The other day I missed an appointment with my most important client. I didn’t forget it I just blew it off. I didn’t even reschedule or call to say I wasn’t coming; I just didn’t show. I am pretty embarrassed about it actually. Who does that? Who just blows off a client or friend with no notice?
You probably would never do that. I know that you are savvy and value your clients and friends enough to treat them with respect. You would never consider just bailing on an appointment you had scheduled with them. The worst part in this particular example was that this appointment was crucial. Life-saving stuff, you know? Transformational things were likely going to occur during this meeting.
I know you are shaking your head right now. I am too.
What if I told you this most important client was me? And what if I added that that this appointment was going to take place at the gym, or perhaps outside on the side of a mountain? Would you feel different about this “most important client?”
Several things occur when you schedule an appointment with someone, be it a date with a close friend, or a meeting with an important business client. We log into some kind of schedule. We enter the information to secure the time. That set appointment notes to everyone, including you, that that time is spoken for. We also start subconsciously thinking about the appointment. We hold mental space for that time slot. It’s presence signals a “taking up” of some of our precious life-minutes!
If someone tries to book something over it, we say, “Oh, I am sorry, that time slot will not work, I am already committed.” Or “I have something else at that time I will not be able to make it.” We protect that appointment because it is that important.
What if we held space like that for fitness in our lives? What if at the beginning of the week you scheduled in your “non-negotiable” workouts in pen and made other arrangements when anyone or anything tried to schedule over them?
We need to treat our fitness time with the same respect and vigilance we offer other appointments. If we are inconsistent because of a failure to plan and enforce designated fitness times in our life we WILL be unfit and unhealthy. If we are unfit and unhealthy, we are useless to our friends, family, and colleagues.
[Tweet “We hold mental space for that time slot. It takes up our precious life-minutes!”]
So how do we make sure to get those fitness
appointments in the schedule EVERY time?
- Always schedule your fitness time first: Always have your fitness appointments with yourself three weeks out. Is it a yoga class, a weekly hike? Ensure success by scheduling them in first.
- Make fitness a non-negotiable appointment: Always remember this special appointment is with your most important, your most lucrative and your most valuable client. YOU! Passionately commit to non-negotiable fitness appointments. You can shorten it if you need but do not miss it. If you fail to do this, some other viral opportunity WILL infect and take over.
- Make fitness appointments consistent: If your coworkers know you are always “otherwise occupied” Mondays at ten, they will stop asking for that slot.
- Make fitness time count: Don’t ever walk away from a workout endeavor feeling like you wasted your time. Make your time count with engaging, fun and meaningful fitness choices.
- Make fitness something you love: If you had a meeting three times a week with a potential client and the meetings were showing no fruit, and you kinda despised the guy you were meeting with you would stop going. If that step class instructor is the equivalent of an annoying client, you will not continue to uphold the meeting. Find a fitness endeavor you enjoy!
Make fitness appointments first in your planner. Highlight them and write it in pen! These valuable meetings are a non-negotiable investment in your health and if you believe that you will consistently show up!
This Sunday look ahead to the next three weeks of your planner or calendar. Schedule your fitness time in and give it its own color. Make the appointment non-negotiable and show up even if you can only give the time block ten minutes of your time. Some fitness time is better than none! I know you have got this! Go get ‘em.
If you liked this post, you would blow gaskets over these.
The Five Most Common Escape Routes Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals
Fallen Off The Workout Wagon, Again? 15 Scandalous Motivators To Stay Consistent With Your Workout
41 Responses
This is very timely for me.
Even though I was always pretty fit as a young adult (pre-kids), I am a person who let her physical fitness fall by the wayside. My biggest regret is that I’ve spent so much time being out of shape and I know it impacts me in every way and almost in every relationship.
Beth, so many are in the same camp. We just need a few little tricks to get it back on the schedule. Start with once a week, written in pen, non-negotable, workout and see how you do!
Wow you caught my attention there with that first little bit! Thanks for the renewed motivation 🙂
The HOOK! Ha ha. I had someone explain it to me that way once and it hit home. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Sarah.
I love the point you made. I tend to neglect myself and my need for going out for a walk and working out. I always say I will get to it tomorrow and something else comes up so I just change my plans. Thank you for the reminder that I am important to myself and if I don’t take care of me nobody else will.
http://www.writingmotherfashionista.com
Dominique, you are very very important. Your body deserves the attention it takes to stay healthy for you and your loved ones. You go girl!
Great points…I usually stick my fitness “appointments” unless something BIG comes up. I know that at some studios, once you sign up..if you don’t cancel before a certain time you lose the class on your account or you have to pay. That is enough for most people to not miss it:)
Me too! I have that at my yoga studio. Hate that if I miss! 🙂
This is a great post. I always say I need to make time but I like this idea of planning around it so much better.
Totally, January. Sometimes other stuff seems so much more important to schedule but when we really think about what could be more important that fitness?
Oh Heather, I love you! This is totally how I feel about fitness and keeping a workout routine in my life, but never could express it that way you do. I love your storytelling abilities. Couldn’t agree more with ALL of this!
Chrissa, Thankyou for your thoughtful comment. I love storytelling and work on getting better at it. Thanks for the encouragement. Are by chance going to Blogfest in LA this year? I’d love to connect.
Such a great idea to schedule fitness out a few weeks! Love it! And you’re so right — we are so important, and so is fitness! Thanks for sharing!
Right, Patricia? I know if I don’t it will slip off the schedule or something else will take that time slot.
Thank you for this! I definitely needed this important reminder this week!
Thanks, Marlynn. Sometimes we forgot that our health deeply affects others! 🙂 This is an encouragement to make it a priority.
Great post. Love the idea of doing this! My hubby and I schedule our workouts and make sure we hit the gym 5 times per week. Since we’ve been doing this we both feel so much better!
That is great, Jenn. Inspirational to others and so great that you and your hubby workout together!
This is such a great idea! I love the idea of scheduling my workout times in my calendar. Sometimes, I put “GO RUN” on my task list in my phone and I always get off the couch and throw my sneakers on when I see it.
LiveLifeWell,
Allison
That is awesome, Allison. Totally the same thing. Isn’t it funny how we actually respond to external encouragement from ourselves! 🙂
Something I never thought to do. I always just try to find the time. Appointment it is.
Nice work, Candy!
This is so true! People laugh at me when I tell them I can’t cancel my workout class or I wake up early to workout. Not only is it good for my physical health, but it helps me emotionally and mentally because it is my ME time. 🙂
For sure Jessica. Remember, a lot of people laughing or making fun because your dedication and persistence intimidate them or makes them feel badly about the fact they don’t make it a priority. You go, girl!
This is a great way to look at fitness to make sure you stay on track! I walk my dog twice a day so that’s an automatic pencil in, but other than that, it’s always easy to push off. Adding it to the calendar is a brilliant idea!
Thanks, Rachel. It really,really helps with consistency. I hate seeing a line through it. Very visual representation of a missed commitment. Thanks for stopping by.
I totally do this! I have a weekly ballet class that I never miss. I also have certain classes at the gym that I go to, unless something crazy happens with the kids, I’m always there. I love the way you wrote this post, and it is just so true. Fitness is non-negotiable.
Thanks, Shann. That is so great about the ballet class! That seems like a really great way to release mentally and physically.
This is so good to remember! I always put my gym classes in my google calendar so that I don’t miss them.
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
It’s so easy to forget about taking care of yourself – life gets in the way! I completely agree with you that fitness is so important – I have a bad lower back but that doesn’t stop me from walking every morning. 🙂
Good for you, Dana! Consistent walking is fantastic. The more we study it the more we see that lower back issues respond the best to core strengthening and strengthening the postural stabilizers (and chiropractic of course;-) ) So adding a little core work to your daily walk might help a lot! – Dr. Heather (DC CCWP)
I love this!! I always seem to take of everyone else before myself. This is such a good point.. I would never just blow off a friend or coworker or a client so I shouldn’t treat myself that way! Thanks for the reminder!
Of course, Rosey. When you look at that way cancelling on ourselves time after time feels different doesn’t it? 🙂
Unfortunately fitness has never been a big part of my life, so now, as a nearly 30 year old woman who desperately needs to lose weight and get in shape, it’s SO difficult to make it a priority.
Angie, I completely get it. Can you try a one time a week appointment (non-negotiable) with yourself for some exercise? if after six weeks you are consistent try adding an additional appointment. Also, this article might also be worth reading. I wish you great success, knowing how important it is for your continued health!https://www.wellfitandfed.com/fit/are-you-failing-at-fitness-heres-why/
I agree that it is so important to find fitness you enjoy. I used to struggle to exercise until I embraced that. Now I look at creating a new exercise routine as searching for a new hobby which works so much better for me.
Yesssss!!!! Exactly, Erica! 🙂
Wow, what a mind blowing reality check, Heather! I’ve missed this most important appointment SO MANY TIMES because of stupid excuses. Those days need to get gone real fast. Cheers!
Thanks, Jennifer! Get ’em gone girl! 🙂
This is so motivational! I need to start scheduling in some exercise time for me! Love the way you wrote this post!
Thanks Jessica. I am channeling my inner Anthony Robbins. 🙂