“I just don’t have time to work out.”
It’s the most common excuse we hear. And honestly? It’s not entirely wrong. You probably are busy. Your schedule probably is packed. But here’s the hard truth that Greg McKeown nails in his book Essentialism:
You don’t have a time problem. You have a priority problem.
Before you get defensive, hear me out. This isn’t about shaming you for being busy or telling you to “just work harder.” This is about getting brutally honest with yourself about where your time is actually going—and whether those hours are being spent on things that truly matter.
Because here’s what I’ve learned from reading Essentialism and coaching hundreds of people through this exact struggle: You have the time. You’re just giving it away to things that don’t move the needle forward.
Let’s dig into why this happens and, more importantly, how to fix it.
The “Yes” Problem: When Everything Becomes Nothing
McKeown talks about a powerful concept: Every time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else.
Think about that for a second.
When you say yes to:
- Scrolling Instagram for 45 minutes before bed
- Binge-watching another Netflix series
- That committee you don’t really care about
- Happy hour with coworkers you barely know
- One more project at work that isn’t your responsibility
You’re saying no to:
- Your health
- Your energy
- Your strength
- Your mental clarity
- The version of yourself you actually want to be
The problem isn’t that you’re lazy. The problem is that you’re saying yes to everything, which means you’re saying no to the things that truly matter—often without even realizing it.
McKeown calls this the “paradox of success”: The better you get at saying yes, the more opportunities come your way, and the more diluted your time and energy become. You end up stretched so thin that you can’t do anything well, including take care of yourself.
The solution? Become fiercely protective of your yeses.
The Time Audit: Where Your Hours Actually Go
Before you can reclaim your time, you need to know where it’s going. And I promise you, the answer will surprise you—and maybe sting a little.
Here’s Your Challenge:
For the next 3 days, track everything. Write down what you’re doing in 30-minute blocks from the time you wake up until you go to bed. Be honest. Include:
- Social media scrolling
- TV and streaming
- Email and text checking
- Unnecessary meetings or calls
- Time spent on tasks that don’t align with your goals
What You’ll Discover:
Most people find that they’re spending:
- 2-4 hours per day on social media and mindless scrolling
- 1-2 hours per day on TV or streaming content
- 1+ hours per day on tasks that could be delegated, eliminated, or batched
That’s 4-7 hours. Per day. That’s an entire workday’s worth of time being poured into activities that aren’t essential and don’t move your life forward.
Now imagine what would happen if you reclaimed even one of those hours and used it to move your body, build strength, and invest in your health.
You don’t need more time. You need to stop giving your time away.
The Energy Audit: Not All Hours Are Created Equal
Here’s another truth McKeown highlights: It’s not just about time—it’s about energy.
You might have an hour free at 9 PM, but if you’re mentally and physically drained, that hour isn’t as valuable as the hour you had at 6 AM. Time and energy are not the same thing, and managing both is critical.
Ask Yourself:
- When do I have the most energy during the day?
- What activities drain me, and what activities fuel me?
- Am I spending my high-energy hours on things that matter, or on things that don’t?
For most people, the highest energy hours are in the morning. Yet we give those hours away to email, to-do lists, and putting out fires, then expect ourselves to muster the motivation to work out at 8 PM after a draining day.
Flip the script.
What if you protected your high-energy hours for the things that actually matter—like your health? What if you came to the gym first, when you’re fresh, instead of treating it like the thing you’ll do “if there’s time left over”?
Because here’s the reality: there’s never time left over. There’s only the time you intentionally create.
Start Saying Yes to Yourself
McKeown talks about the disciplined pursuit of less—focusing only on what’s essential and eliminating everything else. And if your health isn’t essential, I don’t know what is.
Here’s how to start:
1. Do a Ruthless Calendar Audit
Look at your commitments for the next week. Ask yourself:
- Does this align with my goals and values?
- Would I be upset if this disappeared tomorrow?
- Am I doing this out of obligation or because it truly matters?
If the answer is “obligation” or “I don’t know,” it’s time to reconsider. Start saying no to the non-essentials so you can say yes to yourself.
2. Schedule Your Workouts Like Meetings
You wouldn’t skip a meeting with your boss because “you didn’t feel like it.” Don’t skip your workout for the same reason. Put it on your calendar. Treat it as non-negotiable. Protect it like you’d protect anything else that matters.
3. Start Small, But Start
You don’t need to commit to 5 days a week at the gym right away. Start with a 30-minute walk outside. Start with 2 classes per week. Start with something.
The point isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. Once you start prioritizing your health, it becomes easier to continue. The hardest part is deciding it matters enough to make space for it.
4. Batch and Eliminate
Look at your time audit. What can you batch together? What can you eliminate entirely? What can you delegate?
- Batch your email checking to 2-3 times per day instead of constantly refreshing
- Eliminate mindless scrolling by deleting social media apps from your phone
- Delegate tasks at work or home that don’t require your unique skills
Every hour you free up is an hour you can invest in yourself.
5. Reframe “I Don’t Have Time”
Stop saying “I don’t have time to work out.” Start saying “Working out isn’t a priority for me right now.”
Notice how that feels different? It forces you to own the choice you’re making. And once you own it, you can change it.
The Real Question
At the end of Essentialism, McKeown asks a powerful question: “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”
Your time will get filled. Your energy will get spent. The only question is whether you’re the one deciding where it goes, or whether you’re passively letting other people, obligations, and distractions decide for you.
Your health matters. Your strength matters. Your energy matters. But only if you decide they do—and then protect them accordingly.
You have the time. You’ve always had the time.
The question is: What are you going to do with it?
Take Action Today
Here’s your homework:
- Do a 3-day time audit. Write down where your hours actually go.
- Do an energy audit. Identify when you’re at your best and what drains you.
- Say no to one non-essential thing this week. Free up that time for movement.
- Say yes to yourself. Schedule a walk, a class, or a workout—and show up.
You don’t need 2 hours a day. You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to stop giving your time away and start investing it in the person you want to become.
We have classes 4-5 times a week. We have coaching. We have a community ready to support you. The only thing missing is you deciding that your health is essential—and showing up.
What are you saying yes to today?