I have always lived a fairly regulated life, well, maybe that’s not entirely true. I mean there were those first 10 years where I lived as I wished … meaning I ate when I was hungry (imagine that), slept when I was tired, and with the exception of the occasional chore or school project I didn’t want to do, I lived as I wished. But once I got a little bit older, something clicked in my brain and I started thinking too much—way, way too damn much.
In my twenties I was about as routine oriented and as structured as a United States Marine. I ate the same thing for breakfast EVERY single day—if I traveled, it came with me. If I went to a restaurant, again, it came with me and I’d sit, with my chocolate PowerBar and desperately try to ignore the occasional whiff of baked goods, of syrup, of sautéing frittatas … those people were week … I thought … they had no directive … at least that’s what I told my brain, or the voice preempting my, shall we say, over-the-top dedication.
I also ran, EVERY single day, the same loop, the same seven miles, the same pace … again, EVERY single day. I never allowed myself any diversion … EVER. And basically, well, I was a rotten bitch—I was. Because if one tiny little thing was out of place, I was never able to adapt. I didn’t have a whole lot of fun back then. But, eventually, I evolved … I went beyond the pale (so to speak). I had a few rough years, not knowing my own limits—not recognizing when I’d overdone things. I overtrained, yes, but there was more.
Sometimes I drank too much, ate too much … and sometimes I even drank too little, ate too little … sometimes I obsessed over not doing as much as I did about overdoing … if that makes sense—it does if you’ve been there. Trust me, it does.
Nowadays, I think—I hope—I have discovered a happy medium. I try new things, but I also adhere to a routine more stable than most. It’s in me. And I’m better for it. And yes, I admit I still have my quirks and I go on tangents with food, with working out, and with just about everything else. But, what I’ve learned is on the hard days, when you have zero gumption to “get up and go,” undertand that it is those day that build you. It is those days when you don’t want to but you do anyway, that shape you. Becasue you won’t always have the motivation … but you will have the discipline. And in the end, it’s the discipline that motivates you.
As for me … just now that if you go to a restaurant and spy a blonde woman tearing into her PowerBar in the booth next to you, it won’t be me … I have loosened my reins, oh so slightly and every now and then find myself enjoying a frittata and staying calm all at the same time. God I’ve come a long way ; ) Cheers!!
Today’s post inspired by the WordPress daily prompt: How can you build a regular fitness routine? Cover image is me after a very, very long run a few years ago.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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