The familiar sentence “I’m so busy, I don’t have time” seems to be a status symbol of our times! We’ve all said it before and there are many reasons why! But is this line really valid or just a big fat lie
Nobody is too busy to do the things they really want to do – if an invite suddenly arrived on your desk for a 3 hour one on one coaching session with Richard Branson – would you say, “I’m too busy – I don’t have time”? Of course you wouldn’t – so what does this show? It highlights that busyness can mix up priorities. Yes, we can all be busy, our day full but is it a day of power and achievement, a day of the key priorities?
Sometimes saying “I don’t have time” is a guilt free way to get out of something without offending the person who has engaged with you or it is an easy excuse to have with yourself to get out of something!
- If you don’t have enough time to exercise, is it Ok to feel sluggish and tired each day.
- If you don’t have enough time to prepare healthy meals, is it ok to accept yet another night of takeaways?
- If you don’t have time to clean the house, is it ok to live in a dirty house?
- If you don’t have time for your significant other is it OK to blame them for the relationship breakdown or lack of intimacy?
- If you don’t have time to look for a new job and progress your career is it OK to accept the job you currently dislike and just put up with it?
Because often this is what you are suggesting by saying you don’t have time!
Here’s a challenge for you… Starting from today, you are no longer allowed to say the words: “I don’t have time’ or “I’m too busy”
Instead, you will say, “It’s not a priority”
Very quickly this change in language will be making you squirm and make you re look at your priorities! It will be a major reset on your day and week!
Because in essence this is what you are suggesting:
I don’t have time to go to the gym – becomes exercising my body isn’t a priority! Or
I don’t have time to make healthy meals becomes eating healthily isn’t a priority for me.
Perhaps in a weeks time, I don’t have time or I’m too busy will erased from your vocabulary!
Remember you have 168 hours in a week and time is a precious resource that is often undervalued. How will you spend those hours? Keep a journal for a week of how you spend your time, try it in 30 minute increments…..after a week add up where it was spent including sleeping and eating. You will be surprised how much time is spent on your computer surfing, social media, Netflix or TV, idle chat, idle desk time, driving etc. It will be enough to make you re look at your priorities!
Remember exercise can just be 20 minutes a day, so saying I don’t have time, really?????
So what are your priorities? What will help your life flourish? What is important from a wellbeing success point of view?
