It has been reported that in his later life, Albert Einstein wore the same grey suit because he didn’t want to waste brain power trying to decide what to wear every day. Think about how much time the average person spends on picking an outfit. Now, think about how much thought goes into other decisions. Should we work out? What should we eat for dinner? How should we make the most of our time?
Personally, I function better when things are planned, and I don’t have to think. In 1971, author of The Living Bible, Kenneth N. Taylor paraphrased Proverbs 16:27 to read “idle hands are the devil’s workshop” and I can see how truly damaging wasteful time can be when it comes to the precious minutes we have in our lives. Although I still must work on this, here are a few things that help me stay focused without having to think…
- I have a morning routine. After I wake up, I take our dog for a walk, come home to have breakfast, and get ready to go to the gym at a specific time so I can work out. I don’t think about whether I’m going to walk or go to the gym. There is no mental dialog in my head about “whether I should go or not”. It’s in my routine.
- I have specified days and times for classes. On Mondays I go to a Karate class. Tuesdays, I now do horse riding lessons. Wednesdays, and Fridays, I go to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It’s a done deal. No thought. It’s in my weekly schedule.
- We use meal plans. Although I commend people who cook all their week’s food ahead of time, we have found that meal planning services are great at providing a healthy menu for each day at a reasonable cost with no waste. We use Goodfood, but Hello Fresh, and Chef’s Plate are similar.
Remember, this is my routine and I already know the excuses that some might have while reading it. I could come up with similar excuses if I read yours. For example, although I do work out and go to my classes during the day, I am at my job at night when it’s obvious to me that many would rather do their classes then. My kids are older now, but I remember bath and bedtimes. Still, I figured out when to schedule the other important things in my life. Actor Mark Wahlberg gets up at 4am to make sure he gets a workout in before his workday starts. I don’t want to think about doing that.