Finding the Time Part 2: Schedule It

One of the most important keys to success with consistency in training has been scheduling running onto my weekly calendar with the same importance as showing up to start my shift at the hospital or showing up for my mom’s birthday dinner. 

Last week, we discussed making a commitment to ourselves for just 5 minutes a day. If we expand on this theme, the same principle applies with scheduled exercise as well. I show up to run when it says so in the planner. I carve out the time, I put my sneakers on, and I go. Sometimes, I don’t want to. Yep - even the coach has some days where “I don’t want to” for whatever reason. Let me tell you, sometimes lacing up the sneakers is the hardest step in the whole process! But once the sneakers are on and tied, I go.

To be sure, this thought work, and this evolution of mindset has taken some time to achieve! When I first started running, I set a goal of consistently running three times a week. At the time, I really thought that this might be impossible. How the heck would I ever fit this into my schedule?

I thought hard about my motivations and my goals. I wanted to follow my training plan and run consistently, so that I could achieve my goal at the time, which was to continuously run a 10 mile race. Eventually, running 3 days a week didn’t seem “intrusive” anymore. And now, if I don’t run at least 3 days a week, I miss it, and it feels strange to NOT run.

This is a great example to illustrate the adaptability of our marvelous brains. The more you perform an action , the more it gets physically wired into your brain. So consistency is key. And, before you know it, you’ve got positive habit formation.

Let’s talk practicalities. The key, I think, is all in the mindset and in the planning. On the weekend prior to my upcoming week, I take some time to sit down, have a look at the schedule for the week ahead, and put my runs into the planner. Do I miss planned runs? Yes. Do I shorten some runs on some days? Yes. The aim is not perfection, but rather, consistency. 

Friends have asked what kind of planner I use. The husband and I put our schedule into a shared Google calendar. But, I prefer pen and paper, so I also use a Planner Pad - sample page pictured for this post.

This is what works for me. You have to find what works for you. I would recommend starting off slowly and sitting down with your planner/calendar to find some time in your schedule. In keeping with last week’s theme of “Take 5,” maybe you start by penciling in 5 minutes a day for yourself for 3 days this upcoming week. It may not seem like much at first, but we will work our way up over time. This will give our brains the time to adapt, so we can make this lifestyle change a lasting habit! 

As always, I’d love to discuss finding the time and penciling exercise into your busy schedule! Please reach out: michelle@mindful-marathon.com