That’s right, my friend. The last 68 days of the year. Wow.

For me, personally, I think 2022 is flying by like no other year of my life. And I mean that. After a couple “different” years with COVID and our move across country, 2022 has been a more normal year. And with that normalcy, we’ve gotten back into all of our usual activities and added a few new ones too, so that things have really picked up. I remember thinking back to times even in 2021 where we’d be looking for stuff to do. I literally don’t remember that feeling now, because every day and moment is so full.

I’ve been busier in 2022 overall than I have been in several years, and while I like to be a little busy, it’s been too much at times. And when I get busy, sometimes I let my good habits slide just a bit. And I also forget to look at the big picture as much, focusing more on small everyday tasks and responsibilities. 

That’s why, today felt like a good time for a little reality check, so I (and maybe we) can close out the year strong. But this isn’t just about habits, it’s about goals, and doing things you want to do and feeling like you’re always moving forward, while truly enjoying your life. And that sort of thing tends to go by the wayside the last couple months of the year, with a new year on the horizon. But we don’t need to wait until the new year to make changes.

In this post, I’ll be talking about my personal experiences, but also throwing in some tips on how this may apply to you too.

How I’m making the most of the last 68 days of the year

Let’s get into it …

Doing one “personal” workout a week, mostly strength based

Would you believe that a group fitness instructor who is paid to exercise needs more exercise?

I’m sure that sounds silly, but it’s true. I absolutely love my classes, and I love the variety of the programs I teach. And while I do the whole workout with my class and get plenty of movement for my overall health, there are things I need to work on that I need to make time for myself. These things need to be done when I’m not on the stage in front of 40 people at a time.

It matters to me to know I’m working on me, outside of my job. Even if it’s only one short workout, it’s a symbol that I’m taking care of my personal strength and fitness. And I’ve let it slide this year, as I’ve been back to teaching more classes than I have since before Brady was born.

Back when I taught even 10 to 14 classes a week, I always fit in a session for me. And I need to do that now, even with just five classes a week. But it’s hard to add another workout, especially when I’m constantly feeling busy and I’ve added in playing tennis, so I keep making excuses. But I need to do it, and I’m going to do it the rest of the year. It’s only 45 minutes out of the week, which isn’t much.

What does this one mean for you in your life?

You may not need to do more movement to finish out the year. You may need less, because your body needs a break. Or you may need to add some strength training, if you’re only doing cardio. Or you may need to find a new workout program or class, because you’re feeling stagnant in what you’re currently doing. 

Whatever it is (and I bet you already know what it is), there’s no need to just keep doing things how you’re doing them already in your fitness routine to finish out the year. Change now.

This is my commitment to do one solo strength workout each week outside of my classes. I’ll probably be doing Les Mills Strength Development using my Les Mills Smartbar and Smartstep. (And if you missed it, I have a special discount code for all Les Mills Smart Tech equipment that is good only through mid-November. Use the code ASHLEY10 for 10 percent off if you want to invest in this amazing equipment for your home workouts. If you want to strength train more at home, I think the Les Mills Smartbar is the way to go, and you don’t have to do Les Mills workouts to make use of the equipment, that’s for sure.)

Here’s to making our fitness routines just a little bit better these last 68.

Getting into my bed 15 minutes earlier every weeknight

This sounds so trivial, right? But our nightly routine at our house is very simple. Once Brady goes to bed at 8 p.m., Dave and I sit on the couch, and I work for about another 45 minutes, before we start a show. We usually watch one show that we share together from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., then Dave watches some random rerun while I play on my phone until I go upstairs to get in bed in our bedroom (we don’t have a TV in our bedroom), maybe 15 or even 20 minutes later. Those last 10 to 20 minutes are worthless. Occasionally I find a funny Instagram reel that I share with Dave. Otherwise, I’m barely even taking in what I’m scrolling through, and I never engage. It’s lost time. But I’ve got into the habit of doing it, and I don’t like it.

I’m in that weird spot where content matters for me in my business (and I create content I want you to see and engage with), but I also don’t want to consume more than I need to personally. And that evening scroll session is not serving me, so that’s why I want to get back to going into my bed as soon as our show is complete. Last week, I made that happen three nights in a row, and I was able to read a bit before falling asleep. I skipped the scrolling and just went for it. I liked how it felt.

When I get in bed just a few minutes earlier, I have more time to read, and I usually fall asleep just a little faster than if I stayed on the couch too long. Funny how that works. And just 15 minutes extra of sleep feels really good the next day. But mostly, I know I won’t be wasting that time on my phone any longer.

One other side note: I used to be really good about never looking at my phone in bed, unless it was to turn off my alarm. I’ve also let that slip a bit and have done a tiny bit of scrolling here and there while laying in bed, and I hate it. That’s wrapped up in this too. I need to stop, because it’s not a good habit to pick up.

What does this one mean for you in your life?

Maybe you’ve let your bedtime get later and later. Maybe you like to have some quiet time after your kids go to bed. Or maybe you’re hooked on a show and you fit in an extra episode. I know it’s so nice to fit in more at night. But, a little extra sleep does the body (and mind) good. And staying consistent with your bedtime and wake-up time is really good for your overall sleep routine. Because staying consistent helps your body better know when it’s time to go to sleep or time to wake up, so you’re less likely to lay there awake or have trouble getting up.

I see the last 68 days of the year getting busier and busier, and one thing I can control is when I get in bed on a regular night, so here’s hoping I stick to this.

Planning one family fun activity per week

Because I work on the weekends so much, oftentimes the weekend will go by, and I’ll realize we didn’t do a ton of family activities. Yes, we’ll go to lunch or run an errand together, but we didn’t set aside actual time to do something fun together, and I want to change that.

I spend so much time with Brady during the week, that Dave will do a lot of Brady stuff on Saturdays or Sundays while I’m working, or we switch off. And that’s just been our routine. But I want to try to get more done during the week, so I can make more space for this family fun where we actually do stuff together. 

Once again, I’m thinking back to less-busy times when we went on family walks and to the park more regularly, and those activities have truly fallen off our calendar, and I miss them.

I had already mentioned that I pre-booked a few holiday activities for us a month or two ago, and we do have some stuff coming up, so that’s good. We’ve also got several Halloween parties this upcoming weekend, and we have two trips in November (one that Brady comes on, and one that he doesn’t).

But other than that, I plan to always have that one family fun activity on the agenda for the weekend, whatever it may be, even if it’s as small as a family walk. It’s another thing that matters to me, and I need to be purposeful to make it happen.

What does this one mean for you in your life?

Maybe you’ve got some relationships that need some cultivating (because you have to spend time with people to grow with them), or maybe you’ve been home a lot laying low and need to be more proactive with social activities. Or, maybe you’ve been over-scheduled and need to pencil in down-time at home. Depending on what you need, make that commitment to do it, and just do it.

Human connection is really good, and so is self-care, so figure out which you need more of and schedule it for yourself.

Revisiting my goals from the start of 2022 and refocusing on them

Even though I took some time back in June to do a midyear check-in, a few more months have gone by and it’s a good time to see where I am. I haven’t reached all of my goals yet, and I’ve fallen quite short on a couple of them. But I’ve also nailed a couple of them.

I’ll do a full download at the end of the year on where I ended up and go through each item (so we won’t do that today). But the point of this bullet is to remind both you and me of what we wanted to do in 2022 right now, rather than waiting until the end to look back and see if we achieved what we set out to do.

Life happens, circumstances change, and sometimes we need to modify our goals. But even if we do, we should always look back at them. I just re-read my goals for 2022 and my personal mission statement, and when I do that, it’s a great reality check to refocus on why I do what I do — even when I get overwhelmed or stressed.

It also helps me remember not to worry about things that don’t matter or don’t align with my goals, and that’s just as important as knowing what to focus on for me — especially now in the last 68 days of the year.

What does this mean for you in your life?

What did you want to do in 2022? Did you do it? Are you working toward something by the end of the year? How can you get there? Take some time to think about little things you can do for the last 68 days to achieve a couple of your top goals. And most importantly, think back to WHY you created those goals in the first place. Remembering your why can be a really motivating factor to jump back into action, if you let anything slip throughout the year.

68 days is plenty of time! If you need to make some changes, make some improvements or make adjustments in order to better enjoy your life or feel more healthy and strong, then here’s your little nudge to go out and do it.

And that’s all I’ve got for you today!

Thanks for reading my post on how I’m going to make the most of the last 68 days of the year. I hope the last 68 days are really good for you. Have a wonderful week! 🙂 

Other posts you may like …

• My goals for 2022 and how to start the year off right
• How and why to do a 2022 midyear check-in (and how I’m doing midyear)
• Common habits shared by fit and healthy people
• Current faves: A busy week, a book, a Les Mills discount code, dresses and workouts
• How to find inspiration (and why you should care)

Questions of the day for you …

What’s one thing you want to work on the last 68 days of the year?

What’s one thing you’ve been doing really well in 2022?