Making Time

Happy Sunday - the last Sunday in August, no less! We're leaving for church pretty soon, so this will be short :-).

One thing I've realized again recently is how we always find the time we need to do what's really important to us. We're all busy, regardless of what season of life we're in, and we're all crunched for time. It feels like there is never enough time in a day to do everything we want to do, and that's true - there isn't. The list of things I want to do in a day is a long one, and I always - always - go to bed with things that I would have liked to have done left undone.

However, I somehow manage to do the things that are really important to me every day. Sometimes there are important things that don't get done, but the things that are most important to me do get done. There are days when things that I give lip service to being important are left undone, but the truth is that if I made them a priority, I would have done them. There are days when I don't get very much accomplished and I can look back on wasted hours, but a review of the day will show that I did the things that I really wanted to do.

The reason I'm thinking about this is that after at least three months of telling myself that I didn't have time to get to the health club, I've managed to get there three times a week for the past three weeks. I'm just as busy or busier than ever, so I'm not getting to the health club because time has magically opened in my schedule. Plain and simple, I'm now getting there on a regular basis because I've made it a priority. I'm going to bed a bit earlier and getting up a bit earlier so I can get out of the house and work out. Same 24 hours in the day as I've always had, but I am now making the time to exercise because I've elevated its importance in my life.

I've talked to people who tell me that they can't do the Take Shape for Life/Medifast 5&1 plan because they don't have time to eat during the day. I've talked to people who, like me, are convinced that they are way too busy to exercise on a regular basis, if at all.

The reality is that all of us WILL make sure that we put into our schedule those things that are important to us. My faith is important to me, so my daily schedule includes time to read my Bible and pray, and my weekly schedule includes attending church. Other things may go undone, but these are priorities in my life so I make time for them. Staying healthy is a priority for me, so I make sure that I plan out my meals for each day to ensure my calories and carbs are in line with my calorie range in maintenance, and now I'm making exercise a priority as well.

This morning I'm encouraging you to honestly assess what's important in your life and then make sure those things are part of your daily life. Busyness so often gets in the way of what's really important in our lives, and if our schedule is filled with busyness but not what's important, we'll find ourselves frustrated and burned out. Focusing on what's important energizes us and allows us to end each day with a sense of balance and accomplishment.

If getting healthy is important to you (and I believe it is!), make sure you're making time to plan your meals, getting in regular exercise, and doing all of the other things you need and want to do to support your priority.

Have a wonderful, on-plan Sunday!