Feel like you don’t have enough time?
Feeling constantly behind or short on time?
As S&C coaches, we often encounter the same scenario when catching up with colleagues: “I’m very busy at the moment” or “I don’t have time for anything.” This sense of being perpetually busy and time-strapped has become the norm for many of us.
But why is this the case? Why do we constantly feel like we're running out of time?
The reality is that the demands of our profession are high, with long hours dedicated to training sessions, athlete assessments, periodisation, and staying updated with the latest research. Coupled with personal responsibilities and of course digital distractions, it's no wonder we feel overwhelmed.
"Remember how long you’ve been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn’t use them." - Marcus Aurelius
Causes of Distraction
The lack of time often boils down to a few key factors, particularly relevant for S&C coaches and those coaching athletes:
- Wasting time on the non-essential: Author Greg McKeown discusses this in detail in both of his books, ‘Essentialism’ and ‘Effortless’. He emphasises the importance of distinguishing between what is essential and what is not. For S&C coaches, this means focusing on key athlete development activities that truly matter. By eliminating non-essential tasks, such as additional admin work, we can reclaim significant amounts of time and concentrate on what will most benefit our athletes.
- Inefficiency: Not being efficient with your time when carrying out tasks can lead to prolonged work hours and increased stress. For S&C’s, this can include poor planning of training sessions, lack of prioritisation of athlete needs, and multitasking during workouts. Implementing better time management strategies, such as breaking training programs into smaller, manageable steps and setting clear, measurable goals for each session, can enhance efficiency.
- Distractions: A major culprit is the mobile phone. Research by Mark et al. suggests it can take up to 23 minutes to refocus after checking your phone. For coaches, constant notifications and messages can disrupt the flow of training sessions and reduce the quality of athlete interaction. Consider how often you check your phone during training and the cumulative impact of these distractions on your coaching effectiveness. By setting boundaries, such as designated phone-free times during training or turning off non-essential notifications, you can minimize these interruptions, maintain better focus, and provide more attentive and effective coaching to your athletes.
What Can We Do About It?
Here are some tips that might help:
1. Prioritize: Focus on completing what is important and eliminate the non-essential.
2. Turn off non-essential notifications: This includes email.
3. Reduce phone/social media use: Track your weekly usage and set timers to limit scrolling time.
4. Turn off autoplay on streaming services: Prevents the automatic start of the next episode.
Conclusion
To tackle the feeling of always being short on time, S&C coaches should tackle the main distractions and inefficiencies head-on. By focusing on what truly matters, cutting out unnecessary notifications, and reducing phone and social media use, we can make our days more productive. These simple changes can help us manage our time better and improve how we coach our athletes.
Be sure to share your own tips in the comments!
Until Next Week - Michael
