Does it ever feel like you’re choosing between making a living, spending time with your family, or your health? It’s like life refuses to allow you happiness in all 3 areas at the same time? You know how important your health is, but after a long day of work you don’t want to sacrifice time with your loved ones to take care of yourself.

But if you don’t make time for yourself now, where will you be 10 years from now? Will you even be healthy enough to work?  Will you be able to run around and play with your kids?  Truth is that making time for ourselves NOW is one of the most important things we can do for our career and loved ones.

This subject hits close to home with a new 3 month old puppy in the house; my meals & workouts typically revolve around when he eats, sleeps and goes out.  That being said, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have been the staple of my diet for the last week and workouts have been at a bare-minimum.  In just one week I can already feel the toll that this lifestyle is taking on my body.  I’m exhausted and irritable, and with a new puppy this is the last thing I want to be.

So how do we find the time in between meetings, potty training, and sleep?

I have listed 9 simple tips to help keep you on track no matter what life is throwing at you.

Nutrition

1. Plan ahead
   The last week proved just how important meal prepping is for a busy lifestyle.  A couple hours preparing food on a Sunday afternoon could save you an extra 10 hours trying to prepare meals throughout the week.  Bake some chicken breasts in bulk, portion out some veggies and nuts, plan out your menu for the week so you’re not reaching for your comfort food as soon as you have a second to breath.
2. 5 ingredient meals
   One thing I’ve learned over the last year is how simple cooking healthy can be.  I found recipes with 5 ingredients or less that I keep on hand at all times so I can whip up something for dinner without having to run all over the town getting the ingredients together.Chicken Fajitas

   Ingredients:
   3 chicken breasts
   2 bell peppers
   2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
   Taco seasoning
   Salt & Pepper
   1 jar salsa

   Directions:
   Preheat oven to 400°F
   Line baking sheet with foil and place chicken breast and bell peppers on foil and drizzle with olive oil
   Sprinkle taco seasoning over both sides of chicken breasts
   Add salt and pepper to bell peppers
   Top each chicken breast with a generous portion of salsa
   Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes
   Rest chicken and cut into strips
   Optional serve with brown rice, corn, black beans

3. Eat real foods
   In today’s society we are flooded with the idea that we can eat whatever we want as long as we stay within a certain caloric quota. Unfortunately all calories are not created equal.  When we’re stressed or busy, the easiest thing to do is just grab a bag of chips or a granola bar and rush out the door.  We attempt to keep ourselves in check by counting calories but the next thing we know we’re hungry 20 minutes later.  Processed foods are more likely to be stored as fat, lead to sugar cravings, and low energy levels.  Fill your plate with nutritious foods first, regulate your appetite, and avoid wasting time running to the vending machine every 30 minutes.

Fitness

1. Be efficientGone are the days when I spent 2-3 hours in the gym twice a day.  Who has time for that?  We’ve been told that we need 150 hours of moderate exercise each week OR 75 hours of intense exercise each week… so which makes more sense for the busy lifestyle?? Efficiency is key and we need to make sure we are not wasting time doing things that don’t contribute to our goals.  Total body workouts ending with high intensity interval training give us what we need in 30-60 minutes max per day.
2. Plan and commit to a scheduleWith a busy schedule and a never ending ‘to-do list’, its not hard for the day to get away from us.  To combat this excuse, plan your schedule a week in advance to make an appointment for your workout.  Carmen and I have agreed on a time when he goes to workout and as soon as he gets back its my turn.  Without a schedule I’ll get busy with work and taking care of the puppy so by the time I have a free hour, I’m exhausted.
3. Something is better than nothingScheduling your workout is all well in good but sometimes life happens and we might
   only have an extra 20 minutes instead of the full hour we planned on.  Instead of chalking up the workout as a loss, its better to take full advantage of those 20 minutes and get in what you can!

   20 Minute Bodyweight Circuit – no equipment needed
   Jump Squat – 30 sec
   Air Squat – 30 sec
   Push Up – 30 sec
   Shoulder Taps – 30 sec
   Mountain Climbers – 30 sec
   Rest – 30 seconds
   Repeat x 6

Mind

1. YogaTo be completely honest, I have spent years hating yoga.  I’m very type A and would spend the whole class listing out the productive things I could be doing instead.  Recently, however, I knew I needed something to get my mind right and slow me down in the mornings, so I decided to give it another try.  What worked for me was the 6am hot power yoga class… it was early enough that there was nothing else I could be doing, it moved fast enough so I didn’t have much time to think about anything else besides how my body was feeling and I left every class feeling rejuvenated and ready to start my day on a positive note.  The key to yoga is finding what works for you.
2. Turn off technologyIf you’re anything like me, a never ending ‘to-do list’ means multitasking is a must.  Like most people, I usually find myself attached to my phone or computer all day long to get everything done (especially since my entire business is online based).  The problem is that distractions are just a click away.  Imagine if we racked up all the hours per week wasted on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or binge watching TV shows, how much extra time would we have to do things that directly contribute to our happiness? Time is the most valuable thing we have… once its gone its gone and you can’t get it back no matter how much money you have.
    
3. Stay organizedStaying organized is one of the best ways to stay consistent.  When you’re unorganized its easy for the day to get away from you because you waste so much time trying to remember all the things you were supposed to do that day.  Prioritize your work calendar, your meals, your workout and everything will feel so much more manageable than it was when it was just a long laundry list of things to get done at the beginning of the week.

No more excuses