On a fairly regular basis, I get told how “lucky” I am that I have time to workout. I just have to politely laugh and walk away because, really luck has nothing to do with it. I work full time at a job in commute 45-60 minutes each way for. When I get home, I have 2 little ones and a husband to spend time with, cook dinner, take care of things around the house, and probably go to bed earlier than anyone should because Ken has to work early in the morning. One glance at my daily schedule and anyone would assume that there would be no “extra” time for me to workout, and they’d be right. There is no EXTRA time for me to workout, which is why my workout time is planned into my day. It is intentional. Guys, it is written in my planner. I don’t just have the time laying around, I make the time because it is important to me.

Another phrase I hear frequently is “I wish I could….*insert goal/ideal/etc here*”. This is another one of those phrases I smile politely to and walk away because I actually have pretty strong feelings here. A goal without a plan is just a wish. Wishing is easy. Wishing requires no action. But the thing with wishing is, it is safe. If we wish for something, there is no risk of failure. And I get it, I hate failing at something, especially something I really want or try really hard for. But the truth is, when we wish for something, we are wasting our time and energy when we could be doing it instead. Don’t wish for it, work for it. All it takes is one step forward to shift from wishing for something to working for something. We make a plan, we write down our goal, we set aside 20 minutes for ourselves, we remember that we are worth being taken care of and that our goals, wants, and needs matter too.

As women, we tend to be so good at taking care of those around us and making sure they have time for their goals, but somewhere along the way, we seem to forget that we once had goals too. Yes, our lives may be busier now, we may have families to take care of, jobs to work, houses to manage, but why can’t we go after something we want as well?

Now, I know you are probably reading this thinking “but Kelsey, you don’t understand, I really don’t have the time or the energy” and I know the feeling but I’m here to call your bluff. Don’t keep wishing and waiting to be lucky enough to be able to go after something you want. Take a deep breath and go for it. Take the first step forward and write your goal down. Make a plan, give yourself 20 minutes every day, I promise, we all have 20 minutes somewhere in our day that we are wasting on Facebook or watching Netflix (you know, unless your goal is to watch more Netflix ?). The kids will be fine for 20 minutes, the dishes will still be in the sink, the laundry won’t grow feet and walk away (dang it!), but something awesome happens when we make ourselves a priority for 20 minutes. It energizes us, it gives us confidence, 20 minutes can change your whole day.

So this is my challenge to you, for 1 WEEK, find 20 minutes each day and spend it doing something YOU WANT to do. Whether it is working out, reading a book, crafting, etc, whatever your thing used to be, do it! You’ll be glad you did, and it just might become a regular thing.