I started the year off strong, with 5:30am starts to the day, either heading off to early morning bootcamp, or using the hour before anyone gets up to reflect, relax and to have a calmer start to the day. So far so good. the days I have bootcamp I have energy to make it thru the day, the days I start with a gratitude practice I'm more at ease and ready to tackle my schedule.
I jumped back into "The Magic" with daily gratitude challenges that remind me of all the wonderful things I have to be grateful for. The practice allows me to focus on my goals, my hopes and my dreams. Although I've worked my way thru this book before on a couple different occasions, and practiced being thankful all the time, I'm going to keep repeating the steps for the whole year. I'm excited to see what can happen after the year is up!
I set my goal to jump head first into clean eating and meeting my daily physical activity goals but I'm struggling here just a little. Both tasks are difficult when travelling daily, partaking in lunch meetings or dealing with unscheduled days that leave me rushed to consume food leaving me reaching for the easiest option, not necessarily the healthiest. Unfortunately I've been struggling with a few food issues and flareups that I hope to figure out soon too. It's time I begin focusing on the food...developing habits that work for my schedule and provide me the ability to reach my ultimate goal...healing myself from the inside out!
I've also come to the realization that I have a few conflicting fitness goals. I started this process to improve my mental health and to feel better. Three years after I started on this path, I can honestly say I've accomplished these two goals. I was warned, and see how true it is, that as you progress, new goals pop up. I went from virtually inactive, unhappy and unhealthy to vibrant, excessively active and happy. I took up running but laid off last year to due time constraints due to the courses I was taking, busy schedules at home and stress at work. I instead attempted to focus on getting stronger, lifting weights and changing the shape of my body. I decided last year that along with some weight loss/maintenance I also wanted to become visibly fit. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out that you really can't lose weight and bulk up at the same time.
I'm working out my issues now...I've convinced myself that being healthy comes first. Fix my eating habits, reduce my flare ups, ultimately heal myself from the inside out and the body issues will sort themselves out. Smart choices, like when to do bootcamp, adding in some running and continuing to improve my strength training will help me stay physically fit and mentally capable to handle everyday life.
I'm a work in progress, but constant reflection on my goals and being thankful for how far I've come leave me excited to see what I can accomplish this year. This year I value my health and wellness for the sake of me and my family.
How can reflection and gratitude help put changes in your life on track? What do you value most in your life this year?
