I’m so proud of myself for getting to the gym today just as planned. I’m easing myself back into a routine. Not just with exercise, but with all areas of my life. For a while there my life felt like a train wreck. Everything felt so out of control. But one by one I took the bull by the horn and lassoed some structure back into my life and now I feel like I’m better able to manage all of my responsibilities with a little more ease. The things that have made the difference are:
- Spending time with the Lord each morning in prayer and devotions
- Taking time each week to determine what needs to be accomplished and scheduling time in my planner to get it all done
- Working from a daily to do list – It feels wonderful to go to bed each night with a sense of accomplishment
- Getting up at 5:00 each morning to spend time before work to get my writing done
- Planning my workout schedule and writing the appointment in my planner just like I schedule all other appointments
I didn’t try to do all of this at once. I worked on establishing one habit at a time before adding another piece to the puzzle. One by one I got it all working together. Today I added the exercise puzzle piece into the mix and it felt good to be back in the gym.
Although my head and my heart are ready to ramp it up, my body says ease into it and take it slow. Right now my one and only focus is to go every day as planned and to move for 30 minutes. That’s it. I’m not trying to break any records, bust a sweat or prove anything. I’m simply trying to establish a habit and get my body moving again.
The plan moving forward is to go each day on my lunch hour. I chose this time for several reasons:
- To get away from my desk and move my body so that it doesn’t stiffen up
- To get out of the office and get some air
- To de-stress myself mid-day so I don’t hurt nobody
My lunchtime schedule won’t always work. For instance, I have meetings and appointments tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday that will get in the way of my getting to the gym on my lunch hour. But because I sat down this weekend to plan my week, I’ve planned my workouts to take place in the mornings on those days before work so that my other obligations don’t squeeze out my workouts.
The moral of this story: You Gotta Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan!
Your Turn To Share
What daily habits have you put in place to make sure that your top priority things get done each day?
Jack V Sage says
As someone who has a long way to go to get to a healthier size, I am happy to see you doing what you are doing. I am more than 90 pounds over healthy weight, and my partner is rebuilding muscle and stamina after a long illness.
Jack V Sage recently posted…Fiesta Tuna Salad
Stacey Strickler says
Jack we both have a long way to go, but it’s doable. It really is about taking it one step, one day, and one pound at a time. Thank you for your words of encouragement. I’m pulling for both you and your partner to reach the goals you’ve set for yourselves. Please keep me posted on your progress