How do I find the time to workout?

When people first meet me, or chat with me, one of their first questions is “how do you find the time?” This is because I am busy. Really busy. And, I am social. Really social. I have way too many interests and want to Do All the Things. I’m married. I have six kids. I work full time. Not only do I work full time, I am self employed. The truth is, I don’t find time.

I remember a conversation I had with a friend years ago, back when I only had 5 kids, about reading. I love to read and I read a lot.* At one point, I was in three real life book clubs and a few online book clubs. Anyway, my friend was telling me that she wished she could read more. I said, well “you can! You should join our book club.” But, she said she couldn’t because she didn’t have the time. She had a child and worked full time. My thought was, well, it’s not that you don’t have time, if I have the time with my life, you must have the time. The reality is you don’t want to make the time.

For years, and I mean years, I donated my money each month to my gym because I knew I needed to work out. I wanted to work out. But, I didn’t have the time. You see, I was working full time and running my own business. I had 6 kids for goodness sake. Who has the time to work out? Not me. The reality was, I didn’t want to make the time. The thing I loved the most about the gym was the classes, but they really didn’t work with my work schedule and I didn’t want to make the time to fit it into my schedule.

When I decided I wanted lose weight and be fit, I made workouts a priority. I made the time for it, just like I make the time to read. My preferred time to work out is first thing in the morning. I’m the kind of person who has to get it out of the way or I won’t do it. But, there are days where I’d have to get up before the crack of dawn to workout and that won’t happen either. On those days, I do it in the evening.

The point is, I no longer find the time. I make the time.

*Over the last few years, I have averaged 156 books per year, or 13 books a month, or just over 3 books a week. Maybe that isn’t a lot, I don’t know. I do know I read more than most people. According to the 2007 Associated Press Poll, the average number of books read per year is 20. A poll taken just now of the people present (a bunch of recent early 20-somethings) says they think it’s a lot lower – like maybe 8 or less. We also disagree on whether audio books count, but I digress…