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Do any of these sound familiar? "I'm just too busy." "I don't have enough money." We've all said things like this at some point in our lives as excuses for not making choices to improve our health and fitness.
A lack of resources, whether time, money or something else, is often what we think is holding us back from becoming our best selves.
But what if I told you that you DO have the time and money to invest in your wellbeing - you might just be allocating those precious resources in the wrong places.
Today, we're going to do a simple but powerful activity to help you break out of the "not enough" mindset and start making positive changes.
Grab a pen and paper, and let's get started!
We Are the Sum of Our Actions
The philosopher Aristotle once said: "We are what we repeatedly do." In other words, we are the cumulative result of our past actions up until this moment.
Sure, there are factors outside our control, but our daily habits and choices have an enormous impact in shaping who we are, especially when it comes to health and fitness.
Any action we take is an investment in a future reality.
If you see a fit, healthy person, you intuitively understand that they got there through consistent actions over time - working out, eating nutritious foods, getting proper sleep and hydration.
But the reverse is also true: any results you currently have that you're unhappy with can be traced back to past actions you've taken.
We often focus on the healthy habits we know we should ADD to get in better shape - more exercise, more vegetables.
But today, I want to flip that script.
Let's examine the things you're currently doing that may be leading you away from your goals.
Quantify Your Investments
To make this exercise really hit home, we're going to quantify your daily actions in a tangible way by looking at how you spend your two most precious resources: time and money.
I bet if you showed me your calendar and your bank statement, I could tell you exactly how you're doing in terms of health and fitness!
So let's break it down:
Track Your Time Over the next week, write down how you spend your time each day. How many hours go to work, sleep, errands and other essential activities. But also note how much time goes to things like:
Netflix binges
Video games
Social media scrolling
Hanging out at bars
Any other activity that is making you less healthy
Be honest with yourself. This isn't about judging your choices, but about gaining awareness.
For example, let's say you watch Netflix for just 1 hour per day on average. Over a year, that adds up to 365 hours!
Think of what you could accomplish for your wellbeing if you reinvested even a fraction of that time into meal prepping or working out with a trainer.
Follow the Money Next, print out your monthly bank statement and go through it line by line. Highlight any expenses related to things that aren't serving your health goals, like:
Less healthy snack food and soda
Alcohol
Restaurant meals and takeout
Streaming services and subscriptions
Again, you don't need to cut these out completely, but consider what percentage of your budget is going to items that, when you're really honest, are holding you back.
If you're spending $100 on dinner and drinks every weekend, that's over $5000 per year! Imagine if you reinvested even a portion of that money into a nutrition coach or home exercise equipment. Small shifts can add up to major results.
Your Smallest Next Step
I hope this exercise has opened your eyes to the power you have to vote for the future you want with your time and money.
The goal isn't to overhaul your entire life overnight - it's to make the smallest possible step in the direction of positive change.
Slowly but surely, these little investments will compound into a fitter, more energized, more confident version of yourself.
Remember, you are the sum of your actions - so make them count!
If you need help establishing an action plan, I'm here for you.
Reach out anytime and we'll walk through this process together and get you on the path to being your healthiest self.
You've got this!