Re-Focused & Ready for the Season Ahead!
Photo by Leslie Hassler

No matter what I do, I can’t figure out a way to slow the hands of time. Here we are nine weeks into 2013 and 17 days away from the start of spring. I know I’ll have no problem saying good-bye to this particularly brutal winter. I also know it’s time for me to get my body, mind and spirit focused on what I want to accomplish in the season ahead.

That means working toward obtaining some of the goals that reach beyond the walls of the gym. Like everyone else, my overall health and well-being are affected by the personal projects I take on. That includes getting the last continuing education units needed to complete my  NASM re-certification by May. My psyche is also affected by the projects I’ve put off for too long. One in particular has weighed heavily on my mind during this dreary season and is no doubt one of the reasons behind some sleepless nights. After getting things started in a frenzy back in 2012, the project now sits in a well-organized folder just waiting for me to pick it up and get it going again.

No one asked me to get involved in this project. It’s simply something I’ve wanted to do for myself for a long time. However, it took me until this moment to accept that in order for me to make it happen, something else has to give. As I sit here and put that thought in writing, I guess you could call this post my coming to terms of what needs to be done.

With the exception of vacation and holiday time, I’ve been posting blogs three times each week since July of 2011. As a writer at heart and lifetime fitness fanatic, it’s been wonderful having this platform to share tips and stories and hopefully help motivate a few people to follow a healthier lifestyle that works for their reality. However, I need to scale back on the time I spend here so I can focus some of that energy on my bigger project. It’s just like when I had to make the difficult decision last year to put my independent personal training sessions on hold. I hated to stop. However, between my full-time job in corporate video production; making it to the gym for my own workouts; maintaining healthy relationships with my family and friends and taking care of my own health, well, there are only so many hours in a day. Sometimes you need to take a breath, figure out what priorities haven’t been getting the attention they deserve and then accept the fact that in order to change that, something that made sense a few months ago may not work at the present moment. Of course, that’s part of life. You make plans and other things happen, but you can’t just give up on what you want. You adjust and you move forward. That’s what I’m doing now.

My plan is to continue posting on as many Mondays as possible. It seems to be the day I get the most feedback on my motivation-themed musings. Don’t be surprised to still read my thoughts about a new group exercise class, vacation experience or some inspirational quotes. Of course I worry I may lose some followers, but some decisions come with a certain amount of risk. You’ll still see me on Facebook and Twitter and I’ll look forward to any emails with questions about health or fitness-related topics. I thank you ahead of time for supporting me as I sharpen my focus on what I want to accomplish as I creep toward celebrating the big 4-0 next February.

As I step back and re-group, my hope is that maybe some of you will do the same. Use these waning winter days to think about what priorities you want to attack this spring. Whether it’s prepping for a fitness competition, losing a few pounds before beach season, finding a more rewarding career, getting a degree or spending more time with family or friends, put your thoughts down on paper and get cracking. Sometimes saying no is harder than taking on more than you handle, but that difficult choice can sometimes help you put your heart and soul into the one thing you want more than anything else. Whether it’s starting something new or letting go of something that’s been holding you back, remember, you are stronger than you think. Each of us holds the ultimate power to make decisions that will keep us moving forward on the never-ending journey to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!