Time Management Techniques

How To Fit A Workout Into Your Crazy Schedule

James Fell
It's time to break out the MBA again.

But I'm not going to "proactivate" you with a bunch of management buzzwords, and that's mostly because I think the majority of hyper-detailed time-management stuff is a bunch of bullsh*t.

It's not that scientific

I will not preach a bunch of time management theories. Several books have been written on this subject; some of them are okay, others, not so much. I'm not a master of time management, and I have no intention of becoming one. To be honest, I'm dubious about it as a discipline. For me, it is closely aligned with what I call self-help bullsh*t.

A former employer of mine had a policy where all management staff had to take a well-known two-day self-help course on being exceptionally productive through adopting a [lucky] number of mannerisms. I'm being deliberately obtuse because I'm going to slam the course now, and I've had enough threats of lawsuits about my writing to know I don't enjoy the experience.

The course was the most mindless drivel I'd ever been exposed to. Two days of having common sense that you should've learned by the age of six twisted and "paradigmed" and "proactivated" into management mumbo jumbo until my brain turned into protoplasm. Then they try to sell you on day planners and software and… and you just want to barf. I'm skeptical if a time-management guru has ever really helped anyone manage their time better.

Nevertheless, I didn't want to crap on the entire industry after taking just one course, so I read a couple of the most popular time-management books and they just confirmed my suspicions that this is common sense overcomplicated so someone can sell a book or a course, along with a bunch of add-on crap. I worked over a decade in marketing, and I know a scam when I see one.

Anyway, I guess I can't just rant about how it's all a bunch of crap and not give you any advice at all, because that wouldn't be terribly productive, so here is my common-sense-based time un-management advice.


When it comes to time management, nothing is more important than prioritization. An oft-used axiom is that if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. You must make the decision that exercise is important to you and you will put it before many other things. Another axiom is that no one lies on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time at the office. Conversely, I think there are probably plenty of people who lie on that same bed wishing they'd spent more time exercising, especially since if they had then they probably wouldn't be dying right then.

Also, know that being in great health can make you more productive at everything else you do. If you're in shape, then you can be a better husband, a better dad and even a better employee.

If you make exercise and healthy eating a high priority, you'll find the time to do it.


I've written about this before. You know your life and schedule better than anyone, so you need to do a bit of figuring your own stuff out. Figure out what time of day works best for you to exercise. Figure out your running or cycling routes. Figure out how you are going to fit in breakfast. Figure out which gym has the most convenient location for you. Figure out that spandex is a bad idea.

Figure all this out, then make a schedule and endeavor to stick to it.


Does this even require explanation? Things don't always work out the way you plan, so don't give up on the fundamental goals — just change the plan and try again.

Remember what Field Marshal von Moltke said: "No plan of battle survives contact with the enemy."

Be Efficient

Thirty minutes of going hard with the weights is far better than an hour of farting around in the gym. Running hard for 30 minutes burns more calories than walking for an hour. It also is better for your heart, lungs and cholesterol, and it improves your ability to train harder with weights.

Efficiency doesn't just apply to exercise. You can pack an entire week's worth of gym clothes and take them to the office on Monday so you never have to worry about missing a workout because you don't have fresh attire. I found that lunchtime is a good time for weightlifting, and it allows me to skip those fattening coworker trips to the Chinese food buffet.

If you get creative, you can think of other ways in your life to exercise efficiently.


You've got a brain; use it. What do you do that wastes time? Where are the holes in your schedule? What do you need to do to fit exercise into your schedule?

Time management: You figure it out.

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