A Little Time Management Riff
Getting over your busy little self


Get to know a few fat people. Go out of your way to meet heavy folks, and you'll begin to understand that this entire third of the adult population is not, in fact, lacking in accomplishment, dedication, capability, productivity.

Not at all. Get to know these tens of millions of folks, one at a time, of course, and you will meet people who manage entire businesses, run civic organizations, raise wonderful or difficult children, or both, discover genetic clues to cures for intractable diseases. You'll meet brilliant parents, teachers, nurses, administrators, doctors, lawyers, journalists.

You're likely to meet people who give and give and give. They're booked. They're busy. They're multitasking. And they're fat.

And there is a link there. A vast majority of the people I talk with each day who are struggling to lose weight are struggling primarily with the issue of Time. Ah Time! My friend and foe. The scheduling nightmare. The "to do" list, the priorities, the pressure. The daily pressure to get it all done. The Franklin, the Palm that rules and plots every minute of every day.

Taking full responsibility for their girth, knowing that they let their bodies get away from them over the years, these so-so-so-busy people now find it difficult, if not impossible, to rob any of their commitments or dependants for the time to eat well and especially to exercise.

Not that it takes all that much time, frankly. But they are embarrassed. They feel guilty. They got themselves into this state, and now, what? Is the whole world supposed to wait for them to go to the gym? To attend a meeting? To prepare vegetables? To deal with this state of fatness that should have never happened?

Well, yes. In short, yes.

And the interesting thing is, it happens all the time. Once you get big enough, sick enough, hurt enough, your whole world will wait for you to do these things. Because the world must. The sooner you start, the better it is, the faster your world will adjust.

As soon as you start, you'll begin to notice that the guy on the treadmill next to you is a partner in a law office and the president of the local SPCA. And the lady on the stair-step machine runs her own business, too. You'll run into people in the produce aisle who hold down a job, attend classes, and coach kids' softball. You'll note that the whole world stops for these folks. Why not for you?

Watch the news and see how the world literally does stop for the leaders of the world to get in their daily jog. You'll begin to see treadmills in the corners of executive offices, and understand that your company offers a discount for membership at the nearby gym. Somebody must be using those discounts. Aren't those people busy too? Or are you the only one?

Oh.

Yes, in fact, the whole world can make room for you to do the things you need to do to maintain your body. No matter who you are, no matter what excuses you're currently making, or what mythology you've created about your schedule.

I'll just bet you're the nicest martyr we've ever met, but despite that, you're not actually so much more important than everyone else that the world cannot possibly do without you for the half hour it actually takes every day to get and stay fit. For the half hour-to-hour it actually takes every day to prepare and consume healthy meals.

The fact that you didn't choose to take care of yourself today had nothing to do with whether you had time. You had time. You just didn't do it.

I mean, um, I didn't do it.

Darn it.

I'm going to do a little yoga now. Right NOW.


University of Iowa tips for fitting it in

Read this one all the way to the end, please




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