If it's a priority you'll find a way. If it isn't, you'll find an excuse.

When something is a priority, you always manage to find the time for it. And the opposite is also true. You might say you don’t have time for something, but maybe it’s just not a priority. But, there is no middle ground. You can’t say it’s a priority but you don’t have time. I learnt this with a slap on my face!

Back in Feb 2017, my husband Raj & I were living in Chennai, away from my family. A typical work week looked like this:

• Working for 9hrs/day (about 50hours a week)

• Ate out/Swiggy (10 times a week)

• We used store bought dosa batter & curd to reduce cooking time

• All movie dates were 100% followed by dinner outside

I put on 6 kgs in 6 months due to the lifestyle we created for ourselves. Amidst all this, Raj & I wanted to start a family. My gynaecologist advised me to make necessary lifestyle & dietary changes before I planned my pregnancy as that helps in a healthy pregnancy. So, we met with a nutritionist who customized a diet chart for us. I don’t exactly remember how the conversation went during the session but she clearly wasn’t confident that we will incorporate the changes she suggested. So, at the end of the session she said “At least ‘set the curd’ and make your ‘dosa batter’ at home!” Honestly, I was a little embarrassed at her comment, but I told myself that it was our reality at the time.

A few months went by but I couldn’t get myself to change my patterns. I continued to work for long hours. I continued to eat out. I signed up for membership in a gym and never showed up! I convinced myself that ‘I DON’T HAVE TIME to cook at home or go to the gym!’

During our quarterly review session with the nutritionist, I could tell that she was unimpressed but not surprised. She directly said “I don’t think this is a priority for you, please contact me when you are serious!” Those words felt like a hard slap on my face. She translated my “I don’t have time” as “it’s not a priority”. By being so direct, she made me realize that if I’m serious about the results I better do something about it. I could either take my goal of having a healthy lifestyle seriously, take charge, re-organize my day, work & lifestyle to make it happen OR postpone my dream of starting a family. In other words, I needed to choose. Was getting pregnant in 2017 a priority or not? Picking either was Okay! But making excuses ISN’T an option!

And once I made up my mind that starting a family was indeed a priority, I did everything I could to have a healthy lifestyle. I rescheduled work to fit in my workouts. We hired a cook who packed healthy meals and snacks to work. Our movie dates and Saturday party nights were preceded by dinner at home.

“If it’s a priority you’ll find a way. If it isn’t, you’ll find an excuse”- Jim Rohn