Making Fitness a Big Rock in Your Life

There's a concept from Stephen Covey's First Things First that is a perennial classic when talking about time management and priorities. The book looks very dated and the video comically so, but the message is even more relevant now that we have so many things fighting for our time and attention!

The video demonstrates that if you pour the sand in first, then the pebbles, the big rocks don't fit. But put the big rocks in first, then the pebbles and lastly the sand...everything settles into the gaps around them and fits - and even if it doesn't, the important things are accounted for! (It is important to note that the concept isn't being able to fit more or everything in, it is about prioritizing what is important first.)

The rocks are your real priorities. The sand is everything else: the inbox, social media, the small errands that somehow eat an entire evening. If sand is allowed to go into the jar first, it displaces the things that are truly important.

I had to make two shifts to start being consistent in my training. First I had to make health and fitness a big rock in my life, and then I needed to work on making sure I metaphorically put it in the jar first instead of letting working late, errands or scrolling eat up that time. I was ready when I found CrossFit three years ago. On the days I didn't feel like it - seeing my 5am crew was usually enough to get me out the door! If it wasn't, the Committed Club streak was and is a great motivator cause I hate breaking a streak! I spent a long time feeling like I needed to earn the right to put fitness first, like it was a luxury, or that choosing the gym over the to-do list was selfish. Staying strong and healthy is anything but selfish! When I'm consistent, I'm more patient, I sleep better and I'm more fun to be around!

Putting fitness as a big rock for me looks like booking my classes on Sunday and having that time blocked out on my Outlook calendar. It also means suggesting a different time when someone tries to suggest an extra early meeting. If that fails I have a back up plan for the evening class, or weekend makeup. When I travel I make it an adventure to drop in at another CrossFit Gym and give myself a shirt budget!

Cheers to making fitness a Big Rock in your life unapologetically!

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