In the first half of the week I do pick up and drops offs for my two kids that go to school in Macc.
In the second half I sort the two older boys who got to school in Bakewell (and, sometimes, the other two as well).
I pick middle son up at 3.30.
Oldest son also finishes at 3.30 at the Senior school a few miles away.
By the time we’ve got there it’s somewhere between 3.38 and 3.40 depending, usually, on how on time middle son is at coming out of school.
Son 1 meets us on the corner of the main road near his school and is usually just getting there when we arrive.
The coaches normally start to pull out of the school about 3.40 or so.
And they spiral out on all the roads away from the school to the surrounding areas.
If I get son one picked up and out before the coaches, it’s a clear run home.
Get stuck behind one and it adds five minutes or so on.
They are all coaches from Andrews of Tideswell and say “Andrews” in big letters on the back.
Most days I’ll comment with “Take that Andy” as we pull out just before the coaches.
Or I’ll shake my first at the back of the coach saying something like “Argh, Andy – I hate you so much”.
I’ll normally gee middle son along out of his school with “Come on, let’s move. We can’t let Andy get out before us”.
The other day he asked “Why do you hate Andy so much Dad?”
“It only makes five minutes difference”.
On Wednesdays he has swimming lessons at Macc Leisure Centre at 4.30.
On Thursdays I have to pick little brother up from an after school activity at 4.30.
That five minutes is crucial.
Get out ahead of Andy on a Wednesday and we’ve dropped older bro off at home and got to the Leisure Centre with time for a relatively leisurely change and he’s poolside on time.
Get behind Andy and I’m practically throwing big bro out on the side of the road and the lesson has already started after a mad rush change.
On a Thursday it’s the difference between dropping 1 and 2 off at home before getting 3 versus them having to come with me and having another 10 or so minutes in the car.
I don’t really hate Andy.
It’s not his fault.
I just know that that sixty seconds or so of difference in getting out of the first school makes later on much easier and enjoyable for everyone.
That little bit of time there pays back for itself, many times over.
As the time we can put into our food can.
When we see changes to our eating as purely “taking more time” (and, possibly, more money), we’re less likely to make them.
When we realise that a tactical few minutes here or there can not only help us make better food choices, but will save us more time overall, we’re more likely to do it.
10 minutes on a Sunday evening (other ‘quieter times’ are available) putting some thought into what food we’ll need and when in the week and, maybe, doing a click and collect food order…………..
Can mean that, not only do we have something that’ll work better come lunchtime each day………..
But would save us 10 minutes “popping to” the canteen / coffee shop / supermarket / garage forecourt………..
Putting us 40 minutes up on the deal across the working week!
Making a bit extra whilst we’re already making food (AKA ‘batch cooking’) and having that the next day will save time and, probably, create a choice the next day that serves us better.
Making that better use of time ahead of time can often mean that we not only make better choices overall, but we save time too.
Much love,
Jon ‘I genuinely sometime shake my fist at Andy, like an old man, just to see the boys’ reactions’ Hall
P.S. I absolutely guarantee you that you will not make a better use of time than clicking this link to apply for a place on our programme and changing your life –> www.myrise.co.uk/apply
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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!
