How often do you catch yourself saying, “I just don’t have the time”? More than you’d want to admit right.
Whether it’s work deadlines, family commitments, or just trying to catch a breather, your calendar feels like it’s bursting at the seams.
And somewhere in that chaos, you’re supposed to magically carve out hours for workouts, cardio, meal prep, meditation, and 8 hours sleep a night.
I’m in the trenches with you mate, it took me a good while to understand what i’m about to tell you:
You’re not lazy, and you’re not broken, and you are not too far gone.
But if you’re waiting for life to slow down or for a “perfect” window to open up, you’ll be waiting forever, and one day there’s no time left to wait.
The truth as I see it.
You don’t find time. You make it. You prioritise.
The Real Enemy of Your Time
The problem isn’t your busy schedule. It’s what you’ve been told about fitness.
The toxic side of fitness culture has convinced you that being healthy means hours in the gym, eating perfectly measured meals, and completely reorganising your life.
But let me ask you this: As a busy, career driven parent, when was the last time you had hours of free time just lying around?
That’s right mate—never.
From the minute you wake up, every minute of you're day feels like it's already full up.
We DO NOT all have the same 24 hours in a day.
This idea that you need to change your entire way of living to fit into your new “program” is utter bollocks mate.
You've been there before. 2 weeks in and It’s going to make you feel like you’re failing, so you give up on it, sometimes before you even start.
And then there’s the guilt—that insidious voice that says taking time for yourself is selfish.
That you’re robbing time from your family or neglecting your work by putting your health first.
These are the enemies keeping you stuck.
Not a lack of time.
But here’s the good news: you can outsmart all of them.
Making Time Work for You
Time is the second level of The Action – Time – Knowledge Framework.
From this day forth, Instead of squeezing your health goals into an already jam packed schedule, we focus on integrating them seamlessly into your life.
Here’s what this looks like in the real world:
1
Prioritise What Matters:
Your health, fitness and wellbeing are NOT extra tasks—they’re the foundation that allows you to thrive mate, to handle everything else better.
Start treating your workouts, nutrition and your mental wellbeing like any other appointment. If you wouldn’t cancel a parents evening, an appointment with your kids doctor or a work meeting, then you don’t cancel on yourself. Understand!
2
Maximise Efficiency:
You don’t need hours in the gym to get results. With Density Strength Training, 35-45 minutes is enough to work up a sweat, get fitter, add a bit of size to your frame, and build strength.
Meal prep doesn’t have to mean spending your Sunday in the kitchen. Prep one meal in bulk—something easy and simple like Piri-Piri chicken, a cottage pie, a stew, or a curry—and you’ve just saved yourself time, money (and stress) for the week.
3
Stack Your Habits:
This is the ultimate time hack. Pair a new habit with a habit you’re already doing.
- Take the dogs for a walk, and up your speed to get in a cardio session.
- Join a gym on your route to work, then either before or after work, jump in and smash out a 35-45 minute session.
- Cook 2-3 portions of your tea and you’ve got tomorrow’s dinner sorted.
Habit stacking works because it taps into something your brain already knows how to do—following the patterns it’s been practicing for years.
Think about it: you’ve spent your whole life building routines, whether it’s your morning coffee ritual, your commute to and from work, or the route you walk your dogs.
These habits are hardwired, which is why linking a new habit to one of these existing routines gives you all the chances in the world that they'll stick.
You’re not reinventing the wheel—you’re just upgrading it.
And that’s what makes it more likely you can be consistent with the new behaviour. Rather than trying to create new habits, a new way of living by tomorrow, where you’re always fighting with the chaos of your life and the ingrained behaviour patterns you’ve built over a lifetime.
This is why the Action - Time - Knowledge Framework is a lifestyle not another “fitness program” with a start and end date and a fancy photo shoot with you all oiled up in your underpants.
4
Break It Down:
Big goals are intimidating. Which is a good thing. But big hairy goals at the start seem so far away, so break the journey into smaller, manageable chunks.
Can’t fit in a 60 min workout? Do 35-45 minutes.
Can’t prep every meal? Start with your dinner for work tomorrow.
Can’t get 8 hours every night, aim to get to bed and hour earlier and go for 6 hours, then 7 and so on.
4
Consistency Over Perfection:
Showing up regularly beats going all-out sporadically before your summer holiday or in Jan trying claw back the damage you’ve done in December.
You don’t need to be perfect mate; you just need to keep moving forward and be consistent. Even through rough patches.
Practical Steps to Take Today
Here’s how you can start taking control of your time right now:
- Schedule a Workout: Pick one day this week and block off 35-45 minutes. Put it in your calendar and treat it like any other non-negotiable appointment. Don’t worry about what you’ll do in the gym yet, your focus is to put the time in your schedule and just walk through the gym door.
- Set a Timer: When you're through the door, give yourself 35-45 minutes in your workout to start with. Whatever your doing when the timer goes off, finish that set and your done. Walk away, get changed and get on with your day.
- Prep One Meal: Choose one meal to prepare in bulk. It doesn’t need to be fancy—keep it simple and effective. Curries and stew's are perfect for this.
- Stack a Habit: Find one activity you already do - walking the dogs and pair it with a new habit, walking at a faster pace, or if you have the time, for longer.
Practical Steps to Take Today
These strategies work because they’re tailored to your life—not someone else’s Instagram ideal.
They’re about making the most of the time you have, rather than being a victim of time, wishing for more hours in the day.
When you stop waiting for the perfect time and start using the time you already have, you’ll notice something incredible: progress.
Reclaim Your Time, Reclaim Your Life
Here’s a reality check—you’re not just investing in your health, fitness and wellbeing; you’re investing in your ability to show up for everything else in your life.
Taking time for yourself doesn’t take away from your family, your work, or your responsibilities. It makes you better, stronger, more capable with all of them.
Im asking you to do yourself a favour; stop waiting for the stars to align or for a magical free hour to appear. Start using the moments you already have.
The clock’s ticking mate.
What’s Next?
With Time now on your side, you’ve built a foundation of consistency.
Next, we’ll level up again with Knowledge, the final level of the framework. This is where you’ll gain the tools to make informed decisions and to forever continue your progress for a more fulfilling life.
But for now, focus on mastering your time.
Because once you own your time, you own your results.