If you’re the type of person who never seems to have time to go to the gym because of your busy schedule, we’ve got some ideas that will help you get more organized so you can free up valuable time and get a few good workouts in each week. Even if you can’t travel to exercise for one reason or another, you’ll find ways to make the most of the time you have at home to workout. You can even get outdoors and spend some time doing physical activities alone or with your family as a way of strengthening muscles and burning excess calories.
The excuse that “you don’t have time,” will no longer fly because you’ll have a much more streamlined schedule to work with that makes your health and fitness a priority. After all, how else do you plan on running at breakneck speed and filling your calendar to the brim for years at a time? If your health fails, you’ll be hard-pressed to do many of the things you considered a priority.
Find Your Rhythm and Flow
Everyone experiences their rhythm and flow. They’ve developed tools and systems that help them make the most of their waking hours and know what times of day they’re most productive. If you’re one of those people who seems to do more than you thought was humanly possible because you’re able to take advantage of your premium hours of the day, this article isn’t for you.
If you could use some help being more organized and efficient, we certainly can relate and have some tips that may help. You’ll be able to make more progress on your fitness goals because they’ll remain a priority despite how busy your schedule currently is. There’s no excuse when you can restructure your days and delegate specific tasks to other people who can help you manage your time better.
Things You Can Do to Have a More Efficient and Productive Week
There are many ways you can save you and your family time and energy. Among the easiest is to plan. Always anticipate the next day’s activities, so you’re aware of what needs to be done to be ready for them.
Some of the suggestions that we find helpful are to plan your outfits for the week, meal prep as often as possible, and breakdown your biggest projects and tasks into smaller actionable steps. If you can do anything on your to-do list in just a few minutes, get it out of the way first thing.
Plan What You’ll Wear for the Whole Week
Do laundry once a week and plan all of your outfits for working out, going to work or school, and even for special occasions. Group them in your closet so you can grab everything at once and go. You can use different colors of hangers to signify the seven days of the week or mark them with colored washi tape as a way of identifying the clothing quickly.
If you have children that have a hard time getting out the door for school, this is a great place to start in getting them moving first thing in the morning. Having them pick out outfits for the week, and placing them in the closet where they can reach them ensures that they waste no time trying on outfits and discarding them onto the floor. You’ll have less mess to contend with at the end of the day by applying this simple tip to your weekly routine.
Cook Once and Eat Twice Always
Meal prep for the entire week so that you cook once and eat at least twice. Have some standby recipes that are easy to throw in a slow cooker and come home to. On the days where you’ve run out of prepped food, opt to eat something cold and instantly available such as fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, cold cuts, cheese, and hardboiled eggs.
Invest in grab-and-go storage containers and never let them remain empty long. You’ll free up hours each week by doing this and always have access to healthy meals and snacks. You won’t be stuck eating something that’s not on your diet because you had no other option to grab fast food.
Knock Out the Smallest Tasks on Your To-Do List First
You may schedule your day to the minute. You may also be looser in your approach to structuring your day but know that it’s going to be busy. Writing out what needs to be done the night before allows you to identify gaps in your scheduling.
It helps you know precisely when you can or cannot do something. To make the most of each day, make sure to identify your most important tasks of the day. Then, break them down into individual steps.
If you can do something in less than five minutes, do it, and cross it off the list. You’d be surprised at how much you’ll accomplish by simply dividing up the biggest tasks needing to be done and making them appear less daunting. If you can call, send an email or schedule an appointment from your phone in no time flat, do it, and move onto the next thing commanding your time.
Get More Done in Less Time by Being Extremely Organized
You can experience a more productive day, week, and month by capitalizing on your most energetic hours and doing your three most important tasks first. Anything that requires five minutes of your attention or less should get your immediate attention. Larger projects with specific goals can be broken down into bite-sized tasks that contribute to your overall productivity.
Avoiding time-wasters and distractions also allows you to free up more of your schedule for working out. Be mindful not to spend too much time on your phone or computer. Make it a point to focus on the things you want to get done as much as the things you need to do.
