Day 15 - My Motivation

I'm starting my 3rd week. If the scientist are right, by the end of this week I will have established a new habit. I would have to say by my own observation, my chow, Jasper has already established not only a new habit, but a rather demanding attitude. He demands his daily jog!

My desire to inspire others is a great motivator to stick to this and to log my progress. Actions with purpose give us confidence and strength! I hope to continue my habit forming quest with the goal of overcoming my own health issues to motivate others.

While the typical fitness professional lives an active lifestyle and practices what they preach, most have not dealt with major exercise obstacles first hand. Despite the painful and sometimes debilitating effects on my life that I've experienced while battling Fybromyalgia, I still am grateful for how it has "leveled the field" for me. It's as if I am....well, out of shape. My body does not respond well to exercise. I have to use all my training knowledge, combined with extreme self-control to stay fit and active. I battle discouragement as I deal with a body that won't cooperate. So many techniques that I implemented in training others, I'm now utilizing on my own health quest. My new cognizance leaves me with a conviction to take what I've learned and teach, motivate and inspire others to conquer their seemingly insurmountable fitness and health obstacles one day at a time, one small change at a time.

Day 14 - Peace and Confidence

It's Saturday, Feb 27th - Everyone is coming to my house and I have a REALLY big family. I squeezed in the jog just in time to jump in the shower before the kids got here - shew! I left my music off. Sometimes I just need quiet.

What a beautiful day with my family. After everyone went home, I rested peacefully. I feel accomplished and happy!

Sticking with a commitment makes other areas of your life better too!

Day 13 - Savor the Good Days

It's Friday, the 13th day of my jogging, but no bad luck today. Fridays I teach PE and usually shop for the weekend on the way home. I don't typically have clients or classes. This Friday, my wonderful husband got off early so we met for lunch and then made a grocery trip before heading home.

By the time I got home, Jasper was patiently waiting for his walk and after getting groceries in and put away I quickly dressed for our winter jog. I was determined not to let a day get skipped so I had to hurry. It would be dark soon. I finished with time to spare and took my excited little poodle down the street and back too. Almost ready for the weekend. :-)

Some days exercise feels really good. It's important to savor those days. Enjoy them and log them in the happy memory bank for future retrieval. When exercise is more difficult, remember the "good days" and just get through the tough ones. There will be more good ones soon and at least you will have accomplished something despite the discomfort!

Don't give up. Keep Going Forward!

Day 12 - Face the Wind Bravely!

Cold, windy bursts press against Jasper and I as we plunge forward with determination. There's a strange parallel between overcoming the obstacles this winter weather has brought us and and bravely conquering the storms of life. My mother used to say, "If you don't like the weather around her, just stick around awhile." Virginia is notorious for drastic change.

So too, when we take on a new challenge, we will face "changes" daily in the conditions that surround us. Enjoy the warmth of a sunny day and appreciate it especially after cold snow and flooding rains. Remember to count the blessings of life while accepting the "rainfall". The cruel whipping wind chills me today but wind moves on, weather changes and so does life.

Start each day with gratefulness. Live it in kindness.

Celebrate Success. Learn From Mistakes. Keep Going Forward!

Day 11 - Utilize Multi-tasking with cardio activity.

As my body gets accustomed to the activity and my chow learns to be more cooperative, jogging becomes more relaxed and I'm feeling "settled in". When a habit starts to become more "mindless" or requires less thought, spicing it up with something you enjoy is a great idea.

Reading a daily devotional during/before cardio is my "spice". I used to do this during my warm up walk before jogging. Now I read my devotional, then listen to my devotional music. This has a dual benefit.
1. It gave me something to think about (so I'm not thinking about jogging, lol).
2. I know have two productive objectives side by side, complementing one another.

As I've added a spiritual element, my faith to face life's challenges is refueled in my daily runs. My commitment to see it through has doubled with the extra benefit added.

Other "spice" ideas to overcome cardio boredom:
Make a play list of your favorite songs on an mp3 player.
Tune into a favorite talk show with a walkman type mp3.
Download audio books.
Learn a foreign language.

Day 10 - Overcome the "Too Busy" Temptation!

So far, this has been the most difficult day to complete. I feel fine, but I have a lot to get done today. As a trainer, the most repeated reason for not exercising is I don't have time. It's not an excuse, rather a perspective.

We must make time for the things that mold our lives, lest our lives begin to shape our future in opposition to the path we desire.

Take time to consider the times in your life when you were the most industrious. During those times, were you enslaved to circumstances beyond your control? Probably somewhat; that's life. However, you most likely spent time and energy in activities that enlarged your life experience; fitness, education, sports, hobbies.

Pursuits that may be classified as selfish are actually essential to our productivity in other areas of our life. Without them, we become over-taxed and our responsibilities become a burdensome drudgery. Our confidence and energy levels begin to drop and every task becomes more difficult.

Making a 21 day commitment to this new habit has been instrumental in pushing me past the place where I usually say, "Fine, I'll skip my workout and get to work on...'whatever happens to be pressuring me at the moment'."

When I think back to the times of my life that I view as the happiest, most grounded, secure and productive, I can find one common element - I made decisions for my own well-being.

Make a decision to take care of yourself for the one's who love! They just might help you to see it through. My huband and kids are happy to help me to follow me, but I have to make the decisions and make known to them how important it is to me!

When we fail to take care of the bodies we are blessed with, we are investing in a future of being a burden on others as we reap the effects that poor health and diet habits are sure to bring upon us: disease, pain, depression, possibly leaving us partially or fully incapacitated. I want to be a better partner for my husband for a LONG time!

So presently and in the benefits of a full and happy future, I am Celebrating my success in pushing past the pressures to "Skip just this one jog".

I Learned that this venture is teaching me things about myself and strengthening my confidence in making decisions based both on my knowledge and on my faith, rather than being tossed around helplessly like a ship in a stormy sea. I'm trusting my faith to lead me!

I am more determined than ever now, to not only succeed with this 21 days but to regain my confidence and strength in making decisions for my personal fitness a priority again as I Keep Going Forward!

Day 9 - Put your new habit on the top of the list!

It's Monday and back to the grind of work which makes it harder to get the jog in, but it worked out perfectly. A morning client called to post-pone till afternoon and I took advantage of the opportunity to rush home to engage in my new habit. On my way back from the afternoon session, it began to rain. What if I had waited? I know that if I am making something a priority, it should be as high on the to-do list as possible.

Try to plan workouts or new habits early in the day, if applicable.
In training, early morning workouts are better because, should life get in the way, you still have the rest of the day to possibly wedge them in. Evening sessions are frequently cancelled for traffic issues, staying late at work or just being too tired. Morning exercisers seem to be more consistent. During this crucial "21 day habit forming time" prioritize your new habit to be successful!

Today I Celebrate that I made a good choice and therefor didn't get rained out!
I Learned first hand that taking my own advice and prioritizing my workout works!
It's getting easier all the time to Keep Going Forward!