I like having a “To do” list. It sounds silly but crossing out items is rewarding, and on those days when I don’t keep track I feel like I’ve been busy all day but haven’t done much. I’m a huge fan of James Clear’s writing. He talks in this post about Warren Buffett’s time management “trick.” Here’s how it goes:(with a slight modification from the original example) write down your top 10 “to do” items for tomorrow. Now circle the top 5. The 5 that weren’t in the top 5 become the “Avoid at all costs” items. These don’t get touched until the main 5 are completed.
So, if exercise and training are important to you, where do you put them on your list? Are they a top 5? Are they important but not quite as much as something else? If you’re trying to lose weight, maybe putting food preparation on 1 day of the week would be helpful. The 2 lists (the “to do” and the “avoid at all costs”) are a visual reminder of how to stay focused and committed to the really important work. It shows you what you need to do before everything else.
We can also flip this if you’re someone who likes to include too much different training in your program. You want to train for the marathon, be as strong as possible, do yoga, pilates, spin class, etc…It’s great that you’ve got so much interest in your physical development, but at some point we’re going to be spinning the wheels. Pick a few things to focus on and get good at them. Then maybe switch and try something different.
