A lot of you are still working from home. Many of you are indifferent about it. On one hand, you love freedom. On the other, you thrive with structure.

Quarantine for some of us has been very similar to the proverbial straight-A student in High School–with really strict parents–that goes to college and gets completely swept off track by their first dance with freedom.

You may have even heard people joking about putting on the “COVID 15“, referring to the weight they’ve gained from struggling with the transition of quarantine. And it’s not hard to understand why….

For years, you’ve been waking up at the same time, sitting down at your desk by a certain time, and had people knowing exactly what you’re doing ALL the time.

Quarantine comes, and things changed….all of a sudden you can sleep a little longer because you don’t have to commute. You can stay up a little later because, if worst comes to worst, you know you can lay down on your bed for a little while on your lunch break. And why even bother with meal prep when you’re already working from your kitchen?

At first, this was exciting….everybody craves freedom.

Soon enough, though, without structure we can become lost. One new bad habit leads to another, which leads to another…and yet another. The freedom that once felt so liberating, is now the current holding us underwater. 

So, how do you get your head back above water? 

I always try to go back to a quote from St. Francis of Assisi, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” (Related: Don’t try to eat an elephant all in one day)

It starts with how we use our time. Time is the one thing we all have the exact same amount of. You, me, Bill Gates, LeBron James: we all get 24 hours. Begin by planning your day.

Start with the 24 hours and carve out time for the things that are absolutely necessary:

• How much sleep do you need to be your best?
• How many hours will it take to accomplish your work outcomes? 
• When and what will you eat?
  • Ballpark the time necessary to either make or acquire the food 
• What are the two or three things you need to do to make sure you are physically, mentally, and emotionally at your best? How long will they take?
  • Meditating, Exercising, Practicing Gratitude, Going for a walk, Listening to a podcast, Reading the Bible, etc. 
• Which relationships need your attention?
  • Make sure to build in time for connection and to be present with loved ones
• What other miscellaneous things come up in your day to day life?
  • Feeding your dogs, taking a shower, cleaning, etc. 

Add the amount of time it takes to accomplish your outcomes in each of the above areas, and then subtract them from the 24 hours we’re gifted each day.

EXAMPLE
Let’s say you operate very well on 7 hours of sleep, are expected to be available and working for 8 hours, and need a minimum of 1 hour of exercise to be at the top of your game. These, combined, come to 16 hours…. which means you still have 8 hours left in your day, and the most time consuming activities have already been accounted for! Keep it rolling….

Let’s say you know you’ll need:
-at least one hour to meal prep and clean the dishes
-another hour to connect with a loved one
-30 minutes to practice gratitude
-20 minutes for meditation
-10 minutes to shower.
(Total: 3 hours)

This time, however, instead of subtracting another 3 hours, look for ways to leverage the remaining tasks.

For instance, maybe Monday nights are your time to connect with your spouse or significant other. You look at your list, and realize you’re going to need food prepared for the next day. One of you can do the shopping, both of you can cook the food together, and one of you can do the dishes.

While cooking, listen to the song that was playing when you first met, talk about your next vacation, or simply ask about each others’ day. You’ve just gained an hour back into your day by combining two necessities (food prep and connection) without sacrificing your desired outcomes. Bonus: you can save another 30 minutes if the two of you talked about what you’re grateful for!

Finally, subtract an additional 30 minutes to shower and meditate, another 30 to feed the dogs and straighten up the house, and we still have 6 hours left!

Now, do what’s possible….
Maybe in addition to your workout, you’d like to do another 30 minutes of yoga. Maybe your dog loves a good walk, and you know 30 minutes of an audio book while walking would allow you to provide [even more] value at work. You’ve also been wanting to catch up with a friend, and they mentioned they’d be at happy hour from 5:30-6:30. Total time: 2 hours, and you still have 4 more hours in your day!

You get the point…you’ve accomplished everything necessary to crush your day, and still have plenty of time to do all the things you want to do–even the stuff you thought was impossible!

Most importantly, you’ve built in structure, which allows you to be your very best! 

Build in some structure, enjoy the freedom that comes from it, and avoid the frat parties! 😉

PS…..surrounding yourself with like-minded people that support and encourage your success is absolutely critical to living life to your potential. That’s one of the many reasons our members love it here…they not only get their need for effective exercise, but also get a built-in support system when they walk in. Book a No Sweat Intro if you’re ready to make positive change and take your life to the next level!