I have a friend who is working towards running a marathon in June and trying to live a healthier lifestyle in general. He and his trainer were featured on the local news the other night and I watched the segment. His trainer mentioned how one of the keys to success is internal motivation and a willingness to put himself first. That really struck me and made me think about am I putting my health first? It seems like something always gets in the way of a work out, even though I'm also trying to do better. I try to eat better at work but get busy and stressed out and it's easier to eat junk.
These last two weeks I've put clothes in my car so there's no exuse not to stop at the gym after work. I'm trying to get back on the cash system for eating out so I don't spend too much eating at work in the cafeteria.
But, some other changes are going to start happening too, like all the extra-curricular things I get involved in. I obviously have to work, but I need to put 30 minutes per day into myself and staying physically healthy. Everything else needs to come second. I realize that all these secondary things are sucking the life out of me. I just don't have the energy or stamina I did in the past to run from one activity to another. It probably wasn't emotionally healthy for me then, and it certainly is not now.
2013 is going to be the year for me to pare down my life to the things that put me first. Because like Chris's trainer said, you want to be around to be in the lives of the people you love, which means taking care of yourself first. That's the toughest thing to do.
