INSIGHTS FROM AN OLYMPIAN BY JOHNNY QUINN | @JOHNNYQUINNUSA

We all have the same amount of time in a day. 24 hours to eat, sleep, produce, enjoy and repeat. Some days, it starts to feel like the line on the back of the shampoo bottle, “Lather, Rinse, Repeat”. Have you ever been pressed for time? Where the time in your day just doesn’t seem to add up? Have you ever wished for more time to tackle your ever-growing to-do list? If so, I hate to break it to you, but you’re normal. At some point or another, we all have felt pressed for time and wish there was a better way to consciously control the allotted time we have throughout the day.   Photo credit: Julie de WaroquierWhile I don’t have all the answers, I’m going to give you a few of my tried and true solutions to this. The first step is that we must be intentional with the time we have been given. Many of us work…ok, just about all of us work! And if you’re not working, you are most likely in school. So lets call school, work. Although we would love to control the time spend at work, sometimes it takes us on bunny trails. Have you ever followed a bunny trail in the field or in the woods? It starts off as a clear-cut trail but then ultimately leads to nothing. During the workday, we get pulled in multiple directions and we have to filter through which direction we need to pursue. Dr. Stephen Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, talks about how a quadrant two leader (the best kind of leader) focuses on things that are important, yet not urgent. When you focus on what is truly important, you’re taking preventive steps to reduce the risk of becoming…

The Rivera Maya located in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula is one of the top travel destinations in the world. The resort at El Dorado Royale (located 47 kilometers south of Cancun) is one of the top rated resorts north of the equator and my wife and I found out firsthand why. We had the pleasure of celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary at this extravagant all-inclusive resort. From the swim up casita suite to 24-hour room service, we took four days to indulge, celebrate and reminisce on our first year as husband and wife!   Our view from dinner at El Dorado Royale Resort. Photo credit: Amanda S. Quinn  INDULGE At an all-inclusive resort, it’s easy to indulge. Actually, I’m pretty sure it is encouraged. This was my first time as an all-inclusive guest and I loved it! We paid for our trip in advance, so once we arrived at the property, I didn’t have to pull my wallet out once for food, drinks or activities. It was awesome! One thing I also found very easy to do was indulge in all the resort amenities. For four days we could eat, drink and enjoy everything El Dorado Royale had to offer. While I made sure we got our money’s worth, I had a thought run across my mind. What if I indulge every day for what it has to offer? Regardless of my circumstances and current situation, what if I took advantage of every opportunity (or obstacle) that presented itself daily. Now I am going to need some wisdom to do that, because I can’t do everything that pulls for my attention, and neither can you. But what if, as we look through the lense of wisdom, we approach each day, fully present and fully committed. I have no doubt, with that…