Do something difficult!

I LOVE getting a new program at the gym.  I love it because Jodi seems to delight in making my life at the gym difficult.  When you have a trainer that pushes you to do something so exhausting, but has the confidence in you that you can do it, it's fantastic!

As I have explained to people before I only meet with my trainer when it's time to get a new program, so I've only met with her about 16 times since June.  Today I think was my best day at the gym in weeks, while my last program was not "easy" it was getting boring. 

Today I left feeling like I had accomplished something, I was drenched in sweat and remarking that Jodi must be insane to treat me this way - which means she's doing her job well.

There is a great satisfaction that can be taken from doing something that you find hard to do.  If everything was easy, or if all you did was easy things, how satisfied with you life would you really be?  I know that I'd be pretty disappointed if everything came easy!

Do something you find difficult, accomplish the task and find out how fantastic you feel afterward!

Time

I had a discussion with my wife the other night about time.  Where my time goes and hers as well. It has sparked me to recall a few other conversations I've had with people over the last 8 months or so about my time an how much of it they think I must have.

I don't have any more hours in a day than anyone else, but I make my own time for things.  Over the spring and summer that time was made for the gym and karate.  Through the summer I worked full time plus a part time job, I attended events with my wife (then fiancée) and friends.  I was at karate all my usual hours, I made time for the gym.

In the fall I started back up at school again, due to being on second career I cannot make over a certain amount of money each week, but I work at 2 jobs, have loads of homework, do lots of housework, attend karate, practiced on my own time and was at the gym. I also added in hockey Saturday nights and really getting in the swing of helping to plan a wedding.

Now the wedding is done, but homework the last two weeks has been crushing all while doing the same things mentioned above.

So do I have oodles of free time?  No.  But I make time to do things that I enjoy.  And I have suggested to people that they do the same, Amber was one of those people last night, and other times.

If you don’t make the time to do things that you enjoy, those things will always get pushed out of the way.  I make time to go to karate and to go to the gym and play hockey.  I make it by really working on my (home)work and other things that need to get done at other times so that it's done to my standards and is not in the way of me doing the things that I enjoy.

Find something you like to do. Write it on your schedule in pen, plan the extra work you need to do around it. There are going to be difficult choices about what you'll have to give up to fit things in, but  you have to make time.

It feels good

So this past week I had a hard time getting to the gym.  Due to the demands of homework late in the week and feeling like crap early in the week I ended up almost taking a week off.  I think I felt worse about missing going to the gym than I did when I felt sick.

This past Saturday I still felt awful, headachy and all that but I forced myself to go to the gym after work (and before hockey).  I did my shortest planned day which is back and biceps so I was only there for about 40 minutes.  After that 40 minutes was the best I had felt all week.

I played hockey that night as well (1G, 2A) and felt much better than last week when I played while I had a cold.  I have, of course if you know me well enough, kept track of all the games I've played and points I have scored.  I'm very incredibly excited that if I keep on track this year I will have my most points ever in a season with this team, which really given that I am actually in shape should not be all that surprising really, but it's still awesome none-the-less.

I then was at the gym Sunday morning and did my hardest day, legs.  At the end I was exhausted, having played hockey less than 12 hours earlier probably didn't help much, but I felt great.  I think it's a bit strange that working my body till my muscles scream in the end makes me feel great.  I highly recommend it!

Adversity

How do you deal with adversity?

As I have mentioned earlier I had to figure out a few things on my trip to losing 80 pounds and all that.  The other day this week it was put to the test in a whole different way.  There I was all set to have pretty much everything I had to get done for school done in one day.  The main part of 2 assignments worth 30% or more each were going to be done except for the documentation pretty much.  Then one center told us the wrong time and another turned me away due to allergy concerns.

Was I frustrated? Sure I was..  Really frustrated!  Being able to deal with adversity doesn't mean you are immune to the emotions you have.  I took a while to vent, let out my concerns to people and organize myself and put things in perspective.  Back up plans were made, some right on the spot an some with collaboration with others.

Part 1 of dealing with the 'disaster' that was Wednesday afternoon happened yesterday and it went great, Part 2 is this morning, I'm sure it will go just as well.

When life seems to hold you down, it's a test, how will you deal with it?  Crumble? Or regroup, form a plan and get things done!