The word full is the root word of fulfilled. Sitting and watching television or as my Dad used to say contemplating your navel are not fulfilling activities at least they are not for me. Getting up and getting out and participating is what equate to living a full life. Take a look at what you are doing with your time. Start being selective with your activities. Prioritzing your time and the activities that go into your day and saying no to those activities that will make you feel busy is where you need to start. Exercise for me is a top priority. Work of course comes first or rather I try and make it first. My time around work is filled with events and activities that I enjoy, that make me feel productive and alive. These activities will continue to make me a better and fulfilled me. Retired or not, not being able to find time is really only an excuse. If there is something that you have not been doing because you cannot find the time then get out your daily calendar and start finding the time. Your favourite tv show can always be recorded or downloaded at anytime, hey you may find out that you no longer need to watch tv, but again as my Dad used to say, that is all in good time.
Karyn
"People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ~ Abraham Lincoln
www.axislifecoach.com
www.myshoppinggenie.com/karyn
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Karyn Saunders is a Life Coach who lives in Hacienda Pacifica with her
partner; Allan, their 2 cats and Nina their Panamanian Puppy. Karyn has
been on the road to Health and Wellness after she made some crucial life
changes over 12 years ago. Karyn admits: "I was 50lb overweight, a daily
smoker and I knew something had to change". Karyn quickly became active.
She has completed a marathon many triathlons, and you will often find her
out on the golf course, tennis courts, running on the beach with the 6:30am
boot camp crew, or battling the surf with Allan at Playa Serena. Her
passion to living a an active lifestyle has taken her on some fabulous
adventures. "My goal is to help our society see the forest through the
trees when it comes to "Health and Wellness", physically and emotionally. I
have a quality of life that is second to none, and my goal is to help those
that want it too"