I had a great conversation with one of my fitness mentors today in the gym, and it rotated a little bit around time management and how important it has become now that I have plunged myself headfirst into the bodybuilder lifestyle much to my kids’ chagrin.
They’re complaining that I’m constantly eating and working out and, to a certain extent, they’re right.
Doing this little project of mine and embarking full-bore onto this magical train of awesomeness and constant protein consumption has had two effects: first, and most thrilling, I’m leaning out like crazy. In six days of following this little regime, I can see visible changes in my body, and moreover, I can FEEL them. I know it might not seem important, but psychologically, it’s everything. Because I can feel different in the back of my mind, it justifies the sacrifices I’m making in my mind, and that is everything.
To me, at least.
Second, I’ve had to increase my activity level and so it’s compressed my life a little more – and it was plenty busy before I started this thing, thank you very much. So, I’ve had to carve out time in a day and at night I take 10 minutes and plan out the next day, which includes dropping off and picking up my kids from school at different times, seeing clients, teaching classes, and getting in my own multiple hours of training per day.
Last week, a friend asked me a very incisive question, asking why it was that I felt the need to do this extreme fitness challenge and take it on, when clearly I was already busy enough?
(And she’s not wrong. In fact, I think know she’s always right)
The answer, I think, is one each and every one of us can attest to. Ever since I was a chubby kid, I longed to be one of the muscle guys from the back of the comic books – or even AMONG the pages of those very comic books. It has been a dream for a long time, and now, more than ever before, it’s within reaching distance for me. When you don’t look like those people, and all you want is to look like those people, it becomes somehow even more tragic.
To me, at least.
Second, I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about living like you’re dying – about embracing life on its terms and enjoying it every moment, which, admittedly is a challenge in these extremely busy days and with high stress the order of the day wherever you go and whatever job you do, it’s still important to be your best self and live your best life --- without regrets. I had always dreamed of bodybuilding, and I’m not waiting another day to get started on grabbing that dream.
So, life has required me to schedule myself with a great deal of discipline, even carving out precise amount of time I’m allowed to spend on my phone.
So if I don’t text you back right away, it’s not ‘cause I don’t like you. I’ve even sought to carve out time for face-to-face adult contact with others because I know that when I’m at my best, I do have occasional social interactions with people other than my family.
There is absolutely nothing extreme about that need for balance, is there?
Tomorrow I’m going to put a up a mixed media post detailing the food preparation and the cooking involved in turning a former offensive lineman into a bodybuilding competitor. There will be video, photos and all kinds of that good stuff.
There may even be a shirtless photo!
You keep readin’ ‘em, I’ll keep writin’ ‘em.