What Do You Wish You Had More Time For?

I recently sent a survey to folks on LinkedIn asking: What do you wish you had more time for? 

I was curious about the answer because A) the pandemic has shifted our desires and B) I wanted to see if “fitness” was slipping through the cracks of people’s lives. 

The results are listed here:

Over half of the respondents said they wished they had more time for fitness. This isn’t terribly surprising but is a bit disturbing. Here’s why: From my experience, and after interviewing dozens of professionals on this topic, fitness is the key to feeling balanced in life.

We all know how important it is to get some exercise. The benefits are immeasurable and undeniable. Fitness isn’t just about being in good shape—it goes far beyond that into how it makes us feel in all parts of our lives. Fitness includes our physical and mental health; therefore, it affects everything from how we work at our jobs and interact with our friends and families, to how we think and feel about ourselves. Fitness influences our moods and sleep patterns. When we make time for fitness, we have more harmony with everything else in our lives.

My survey was a roundabout way of asking “do you feel balanced?”

Some folks say that balance is the key to success and happiness, others say that balance is impossible. Indeed, balance comes and goes throughout life; sometimes work takes over our lives, sometimes it’s family, and sometimes training for an athletic event becomes a top priority.

My hypothesis on feeling a greater sense of balance in life is simple: (1) take the long view and (2) incorporate fitness into your life.

Fitness needs to be placed on a nearly equal footing with work and family. It’s the third leg in the three-legged stool of life.

Do you believe that if people made time for fitness that they’d feel more balanced?