Time Mgmt: Opportunity Cost Of Gym Membership

[cjac9chris]

Hi Fastlaners,
I’m curious how you’d handle this problem:

I train as a powerlifter and spend 3-4.5 hrs. per week in the gym. I’m not a professional - this is just what I’m into.

Currently, I train at LA Fitness. The equipment sucks for what I’m doing though it IS possible to train there.

The people there are usually doing dumb exercises and are uninspiring to be around.

The only plus is it’s a 3 minute drive time.

On the flip side, the best lifting gym in town is 9 minutes away.

The equipment is exactly what I need and the people there are the strongest in town.

It’s very inspiring to be there even though I’m one of the weakest people there.

Lifting there is pure joy and, honestly, I can lift more weight there just because of the environment. (I think it’s a psychological thing.)

Talk about surrounding yourself with successful people! When it comes to health and fitness, they’ve got it.

Problem is: is it worth the drive time?

How does a fast-laner handle this problem?

Here’s the opportunity cost breakdown based on my time being worth $200/hr.

LA Fitness: $3,490.20/yr.
Other gym: $9,120.00/yr.

Which one would you go with? Less joy and inspiration but more time to build your biz, call prospects, hunt for opportunity.

OR more joy, inspiration, possibly better fitness with slightly less time to be productive.

Thanks for your input!



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[Kyle T]

MJ mentions in Unscripted about how he drives farther for the specific gym environment similar to the ideal one that you described. The environment that energizes you is critical for productivity.

Plus....If your time is really that valuable, then I don't think you'd be hung up on a 6-minute difference. The time that you have spent on this post and making this decision has already surpassed that.

Make the decision and own it. If a 6-minute drive is going to make your health & your workouts better than that is a trade that I would make any day of the week.

 

[DennisD]

This is a BS problem and I hope it's just a thought experiment.
Opportunity cost doesn't work like that.

It only applies if you would have ~realistically~ spent that exact same 6 minutes making money at the suggested rate, and there was absolutely NO WAY to schedule/consolidate your time in a way to free up 6 minutes.

That would mean your waking life is BOOKED SOLID making $200/hr nonstop with no wiggle room.

It means you make $416k a year with a standard schedule or $728k with an extended schedule. It also means that 6 minutes of your time is worth $20.

Of course your health and happiness is worth $20 a day.

However I don't think that this is actually the case. I think you're making the mistake of working in hypothetical/arbitrary value. I suggest reading some of Billy Murphy's stuff from Forever Jobless. I sense that it will be helpful to you.

You can listen to it on your commute to the gym as a way to lessen the guilt of the commute.