Why Saying You Don’t Have Time Is an Excuse, and How to Prioritize Yourself First

Although we live in a society that often tries to strive away from selfishness, there are certain times that focusing on yourself should be placed at the top of your priority list—and one of those times is when you’re working on your health.Everyday Commitment to Better HealthFocusing on bettering your health and quality of life can account for a few different aspects—from the food you eat to how many hours of quality sleep you get in, from hydrating adequately to getting in enough movement in your day.Each of these aspects can make a huge difference when it comes to quality of life but can often take a backseat when it comes to priority in your everyday schedule.A major one that often gets overlooked is your daily movement or exercise. Unfortunately, if you‘re ignoring your body’s need for movement, you’re also missing out on all the benefits of exercise on the human body and mind! Why We Stray AwayWhen taking a look at the reasons why the average person doesn’t work out enough, one of the major ones is that there’s not enough time.Every single person has the same 24 hours in a day to set their days in motion—from cooking meals, working, appointments, school, and so many other commitments—finding “enough time” to work out shouldn’t be rocket science.It all boils down to: if you’re making fitness and health a priority—and—finding out just how much is “enough” time.Why Not Having Enough Time Is Not A Good ExcuseIf you’re saying you don’t have enough time in your schedule to work out, we may believe you now—but actually, you’re more in control of your schedule than you think. Which may mean that you’ve got some rearranging to do.Here are are some hard truths to help you get that time you need to focus on working out:

1. Get ahead of procrastination: One of the strongest examples of procrastination is actually this illusion of the New Year’s Resolution.

Committing to start a fitness goal in months’ time or putting it off to the start of the new year is giving yourself a “solid” excuse to procrastinate. Although this resolution is a public norm to achieve your goals, it is hindering you to actually commit and start on your goals today.Beating procrastination means prioritizing and working on your time management.

2. Redefine what “busy” means: Although it may seem like you can‘t spare a moment to do low-priority (but still important commitments or tasks), you’ll make or find the time when it comes to something pleasant, like seeing a loved one, catching up on your favorite show or going out to dinner with your spouse?

This is another reason why you should buckle down on your sense of time management—if you can make time for fun things in your “busy” schedule, you can find the time to set aside for your health.

3. Set your priorities: If you make fitness and health a top priority in your life, you’ll find the time and get it done.

How to Re-Prioritize Your LifeSo, ready to re-organize the important things in your daily life? Setting the time aside to workout can help you make the decision—every day—can help you prioritize your health.Here’s how you can re-prioritize:

1. Make a list of your top priorities. Generally, your list will most likely have a mixture of work, family, and basic health needs like eating, sleeping, and resting.

Obviously, most of the things on this list are going to be high-priority since they are related to the basic needs of survival.If you add fitness and health to this list, you’ll start to figure out how to pencil it into your schedule.

2. Find a workout that you actually like. Don’t you think you would be much more inclined to get your workout in if you actually enjoyed doing it?

Finding a type of exercise you like will help you feel much more motivated to fit it into your schedule every day—you might even get to a point where you’ll be looking forward to working out!

3. Stick to it long enough to make it a habit. If you push through the first few days or weeks when you’ve decided to integrate daily or weekly workouts into your schedule, you’ll get over the hill—and the hard part.

This commitment to change can help you make it a habit, which helps you become more consistent. Consistency in workouts means that you’ll be able to really reap the benefits of your workout, which will help make you a healthier, happier person.

4. Be selfish, for once. It’s easy to get off-track, with all the everyday responsibilities you may have—especially if you have a family to take care of (even if it’s just fur-babies).

You have to set aside time for your mental and physical health to help you not only stay healthy and happy, but also prioritize your own health over others—because if you’re not healthy, you won’t be able to take care of others you love!Sometimes, that priority might actually be a lot easier than you think. If you look at it as a huge change in your lifestyle, you might feel overwhelmed, which might stop you from committing.However, if you break it down to small commitments to invest yourself every day—from exercising regularly, to eating right, staying hydrated, and getting adequate rest—all the small commitments will reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.What does a healthy lifestyle look like?Fewer injuries, less pain, fewer sick days, and an overall better outlook—and quality of your everyday life.Sound like a good deal? All it takes is the discipline of a few, small commitments every single day, which turn into habits which help you live your best and healthiest life.