I’m sure you have heard this before: “I don’t have time”.
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This is the number one excuse that is made when it comes down to improving your life. Now I understand many of us have more time than others and vice versa, but the truth is, we all have 15 minutes to spare.
If you find yourself saying: I don’t have time. You know what you’re really saying? You are saying I don’t value myself. And you’re also saying whatever it is that is taking up my time on a day-to-day basis is more important.
Whether you want to believe or not, most of us, if not all of us, want to look good and feel good. But when we say we don’t have time, we resign to the fate of letting ourselves go, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
We often feel the urge to improve ourselves after receiving bad news from the doctor, or if a long-lost friend wants to meet for coffee. Why wait?
The truth is, most of us are ready to do the work to start improving our lives. Where we fall short is in the long run. We start off strong, but 10 days go by and we lose our motivation. 20 days go by and we dread our initial commitments to self-improvement.
With our societies highly-amped culture, I say we take a moment to pause, reflect and start slow. Start with a 15-minute investment in yourself every day for the long haul. And when I say long haul, I don’t mean 10 days, 2 months, I mean indefinitely.
Here’s How To Start…
Nutrition In 15 Minutes
If you’re looking to start eating healthier for the long haul, it’s quite simple. You don’t need to throw out everything in your pantry and refrigerator. And we most certainly don’t need to spend copious amounts of money on new kitchen gadgets. We can start by doing just one thing.
Commit to eating healthier in 15 minutes by doing the following:
• Prepare a healthy meal for lunch the evening before and continue to do this until it becomes routine.
• Drink a smoothie every day for breakfast.
• Taking your vitamins at the same time every day.
• Brew yourself a healthy tonic every single day.
Exercise In 15 Minutes
Like it was mentioned beforehand, we live in a highly-amped society. Go all in or don’t go at all. That approach in itself can be rather intimidating.
An approach that works with exercise is a method that is meant for the long haul: A sustainable exercise routine that can be maintained for months and years to come.
For example – An hour before I go to bed, I have an evening exercise routine and it takes me less than 15 minutes to complete it. The routine is made up of push-ups, an abdominal exercise, and a leg exercise.
When I first began this routine, I needed to gently remind myself to complete the exercises before bed. I simply wasn’t used to this routine. But after three months of completing this evening exercise routine, it has become something I do on auto-pilot.
And sure, 15 minutes isn’t a lot of time, but it can provide big results in the long run. I am happy to report that my arms, abs, and legs are much more toned and strong than when I began my evening exercise routine.
Here’s how you can start:
• Select your 15-minute exercise of choice (Remember, it’s only 15 minutes!)
• Choose the time you will complete your exercise routine every single day.
• ACT! Don’t start tomorrow or next week, start today.
Mindset In 15 Minutes
How often do you say to yourself: Where did all the time go? I know I have heard this plenty of times and I’ve said it too. You have the ability to change your mindset for a more focused, productive and peaceful day and you can do this in just 15 minutes.
Here’s how:
• Start your day off with a morning meditation practice.
• Create a 15-minute morning routine that leaves you feeling refreshed and invigorated.
• Commit to a spiritual practice you follow every day at the same time.
• Turn on an inspiring or motivating podcast during your commute to work.
With any of the suggestions above, it is essential to know that 15 minutes isn’t an approach that will bring you huge results right away. However, if you commit to a 15-minute practice to improve your nutrition, physical health, and mindset and are persistent with your practice, it will lead to big changes in your life.
