05/18/26
STORY
“Jay, I just don’t have the time”.
This is what my client told me when I asked her why she doesn’t commit to taking better care of herself.
She was a VP who worked too many hours, was overwhelmed, and was on the brink of burnout.
Years ago, she worked out regularly.
She had a fitness routine that gave her energy, helped her stress levels, and enabled her to perform at a high-level even when the pressure was on.
I asked what her routine was like back then.
She told me that she would exercise for an hour and a half before work.
Back then, she had the time.
Now, with her schedule as crazy as it is and work demands being so high, there’s no way she could do that.
I paused, and asked…
“Why does it need to be 90 minutes?”
She got quiet.
The look on her face said, “I never even thought of that”.
In her mind, it was binary.
Either she exercised for 90 minutes, or she didn’t exercise at all.
She hadn’t even considered a shorter workout to better fit into her current schedule.
For that reason, she wasn’t taking care of herself.
We then proceeded to explore ways she could incorporate physical fitness into her day, which didn’t require a 90-minute calendar block.
To her astonishment, it was quite easy to figure out.
It was only when she broke through this fixed mindset that she became more open to the possibilities.
Look…
I know how busy your life can get.
I’m sure it feels like there’s never enough time in the day.
And, I’m certain that if taking care of yourself is important enough…
You can find a way to commit.
You can’t go to the gym for an hour?
Do some pushups and situps between meetings.
You don’t have time to read a book before bed?
Listen to an audiobook on your way to work.
You’re not able to go on long hikes with friends like you used to?
Go for a short walk while reconnecting with a friend on the phone.
The point is you have options, my friend.
Taking care of your health, energy, and strength is not an “all or nothing” kinda thing.
You can always find a way to make it work.
OBSERVATION
A 2025 study published in BMC Public Health found that all-or-nothing thinking is one of the most overlooked barriers to exercise. When people couldn’t stick to their ideal workout plan, they chose not to exercise at all rather than modify it. The research found that rigid standards, not lack of time, were the real reason people stopped moving.
(Segar ML, Updegraff JA, McGhee-Dinvaut A, Taber JM. The secret life of all-or-nothing thinking with exercise: new insights into an overlooked barrier. BMC Public Health. 2025 Dec 19;26(1):298. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-25780-9. PMID: 41420223; PMCID: PMC12831378.)
STRATEGY
Take inventory of what I call “energy-producing activities”.
What are the activities that give you energy?
What charges you?
What helps you to feel healthier, more focused, more alive?
Now consider how you can add more of that activity into your schedule.
Notice if you’re falling into “all-or-nothing” thinking as you plan this, and be willing to adjust your standards.
It doesn’t need to be perfect.
It just needs to get done.
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to find a way to make it work)
Global keynote speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
A mediocre bowler (scored a 146 last week – not bad!)