Tomorrow Starts Today
The past few months have been extremely challenging, to say the least. Life with two kids under four is pretty hard in itself, but when other things pile up on top of that it is easy to get discouraged. Recently I found myself doing things out of character when I was faced with challenges. I found myself reaching towards convenience with my food choices, and my diet being out of rhythm has a noticeable trickle-down effect in many other areas of my life.
Being the owner of a gym this might sound crazy, but I too struggle to find time to work out. There are currently two regularly scheduled classes per week that I can make it to. Couple the not-ideal eating with this workout schedule and you can imagine how I’ve been feeling. Anyone of you with young kids knows that consistent sleep can be hard to come by, and for me when I’m not eating well or working out as much as I normally do, good sleep is even more difficult to find. I found myself pretty irritable in situations where I would normally shrug stress off or smile and just keep moving through (and I’m pretty sure my gray hair count has doubled in these past few months, too!)
This, of course, is an edited, short list of how I have been feeling, but not one I am interested in continuing. Since joining TwinTown, I have seen the most dramatic changes of my life in all areas of my health. I have worked extremely hard to find what works for me, to the point where I notice what a bad food choice feels like to me, minutes, hours and even the next day. Do I still finish off the last few bites of my kid's mac and cheese when no one is looking, indulge on a Glam Doll donut from my wife’s pregnancy cravings, or continue with our family’s weekly “Friday Pizza Night?” YES!! But I don’t let bad choices continue to multiply... until recently.
When I’m stressed or going through a hard time, I recalibrate by getting back into the routine that has always worked for me. First, I get up early—not because I like to but because it is the only time with young kids that I can have quiet time throughout my day (this means that I go to bed early too).
Then, I start my day by listening to something positive or inspirational while I spend about thirty minutes foam rolling and stretching (old man remedies). Once I’m done with that, I usually have a few hours before my kids are in full force to get the highest priority items checked off of my to-do list. Unless I am coaching the morning classes, I make everyone breakfast. Every day I eat the same exact breakfast: Scrambled eggs, with spinach, sweet potatoes/yellow potatoes, cooked in coconut oil with four sausages on the side. It never gets old and I literally scarf it down every day. When I’m finished, I’m already looking forward to eating it again tomorrow!!
After breakfast, my days always look different, with meetings, coaching, my own workouts, and whatever kids activity there may be. The mantra “Win the Morning” that I heard a while ago that has stuck with me, and is what I strive to do each day because once the kids are up and I’m in meetings, it's not long before it’s already noon. And for me, if I don’t get something done before noon on most days, it’s just not gonna get done.
Above, I mentioned that I have only been able to get into two scheduled TwinTown classes per week. That does not mean that is all I do! I still shoot for my 4-5 workouts per week and our Everyday Program allows me to get in quick ones even when life is crazy! If you haven’t checked it out yet, do it! You know you can use these classes towards your health reimbursement and committed club attendances, right?
Going to bed early/getting up early, eating healthy, being consistently active, along with other disciplines that I have not mentioned here does not come naturally to me. It is, however, what I fall back on when I get out of rhythm. It is a process that I am continually tweaking to optimize how I can become better tomorrow. Because if I’m better tomorrow, then I can take care of myself and the others around me. What can you do today that is going to make you better tomorrow?