“I don’t have time to exercise”. This is such a common refrain. I see it constantly as I read through all the comments and questions on my website. And I can’t pretend to know what happens during the daily moments of everyone’s lives. I know how busy I am. I have a beautiful backyard and pool and I don’t even get to enjoy it during the week. I’m sure you’re terribly busy too.

We all have obligations outside our own personal wishes. We have to work to pay for rent and necessities. Many people work long shifts and then only have time to rush home and prepare dinner for their families. Many people have babies and children. Some people care for elderly family members. Some people have to commute great distances every day. Then there are bills to pay, health insurance to sort out, chores to do, things to shop for, and our daily to-do lists.

But sometimes I think it can be hard to see where we are, not just spending time, but wasting time.

I recently did a fantastic exercise that helped me to locate wasteful, time-sucking activities and restructure my day so that I’m more productive and satisfied. I thought I’d share the exercise with you so that you can benefit from it as well.

Time Diary

 You will need: Paper, pencil, pen, highlighter, snacks (obviously)

 Get your stuff together and sit down to make a time diary. (I highly recommend a delish cup of coffee to make the exercise more pleasurable, but that’s up to you 😉

Starting from the time you wake up, separate an average day into 15 minute increments and describe how you spent each block of time. Be totally honest. For example your morning might start like this:

6:30-6:45 am: Alarm goes off, lie in bed looking at Facebook

6:45-7:15: Put on coffee and look for keys

7:15-7:45: Put on a jacket over your pajamas and take your dog for a walk

7:30-8:10:  Scroll through email and Instagram while eating over the sink

8:10-8:45: Shower and get ready. Try on and discard several outfits then have to rush

8:45-9:00: Go crazy trying to find lost bag

9:00-9:30: Commute to work

…and so on.

Next, take your highlighter and highlight all the places you’re either wasting time or doing something you’d prefer to replace with another, more productive activity.

In the above example, I might highlight: looking at Facebook (unless it had a real purpose), scrolling through Instagram while eating breakfast, trying on a bunch of outfits, and looking for bag and lost keys.

Now, pencil in above highlighted area how you think that time might be better spent. For the above example I would say replace the extra 15 minutes I used to look at Facebook with some energizing exercises, or just donate that time to the morning routine so it’s not so rushed. I would make notations that I could prepare the night before. With a little planning I could have an outfit chosen and hung on my closet door ready to slip on, my bag and keys neatly laid out on the table in the hall. Most importantly, instead of eating over the sink and looking at Instagram, I would fix myself a proper breakfast and sit down to enjoy it before heading out for the day. Some of you have families, kids, loved ones you can spend the time with in the morning over nourishing meal.

Nourishment comes in many forms. Well prepared whole foods eaten with loved ones is nourishing. Energizing, mindful movement is nourishing. Talking with your family about their worries and joys is nourishing. Those are all things that add happiness and contentment to our lives.

Not every day can be perfect. Sometimes things happen that we can’t control. It’s not realistic to expect to start every single day with 15 minutes of peaceful yoga. Maybe you have a screaming baby in the next room. Maybe your dog just threw up all over your gorgeous new rug. Maybe you slept through your alarm and your co-workers are calling you in a panic.

But I think this exercise is really useful in identifying what we give priority to. I think we often just don’t realize how much time we spend on things that don’t matter, while the things that do matter can get pushed aside. I think this exercise can also help you to find some time in your day to work out even if you feel like you’re already over-scheduled. I think you’ll be able to find time especially if you work out with me in the ZGYM. I only require an internet connection and 15-25 minutes of each day.

Did you try the Time Diary exercise? What did you think? Were you surprised with any of the results? If you tried it, what was the biggest time-waster you identified? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.