Page 29 of 31
Finding Balance
We all have an Achilles heel that can trip us up as we pursue our fitness and health goals. Sometimes, it is only a minor slip up that causes our healthy habits to start to taper off. If you’re like me, a cheat meal can easily converts into a cheat week.
So how do we stay the course without driving ourselves nutty?
- Allow yourself latitude to miss a workout or eat a treat. It’s okay to not be perfect.
- Don’t cut out whole food groups completely. Ditching carbs is certainly effective, but not practical long term.
- Don’t give up everything you like. I can give up almost everything, but don’t make me give up or change my coffee!
- Have a battle buddy. Together you can keep each other on track and disciplined.
- Sign up for a race or event, so you have a milestone to work towards.
- Practice yoga, it will reduce stress (and stress hormones) and help you avoid injury by keeping you flexible.
These are just a few tips you can use to taper off your unhealthy habits and convert them into healthy habits and on your way to a healthier lifestyle.
Small Gains Turn Into Big Triumphs
Almost two years ago, I started running 5K races. I had never been a runner and had never run a 5k, so I set a goal for 2016 to run 12 5Ks in the year and break the 30 minute mark. I hadn’t run since middle school, but when I did run I was quite fast just over the 7 minute mile mark. When I started off running and was barely under the 10 minute per mile mark, I couldn’t believe how slow I was and how hard it was to run that fast. What had happened to all that speed?
I trained halfheartedly the first part of 2016, with multiple trips and excuses complicating the training schedule. In August of 2016, I buckled down and started training in earnest running 20-25 miles a week with my oldest son Jake. The beauty of running with Jake is that I had to work to keep up with him since I don’t enjoy being left in the dust. He is significantly faster than me, so this was a huge win for me from a training perspective.
Our first race of the 2016-2017 season was early in September and it was a scorcher. I was pumped up and ready and he was apathetic and dressed in pajamas and skate shoes. I ran my heart out and broke the 30 minute barrier. I was thrilled! Meanwhile, Jake crushed the race and won his age group. I ended up placing 4th in my age group, which was a huge triumph for me.
By the end of the year, we had continue to whittle away at our time. Jake got his down into the 21 minute range and I got my 5k down to 28.5 minutes. Hitting both of my goals, the time and quantity were huge wins. Sometimes though training, and life, is all about the small wins. Over the course of the year, we had littles wins at each event. Race after race, we chipped away at our times and built confidence. When it comes to training, little gains add up into big wins. Don’t get discouraged if you’re only seeing small movement in your times. Overtime, you will see just how much you have gained.
This year we’re working on our time and adding distance. We won’t be running as many races, but that’s okay. My goal was to be able to run a mile under 8 minutes and I finally did this in April, but now need to extend that pace out two more miles. We plan to add in a 10K sometime this fall, which still seems daunting to me. This time of year, it is difficult with the weather to coordinate our runs, but we cannot lose focus or the 10K will be painful. And yes, sometimes it is okay to have one of those days where getting out of bed feels like a major triumph.
Revelation
When I think about a revelation, I think of a big, salacious announcement, Armageddon or a major personal break through. The definition of revelation can vary across people. Some may find new details of Taylor Swift’s love life to revelatory, while others could not careless. Many of us our looking for revelations in our own lives; the meaning of life, our purpose, or our path.
In looking for our revelations, we often look for big signs. As if there will be a billboard pointing out our path and purpose with an easy to follow map. That would be awesome, but it doesn’t exist. In our everyday lives, there are often revelations that we overlook. It is these small revelations that overtime add up into wisdom if heeded.
Music makes the world go round. If it has a good beat, good rhythm and I can dance to it, I am a happy camper. Music is a universal language. If it has no words or is in a foreign language is a matter of little consequence. Music is revelatory. When we here a song, it can transport us to a meaningful moment in our lives. Every time I hear the Beatles, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away,” I am transported back to the tram in Germany travelling down the rainy hill from Neuschwanstein Castle to our where our tour bus was parked. We all have songs that transport us back to magical moments in our lives or songs that carried us through the difficult times. Which song is your favorite?
Be Authentic
Who we are, how we lead, how we work, how we parent and decisions we make are all based on a frame work of morals and ethics that were ingrained with us from our youth. Sure over the years, our moral and ethical framework evolves, but the shifts are not crisp, nor are they tectonic in nature. Or are they?
I believe in servant leadership and have practiced it in my current role and at my previous company. My leadership style isn’t and wasn’t based upon a company or management philosophy in place, but rather based on how my moral and ethical framework interprets the role of a corporate leader. In other words, it is authentic to who I am and how I operate. My leadership style has never been a tool of expediency.
There are times in our lives, where it will be tempting to give into expediency and pivot from our ethical framework and our leadership style. Giving into the expediency may result in short term gains, but as a leader the voracity of your character will be questioned by your subordinates and those above you. Before you pivot to expedience, ask yourself if the short term gains will outweigh the longer term ramifications. How will your organization perform if they no longer have faith in you or your intentions? Is it worth the risk? I would argue all day every day that it is never worth the risk.
Establishing a Writing Habit
After a decade long break from writing, I picked it up again when I started this blog in late April. Rusty and out of practice, it felt both good and terrifying all at once. Inspired to write by the circumstances of my life, I felt compelled to create this blog. Writing provides me with a creative outlet and a platform to help others. Many people start writing, painting or another creative outlet because they’re inspired by their life’s circumstances, but they don’t continue pursuing their art as their inspiration wanes.
The thing with inspiration is that it is not constant. It is fickle and ever changing. If we rely only on inspiration to drive our craft, than we are likely lose interest as our inspiration wanes. Rather than relying on inspiration, rely on habit. Make your craft a part of your daily routine. This will make it a way of life and not reliant upon the fickle nature of inspiration.
The draw in participating the daily prompt for me was exactly that. It has been to establish writing as an important part of my daily routine. This will help me polish my writing skills and ensure my blog doesn’t become just a flash in the pan.
Life’s Storms
Life is fickle. Life is funny. It seems to go one of two ways. Either nothing is happening or everything is happening and our world is collapsing around us all at once. Both the boredom and chaos associated with either scenario can be all encompassing and destructive. In the calm, it is easy to become complacent. In the storm, it is easy to give up, but don’t. You are much stronger than you ever imagined. As Victor Hugo so eloquently said, “even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” And remember, as you weather the storm, you are not alone.
Another Milestone Moment
It seems like it was only moments ago that Zachary crossed the stage in East Boynton to graduate from VPK on a warm Saturday in May between hockey games. Colin was in first grade and Jacob had just finished sixth grade. Kindergarten was an approaching reality for Zachary, but where we are now (out of elementary completely and one heading to college) seemed to be in the distant future. Only it wasn’t so distant.
Cruel and misleading, time is a mistress that pulls no punches. It passes so quickly that none of us even notice and with the blink of our eye, our babies are no longer babies, but young men and women. Okay, okay, the Mayor is only going into middle school so young men and women may be a bit of a leap, but to be fair his older brother graduated high school and its all happening in what seems to have been a blink of the eye. I’m pretty sure just last Christmas, the Mayor was in his Exersaucer and Jacob was opening his favorite Goosebumps book.
After thirteen years, three schools, three houses, three boys, two states and countless businesses (run by the Mayor,) our elementary career as a family is over. No more awkwardly timed donuts with dads or muffins with moms on a Thursday or Friday morning. No more recess, parents running interference or safety patrol for this family. As the Mayor moves on to middle school, he gains independence and accountability for his studies.
It is hard to say bye to Sunset Palms since we’ve been there since it has opened and it has been great to our family. We’ve had so many amazing teachers throughout the years at the school and Mr. Fleming is both Zachary and Colin’s favorite. We were so lucky to be zoned for such an incredible school.
Saying goodbye to preschool was just as hard with Zachary graduated in 2011. Each of his graduations or moving on ceremonies, signals a change of life stages for our family. While the transitions in stage are a bit difficult and emotional, there is much beauty to be found in our life’s new stage. I look forward to showing what life’s next stage has in store for our family and for the Mayor.
Imaginary Troubles
If you’re like me, ever since children entered the picture, sleep has been an issue. While you may have been a deep sleeper before, you now wake up at the drop of a pin. God forbid your dogs bark or your partner snores because then you won’t even be able to fall asleep. The problem with this of course is that as you try to sleep and can’t, the mind starts racing. Sadly late at night, the mind never goes to a good place. It goes into your psyche and taps into your anxieties and fears.
Once those ruminations start, they are hard to stop and you find yourself struggling to slow your racing mind. These imaginary obstacles have your heart racing and your brain on overdrive. When you do finally fall asleep, the anxiety may abate temporarily only to resurface the following day. It is an odd facet of human nature that we are inclined to ruminate about a past that we cannot change and a future that we cannot predict. These ruminations can become overwhelming if you allow them.
If you find yourself obsessing over potential issues or obstacles in the future, stop. Just as you cannot change your past, you cannot live by focusing on future problems. To be clear, you can exist, but you cannot live. Your life will pass you by if your time is focused on your past or on your future. Focus on your present, the people you love and that which you can control.
Life will hand you difficult hands, but you are much better equipped to deal with the difficulty than your worries suggest. The struggles you worry about often seem insurmountable, but when faced with actual struggles you will overcome them. Have faith in your strength and in the strength of your relationships, which will help carry you through the difficult times.