WEEK 17
Day 113: On a Lack of Time
Instead of saying ”I don’t have time” try saying “it’s not a priority,” and see how that feels.
—Laura Vanderkam 108
“I don’t have time” has to be the biggest and most common lie people tell themselves daily. It’s never about a lack of time, because it’s you who controls how you spend it, and you can always forego one thing in favor of another.
Telling yourself that you don’t have time to exercise means that nothing that you have in your schedule is less important than your health. With all due respect, I doubt that you (or anyone else, for that matter) do super-important things 24/7 and that there’s not even a single low-value activity in your routine that you could easily eliminate to make time for exercise.
I strongly suggest eliminating the phrase “I don’t have time” from your vocabulary. People repeat it so often and so freely that it only serves as a convenient excuse — and self-disciplined individuals shouldn’t make any excuses.
The next time you want to claim that you don’t have time, tell yourself instead that it’s not your priority. Now consider what that means for you: if exercise (and subsequently, your own health) isn’t your priority, then what is? If you don’t have time to attend your child’s first play but still work overtime even though you don’t have to, then what is more important? If you’re too busy to read books, then what do you prioritize over education if you still spend time watching TV?