Iowa City, IA

Orlando, FL

Today’s dose of Monday Motivation is all about facing reality. There will always be wrenches thrown into your normal schedule. Unfortunately, those wrenches can wreak havoc on the activities that keep you feeling energized and healthy overall. I’m in the midst of accepting this reality right now. What’s getting me through it is knowing at some point, my routine will get back on track and I’ll feel like myself again.

It’s been a hell of a week and it looks like it’s going to be one monster month in general. Thanks to back-to-back business trips featuring five airports and 10-hour shoot days followed by a nearly-impossible edit deadline, I’ve been pushing it pretty hard at the office. I also lost my weekend as my editor and I had no choice but to keep working through it to meet our deadline.

This is not a pity-party post. I realize there are people who constantly deal with these kinds of demands. Running your own businesses is a 24/7 job, and if you’re in the business of saving lives, times like this are common and even expected. However in my world of video production in the public relations world, this is not my norm. In fact, one of the reasons I left the TV-reporter life behind was that I was sick of running on the hamster wheel. So when things gets this crazy, everything from my workouts to my REM cycles suffer.

I haven’t felt this unhealthy in quite some time. I’ve definitely gained a couple of pounds. Despite packing my sensible snacks for my travels, there are only so many healthy choices you can make when room service and deli sandwiches during a 15-minute break are your only options. So, I’m forgiving myself for the extra alcohol and larger-than-normal bread portions I ingested while I was on the road. While I managed to squeeze in workouts in both Iowa City and Orlando, I have NOT been able to keep up with my normal exercise schedule at home. That changes now.

Today marks the start of a new work week and one that doesn’t include a plane, train or automobile. While I’ll still be putting in extra hours at the office, I’ll bring my gym bag and pre-workout snack to the office everyday to motivate me to hit the gym afterward. Fortunately, I was able to push through a CrossFit UWS Central Park workout before heading to the office Saturday morning. That set my mind straight for the days ahead. After the workout, I was also able to hit the grocery store and stock up on my my healthy favorites like berries, bananas and non-fat Greek yogurt and veggies. Getting back into my healthy routine will no doubt help me sleep better, too.

When the unexpected happens at work or at home, your best laid plans will go awry. Just remember to keep breathing, do the best you can with what you have to work with and forgive yourself for the “slip-ups” that help you get through the craziness. When you see that first glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, embrace it and realize it won’t be long before you take your first steps back toward normalcy and all you do to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!