Taking Responsibility for My Physical Fitness (and 5 self-reflective questions for when you feel stuck)
Ok. So I have a confession to make. My physical fitness has has been sorely neglected the last few months and I’m a little bit embarrassed to admit that. It just goes to show you that even as a wellness coach with so many tools, resources, and knowledge at my disposal, I am still faced with challenges that take some time, effort, and internal work to overcome.
This is an area of my holistic health that I haven’t managed to conquer yet. (By the way, yet is one of the most inspiring words. Next time you are talking or thinking about something that you want to accomplish, but haven’t, add the word YET.) It was confusing to me for a while because * gasp * I actually like working out. Those post-workout feels always give me a boost of energy and I never regret going to the gym. I had to do some serious self-reflection to figure out what was getting in the way of me actually going, especially when I definitely have the time. Motivation and willpower don’t always tell the whole story…but that’s a whole separate blog post.
Ultimately, I decided that I felt guilty about going to the gym, which is weird to type out. My thought process was something like this- “If I take time to go to the gym, that is time taken away from working on something productive. If I’m not being productive my business isn’t growing.” So then I wouldn’t go workout because I was “too busy.” Then I would spend the rest of the day feeling guilty that I didn’t make it to the gym. Wash, rinse, repeat. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Maybe instead of taking time from work, you feel guilty about taking time from family, household responsibilities, or other projects.
It took me a while to really understand that the only thing I was taking time away from was the quality years of my life. I want to embrace the fact that I love myself and my family enough to want to be around for a long time and being physically fit will enable me to do so. Also, my work is centered around the wellness industry- it’s important for me to “walk the walk.”
Now, I am really lucky that I have a high energy dog and I do fence two times a week for at least an hour. (And let me tell you- there is no sweat like the sweat you get when wearing a fencing uniform and mask.) So it wasn’t like I wasn’t getting in ANY physical activity, I just really wanted to make a commitment to strength train at least 3x a week. Weightlifting will help me build up my overall strength and support me in performing better as an athlete when it comes to fencing.
I am posting this after honoring my commitment to myself for a full week and I feel incredible! I can’t wait to see what the next couple of months have in store. I’ll plan on posting updates every so often with wins, challenges, and other personal insights.
If you are struggling with consistency and commitment to something you desire, here are 5 questions to ask yourself
What EXACTLY am I willing to commit to? (Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting system- (make it something specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely)
Why do I want it? (think about what your values are)
What is standing in my way right now?
On a scale of 1-10 how ready am I to make this change? (and what does that mean for you?)
Who can I turn to for support and/or encouragement?
Pictured above: adidas squad IV duffel bag | Women’s Inov-8 Minimalist Cross Training Shoe | Cowin Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones