Truth time. Most of you lie. You keep saying you don’t have time. In fact, when it comes to fitness, family, and faith, this is the number one excuse we hear. Well if fitness, family, and faith are the three most important things in your life, and you don’t have time for them, then today’s main question is: What The Heck Are You Doing With Your Time?!

Reality check. It’s time to do a time check.

I’m guilty. I used to try to lie to myself too and still sometimes do.  So I want to share a tactic I use to get myself out of this demobilizing trap.

I want to challenge you today to do my Uncommon Workout: The Triple AAA Time Inventory:

  1. Become AWARE of how you use your time by taking a time inventory.
  2. ACCEPT responsibility for how you’re using your time.
  3. AWAKEN/TAKE ACTION to change how you use your time so you can become more effective and efficient, especially in regards to the investment into your marriage.

Triple AAA Time Inventory 3 Steps

Step 1: Awareness

Take a few minutes to REFLECT on how you use your time daily. How much do you work? How much down-time do you have? How do you fill it? What do you do with your mornings? Your evenings? What’s on your to-do list? What do you put on your schedule? What should be on your schedule?

So often we spew out the initial reaction of “I don’t have time!” before we stop and think about what we’re really saying. You don’t have time but you watch a television series every night. You don’t have time but you went out drinking with your buddies. You don’t have time but you watched three football games over the weekend. Really, you don’t have time?

Step 2: Accept

What we need to do is STOP and CATCH ourselves and say, “I do have time. I just choose to use it for other things right now, like…”

There’s a saying that goes, “Show me your to-do list, your bank account, and your time inventory, and I’ll show you what you value and have time for.”

Step 3: Awaken/Take Action

Then you have to make a decision to change your daily activities so that your behaviors match your words and goals. What do you really value? How bad do you want it? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get there?

A few years ago I was talking with a Christian brother about my marriage struggles. He shared that one of the most important things to institute in a marriage is date nights. Here’s how the conversation went.

Me: “I don’t have time.”

My Christian brother: “What do you mean you don’t have time? You don’t have time for your marriage?”

Me: “No. We have two small kids. I’m trying to build my business. I work all the time. I can barely get my workouts in. When am I supposed to find time?”

My Christian brother: “So what you’re telling me is you don’t care about your marriage?”

Me: “Yes I do.”

My Christian brother: “Then why would you schedule everything else before quality time with your wife?” Your priorities are messed up. And if you’re telling me you can’t make date nights mandatory, then you’re telling me you don’t value your marriage.”

It was a major gut check and I’ll be honest, my wife and I still catch ourselves saying we don’t have time for date nights to this day. That’s when we have to re-evaluate our time inventory and figure out how to make breathing room. It’s not always ideal and it takes some creativity. But if we just keep using the excuse that we don’t have time, then we aren’t accepting responsibility for how we use our time. And that is never healthy nor productive.

Don’t take my word for it. Take a time inventory today. Accept responsibility for how you use your time and make a choice to change it. I dare you.

And it may just be an absolute game-changer for you and everyone in your life.

#ItsNotAboutUs

Coach Theo