1440 minutes – That is ALL you get
Guest Posting By Mark Sherwood
We are all well-schooled and even inundated on concepts of financial management (e.g. “spend less – save more”, “don’t spend more than you make”, “pay yourself first”, etc.).
How about the concept of time management? Do we really understand it? Do we practice, or are we even aware of, good habits in this area? I bring up this subject because I constantly hear the words, “I just don’t have time to exercise.” Let me make this statement to the readers of this article, “YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO NOT EXERCISE!”
Let me explain. Unlike finances, in which we can always earn more or less, time is a precious commodity with… which we are blessed. We cannot produce more, but we can certainly increase our chances to have less. We would not even consider purposely increasing our chances to make less money; would we? Then why would we consider purposely increasing our chances to have less time? However, that does seem to be the case for some. If you have found yourself uttering the words above, “I just don’t have time to exercise,” this article is for you.
Each day, we are limited to 1440 minutes. That is ALL we get. The following principles regarding this concept are universal:
1. There is no more, but there could be less.
2. It is up to our own discretion on how we manage the minutes. 3. We can spend more or less on what we choose.
4. We cannot spend more than we make.
5. We can pay ourselves first.
I want you to place your focus now on number 5. You are blessed to be alive. You are blessed to have a body that is capable of functioning relatively efficiently and healthy. You should feel an obligation to pay yourself some of those precious minutes (on a daily basis) in order to show gratitude by caring for the life (and body) you are given. Let’s face it; you can’t afford to treat it badly, or it most certainly will not last long. I have never seen a trailer hitch on a hearse (i.e. “you cannot take it with you”).
As those 1440 minutes per day in your life are assessed, do you spend them wisely or carelessly? One sure-fire way to add wisdom to your minutes-per-day budget is to force yourself to incorporate a sound, well-developed, exercise program. I have not met a person yet who says that a consistent exercise program is not valuable. The problem rests in our lack of perspective regarding the 1440 minute limit of our day. We must begin and continue to exercise for the rest of our lives. We must treasure those valuable (limited) minutes. Pay yourself some minutes! Increase the likelihood of being blessed with more! You owe it to yourselves and those around you!
Mark Sherwood is the president and founder of 4E Fitness, a company specializing in equipping persons with tools to provide inner peace through daily renewal of the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. He is a former Oklahoma state and regional bodybuilding champion. Mark is also a 24-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department, where he logged a decade of courageous service on the department’s SWAT Team. Mark is in charge of physical wellness training for all members of the police department. Mark’s passion for health and physical fitness motivated him to develop wellness courses entitled “Physical Fitness for Peace Officers” and “Conquering Stress and Developing Wellness,” which he teaches to law enforcement professionals and corporations throughout U.S.
Photo Credit: Greenwich Clock by nicksarebi as Creative Commons on Flickr.com
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