Little Notebooks: The Secret of How to Get More Done in Less Time

Here’s an example of my workout notebook.

I recently received a “Leadership Wired” e-newsletter from leadership development guru, John Maxwell. In the section entitled, “Developing Efficient Practices,” he goes on to say the following:

“Never Begin the Day Until It Is Finished on Paper. As playwright Victor Hugo wrote, ‘He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out the plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.’ Every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution. It takes only 10 to 12 minutes for you to plan your day. However, this small investment can prevent up to two hours (100 to 120 minutes) of wasted time and fruitless effort throughout the day.” (Maxwell, 2013)

Apply this same concept to your fitness agenda. Plan your workouts BEFORE you get to the gym. Having a plan of attack before you go will help get you there AND keep you focused when you’re there. You may surprise yourself with how much you can accomplish within 30 minutes, let alone an hour!

I typically break my workout into 4 main sections: warm-up, weight-training, cardio, and stretching. I write all of my exercises down in a small little notebook, review it before I go to the gym, toss it in the gym bag, and bust it out when I get there. Eventually, my little notebook becomes a mastermind of old workouts to recycle back into my exercise routine. And yes, that saves even more time planning!