Oh man, the number of times during this pregnancy I have thought, on a Monday … because that’s when the thinking happens … if I start today I can …
I can get through two full rounds of this 8 week program before I am ready to have bonus baby #5.
I can get through ONE full round of this 8 week program before I am ready to have baby girl.
I can at least FEEL strong enough to endure labour.
I can … man I just need to start.
Seriously though, I have been *thinking* about starting my workouts and healthy pregnancy eating for the literalduration of this pregnancy and now I sit at 34.5 weeks pregnant with my little lady breech, my weight tipping the scales at the top of what I’ve EVER been through any of my pregnancies, my crotch is sore, my ankles are non-existent, and I am kicking myself *figuratively because I HONESTLY cannot muster that type of movement* for not starting the first time I thought … if I start TODAY.
Here’s the cold hard truth of the matter, we are too eager to put off the “hard” today which (inevitably) makes tomorrow harder.
There are a myriad of reasons that we put it off, we are tired, the kids are running rampant, we can’t find our shoes … they don’t fit these fat feet anyways, we are sore … we aren’t sore enough, we can’t lift as much weight as we used to, we are sweaty, we just showered, we are bored, there are toys everywhere …
You get the picture.
You can literally explain away every inkling that you MIGHT want. to improve your health, that you might want to workout and start back up with your routine REALLY easily. Like stupid easy.
In fact, I don’t think I have ever met a person who would tell you that they had a HARD time coming up with a reason NOT to workout, NOT to do. the hard things. There are amble excuses and *trust me* I have been making them for the last … oh 14 weeks. Finding reasons why I can’t get my workout in, why I am not going to do it today … maybe tomorrow, but not today.
And here I sit, sore and sorry that I didn’t start the first time the motivation to finish a program TWICE passed through my mind. Lightning crotch threatening to cripple me, a belly the size of a prize winning watermelon and disappointed at how much HARDER pushing this princess out will be.
All because I wasn’t willing to do the “hard” when it *honestly* wasn’t AS hard as it will be now, thanks to my excuses and “reasons” why I couldn’t … at that time.
And so now what?
Now I accept the fact that it is harder today because I accepted easier yesterday and I share that with you. I want you to read that again, and if you don’t want go back or it didn’t sink in, listen here >> don’t trade EASIER today for a STRUGGLE tomorrow.
Not when it comes to your marriage and ignoring arguments, not when it comes to debt and you want to eat out verses cook, not when it comes to raising your children and you’d rather ignore their squabbling than equip them with the skills to problem solve, and not when it comes to your health.
Fact of the matter is, if you haven’t pushed yourself for a while … and I am talking a long while in my instance … you need to accept that you’re going to be a little weaker, the workout may take a little longer, you will be awkward and sore, tired and fatigued (and that’s just after the warm-up). You need to anticipate your desire to quit, your excuses and reasons not to get at it again the next day … and you need to be ready to do the hard stuff TODAY, the deposits in your future, so that TOMORROW you aren’t riding the struggle bus wishing you started yesterday.
Do it, stretch, lift a weight, pop 5 squats as you try desperately not to pee yourself, and accept the challenge today. Your future self will thank you.
When you’re happier, healthier, wealthier, wiser, more grounded and surrounded by a family who appreciates that you did the hard stuff when you needed to because you knew that it would be worth it.
