Up and at 'em at 6:30 on a Sunday morning. Yeah, I'm crazy like that. Actually, I feel great right now and I'm looking forward to the day. Nothing too wild plan, I'm just trying to take it easy and enjoy the little bit of time I do have off.
In talking to some very wise people earlier in the week, they inspired me to think outside the box a bit to bring back that lovable, sweet, fun person I have been missing in myself the last few months. It seems I've let work and worrying get the best of me and pretty much have lost the drive to pursue all of the other fun stuff I used to do. So, I spent some of my down time this week thinking about all of the interests I used to have before I started working 45+ hours a week.
Cooking, baking, working out, playing poker, reading, scrapbooking and spending quality time with my family and friends...yes, that's the stuff I'm missing. Lately, I've rushed through these sorts of activities just to get them off my list of things to do and I haven't really taken the time to enjoy them. I have to get a grip on my life and find a balance and I think I'm off to a good start.
I've cooked a few times this week to make lunches for my nearest and dearest friends and I also semi-baked to go along with those lunches. (Don't worry, I'll get back to my full baking and wow you all very soon!) Cooking for myself is a no brainer, usually it's something quick and easy but taking the time to put together a meal you can be proud to serve others is something I enjoy doing. I take pride in knowing that I can brighten my friend's day by making something delicious. I also think cooking is a great way to show someone else how much the mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life.
I took a very different approach to working out this week. While I have never really given this up, it always seemed like going to the gym was such work for me after my regular job. I'd force myself to go to the gym every night and wouldn't leave the gym until I had my 65 minutes on the elliptical in or I had my cardio and weightlifting goals finished for that day. This week, I switched it up a bit and decided that if I'm going to go to the gym as often as I do, I don't have to be so obsessive about it when I get there. Some nights it's ok to just do a run/walk combo on the treadmill for a half an hour (something I would never do before) or just to weightlift and tone my core or if I feel up to it, do 65 minutes on the elliptical. I have a very strict diet for myself most of the time, so it's not like I need to go and force myself to burn 1,000 calories a night. I'm smaller and weigh less than I've have in 17 years. That's an accomplishment and I need to look at it that way. In the long run, I think I will feel much better for switching it up too.
Yesterday, I think I found a fairly complete balance to my time off. I went to the library to find some fun reading material and started reading for entertainment again, spent a little time catching up on errands, found some time to catch up with my family and then finished my night watching the Olympics at home. For the first time in months (besides my birthday), I went to dinner with my Mom, Michael and my Grandma again. Usually, I will stop in to their house for a few minutes every few weeks and then rush off because I felt like I had so many other things to do or I can't seem to find the time to get over there more often. It was nice just to talk to them. I know they want to make sure that I'm taking care of myself and I know they have my best interest at heart, even when I don't want to hear it. Before I left, I planned a time to cook dinner for them next week too.
Today, I'm taking the same approach. I have to go do my laundry this morning and I think I'm going to scrapbook some of my fun summer pics from last year. I'm so tired of winter and the freezing temps here and I'm hoping that this will help get me even more pumped and thinkin' spring. Tomorrow is already March 1st so spring should be around the corner, right?!? Let's hope so! The rest of the day....who knows. I'm learning I need to just go with the flow and that's what I'm going to try to do. :)
Enjoy your day!
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