Finally Time to Move On
It's a few days into December. Thanksgiving came and went and I am not feeling the working out. I know, it's a hard time of the year for it. So I am trying to schedule the workouts in and make commitments with people so I actually go. It's working, I am just SO not into it!
The cold weather is lingering, colder than it's normally here in California. Under 40s at night (yes, I recognize I am a baby however, I live in CA for a reason!) and since the Thanksgiving holiday I am just not into it. In fact, my eating has gone to crap (not just a little off, like hamburgers and BLTs off!), I feel like the workouts are harder than they should be, and I just don't want to go!
I know I am not the only one. The motivation level of the gym has been down for sure. The programming remains good, I know we're all getting stronger, but honestly, I just want to get my favorite take out, a sappy movie and a bottle of wine (yes, I said bottle) and be on the couch. End of story.
I love this time of the year, the parties, the family and friends, the good drinks, the dress up, all of it. But it isn't conducive to working out. So I struggle. But for once, I am trying to give myself a break. How am I doing this? By acknowledging how far I have come, and the plans I have for 2016.
With plans for the new year in the works on a personal level it is keeping me sane. Knowing that this slow deterioration is going to end is giving me hope. In years past when I deteriorate, I seldom come back. This is not going to be the case for me this year. I will need to shed those extra 5lbs I am going to put on this month (hey, I know myself, I am seriously a fat kid at heat) but I will be ready to work harder and be more determined than ever come January 4. Why January 4 you ask? Well, it's the first Monday of January after the new year. I am a realist. I am not going to be good January 1. It's not me. I am going to get through the weekend and start fresh on the 4th. And this is NOT about the New Year. This is about the next step.
Taking the next step in anything is hard. But recently I took a step I thought I would never take. Stick with me because this correlation is going to be tough....I am going to make this as brief as possible.
When I was 10 my grandma died. We were very close with her. A couple of things happened when she died. 1) I stopped being able to sleep. Why? I cannot tell you. But I figured it out about 6 months after her death. For YEARS I would lie there, staring at the clock for hours, my mind spinning. 23 years later, I sleep fine. How? That's a story for another day but let's just say, I learned to value my sleep. 2) I began this disgusting habit. It's embarrassing even to say let alone write down. I started chewing the skin around my cuticles/fingers. If you have known me for any time at all, you likely know I do this. If you only know me in the gym, you probably haven't seen me do it. It's gross, it's sometimes painful and it makes my fingers look like crap.
Recently 3-4 weeks ago, yep, about 21 days, the length of time it takes to stop a habit) I had a spa day planned. I was getting a manicure and I try to prep myself and stop this habit a bit before so my fingers don't look like complete crap. I worked on putting lotion on and cuticle oil. By the time I went, I think I was 1 week into cutting way back on the biting. Life is also less stressful, I tend to bite when I am stressed. By the time I had the manicure, they were looking pretty good. And so I made an effort to keep up with them and stop the biting.
Honestly, I have done this all before. Tried for YEARS to stop doing this. Everything from fake nails to gloves. None of it worked for that long. Some how, this time, it's done. Seriously. I have never, since I was 10 years old gone this long without doing it.
I can actually look at the hang nails and dry skin and not have the urge to bite it. I can see my cuticles, which dry out so easily, especially with all the chalk and weight lifting, and I can just lotion my hands up. Some how, I have ended it. And I am SO grateful, I cannot even tell you. I just decided it was time to move on.
So the point? This was a lingering problem from my past. It was literally the last thing "holding me back" I have moved on from everything else. Now, I have moved on from this. And so, I am ready to take the next step. Involve myself in more training, harder training, and get to that next level.
January 4 here I come.
The cold weather is lingering, colder than it's normally here in California. Under 40s at night (yes, I recognize I am a baby however, I live in CA for a reason!) and since the Thanksgiving holiday I am just not into it. In fact, my eating has gone to crap (not just a little off, like hamburgers and BLTs off!), I feel like the workouts are harder than they should be, and I just don't want to go!
I know I am not the only one. The motivation level of the gym has been down for sure. The programming remains good, I know we're all getting stronger, but honestly, I just want to get my favorite take out, a sappy movie and a bottle of wine (yes, I said bottle) and be on the couch. End of story.
I love this time of the year, the parties, the family and friends, the good drinks, the dress up, all of it. But it isn't conducive to working out. So I struggle. But for once, I am trying to give myself a break. How am I doing this? By acknowledging how far I have come, and the plans I have for 2016. With plans for the new year in the works on a personal level it is keeping me sane. Knowing that this slow deterioration is going to end is giving me hope. In years past when I deteriorate, I seldom come back. This is not going to be the case for me this year. I will need to shed those extra 5lbs I am going to put on this month (hey, I know myself, I am seriously a fat kid at heat) but I will be ready to work harder and be more determined than ever come January 4. Why January 4 you ask? Well, it's the first Monday of January after the new year. I am a realist. I am not going to be good January 1. It's not me. I am going to get through the weekend and start fresh on the 4th. And this is NOT about the New Year. This is about the next step.
Taking the next step in anything is hard. But recently I took a step I thought I would never take. Stick with me because this correlation is going to be tough....I am going to make this as brief as possible.
When I was 10 my grandma died. We were very close with her. A couple of things happened when she died. 1) I stopped being able to sleep. Why? I cannot tell you. But I figured it out about 6 months after her death. For YEARS I would lie there, staring at the clock for hours, my mind spinning. 23 years later, I sleep fine. How? That's a story for another day but let's just say, I learned to value my sleep. 2) I began this disgusting habit. It's embarrassing even to say let alone write down. I started chewing the skin around my cuticles/fingers. If you have known me for any time at all, you likely know I do this. If you only know me in the gym, you probably haven't seen me do it. It's gross, it's sometimes painful and it makes my fingers look like crap.
Recently 3-4 weeks ago, yep, about 21 days, the length of time it takes to stop a habit) I had a spa day planned. I was getting a manicure and I try to prep myself and stop this habit a bit before so my fingers don't look like complete crap. I worked on putting lotion on and cuticle oil. By the time I went, I think I was 1 week into cutting way back on the biting. Life is also less stressful, I tend to bite when I am stressed. By the time I had the manicure, they were looking pretty good. And so I made an effort to keep up with them and stop the biting. Honestly, I have done this all before. Tried for YEARS to stop doing this. Everything from fake nails to gloves. None of it worked for that long. Some how, this time, it's done. Seriously. I have never, since I was 10 years old gone this long without doing it.
I can actually look at the hang nails and dry skin and not have the urge to bite it. I can see my cuticles, which dry out so easily, especially with all the chalk and weight lifting, and I can just lotion my hands up. Some how, I have ended it. And I am SO grateful, I cannot even tell you. I just decided it was time to move on.
So the point? This was a lingering problem from my past. It was literally the last thing "holding me back" I have moved on from everything else. Now, I have moved on from this. And so, I am ready to take the next step. Involve myself in more training, harder training, and get to that next level.
January 4 here I come.
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