Time Management

Being a physician and coach the most common excuse I get towards rehab or a training plan is a lack of time. When it comes to accomplishing most goals in life I am a believer that everything comes back towards time management. If your goal is to qualify for Ironman Hawaii then you need to put in the time with no zeros...if your goal is to be a successful sales executive (seen it first hand from my wife) then you have to put in the time as there is no easy road...if you want to become the greatest pianist of our time then you guessed it right you need to put in the time perfecting you skill. I was not always the best with my time growing up. I can remember in college starting in-depth research papers the night before it was due. Early on I was not as committed to my training because I thought just because I was a good athlete that long course triathlon should be easy. When I started out in private practice I thought just by showing up to work that patients would start flooding my clinic. I think I also at one time fooled my thought process into thinking that balancing all that and raising children would be a walk in the park. Well as you can imagine following all these principles would lead to a failure or a lack of accomplishing any goals in a repeatable fashion. I think that finally at 37 years of age I am a master of time management. With three kids, busy practice, coaching, a wife that travels extensively and trying to fit in training for triathlons people ask me all the time how I do it. My first response is usually one of "It's Easy". I really do think from a time management respect its not that hard and when you are limited on what time you have people tend to be more productive and more successful. Its when you have to much time or you don't structure you day to day life that inconsistency and a lack of focus takes over. If you find yourself in dire need of a time management make-over then follow me in a basic skill I learned a few years ago. First of all draw yourself a chart listing the days of the week and then from here you need to start filling in the blanks as far as activities that you can't budge...i.e...work schedule, class, time with kids, community meetings, etc. From this chart you can start filling in the blocks of free time you have available and trust me there will be free time. In a given week I am usually always up at 4:30 to 5:00AM to get some sort of training in...I typically make the most out of my lunches and train then (this will also allow you to plan lunches ahead of time which means packing a healthier option than always eating out)...all of this gives me the extra FREE time I need every night to spend with my little ladies. I have heard this block called a BASIC week in the past which is something you can repeat week after week so it becomes routine and then the excuse of lack of time becomes a weakness that is no longer part of you. So at the end of the day its always easier to do nothing and keep complaining how its a lack of time fault. You will also see that its harder to obtain your goals or dreams in life. Although if you just break out a pen and paper and follow the simple steps in the previous paragraph then I promise you that you will come close to if not exceed any hurdle that has been in your way. So look at this blog entry as a challenge to be better and let me know when your life's goal sheet starts being checked off. Make It Count!!!!!