just like the moon. I'll be really on it and doing thing well for a while and then something will happen, or nothing will happen, and I will become not so productive. I will think I am on a roll, then boom, I run into a wall that I struggle with. So two weeks ago I was feeling good and walking every morning and things were feeling great. Then, boom, I went back to school and things started to fall apart. I still walk when I don't have school, but that's not enough to keep me energized and help me lose weight. So I've decided that it's time for come to Jesus meeting with myself. Here goes.......
What do you really want?
Okay, there are two things that I really, really, really want. Those are a mildly successful small business and to work out regularly.
I say mildly successful business because I don't want to be working my butt off on a side business when I retire. I want to just keep busy but be able to travel, workout, do the things I want to do. So mildly successful it is.
I want to work out regularly for a whole lot of reasons. I know that it will make me feel better. I will have more energy and be able to do the other things I want to do. I will help keep me healthy so I can live a long, long life. It will keep me physically strong enough to do the things I want to do like travel and hike.
Now, what are you willing to give up to get those things?
This is where the rubber meets the road. I keep telling myself that I don't have the time. That is my most common mantra. "I just don't have the time" (said in a whiny voice). Now the fact of the matter is that my 4 day work week is quite full. I figured it out:
- Sleep: 7 - 7.5 hours a night
- Work: ~10-11 hours - this includes commuting
- Getting ready in the morning: 1.5 hours - this includes walking the dog
That uses up a total of 20 hours on the long end, somedays it's less. That still leaves me 4 hours a day to do something. Currently I come home, maybe get in the pool for a half an hour or so. Then I sit on the couch and watch TV until bed time. So generally for 3 - 3.5 hours, I'm on the couch. Now granted, sometimes I do work on social media stuff while sitting there. But mostly I color. I tell myself it's to unwind from the day and relax before bed. While in reality it's just killing/wasting/squandering my time.. The amount of TV that I actually want to watch amounts to about 1 hour a day. 1 hour also seems like a reasonable amount of time to relax and wind down from the day. So that leaves me 2-2.5 hours to do something. I can take 30 minutes of that time and get a workout in. I can use the remaining hour or so to work on my business. I do need 20ish minutes to eat and clean the kitchen but that's all.
The above is only Monday - Thursday. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I am off and the above doesn't apply. So I have no excuses at all for these 3 days.
Bottom line here: I have the time to workout and work on my business every night, I just choose not to. Because if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. I have a 1,000 excuses: I'm tired, it's been a rough day, it's been a long day, I need to do something for tomorrow, blah, blah, blah.... The truth is, if it's been a rough day shouldn't I reward myself with a workout? If it's been a long day, shouldn't I do a workout to loosen everything up? If I need something for tomorrow, shouldn't I do a workout first so my mind is refreshed? See, I can make counterclaims to all those excuses and I need to keep those in my back pocket for when they come up.
So, how do I combat this horrible habit that I have created?
Well, it's going to take some time and focus and it's not going to be a walk in the park. First thing is to create a workout plan, and for now it will be every day. Next is to schedule the time, make an unbreakable appointment with myself. Set an alarm for every day. Then I just need to do it for a few weeks. Eventually the habit will take over. I know that I will feel good if I do it, so I just need to get through the initial resistance to the feel good part.
Okay, here's to a new routine and new habits.
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