We All Need A Nudge Sometimes

No matter where we are in life, we all need to make those periodic course corrections. You know what I’m talking about. Change in daily routine, choices, goals, etc. It’s usually about this time of year that we realize that New Years is coming so we start to think about what we want to change or improve with some resolutions. Of course we all also know those resolutions are fulfilled about as often as political campaign promises, yet we approach them every year with renewed vigor and a belief that this year will be different.

Sometimes those nudges come from external sources, and sometimes they come from within. Usually it’s a combination of those and deciding which we choose to implement that keeps us moving in a good direction. Thankfully I’ve had plenty of good motivations and outside caring people that keep nudging me in the right ways.

I must be in need of some significant nudging because in the lasts couple of weeks I’ve been asked no less than a couple dozen times “hey, when are you going to write another update?”

Uh, yeah, message received.

Actually the honest answer is it gets hard to sit down and write when I feel like there is nothing interesting or new to share. That said, I think about writing something almost every day during my workouts and the quiet times when I let my brain wander into a free flow of disjointed or sometimes associated thoughts. It’s funny actually because in my mind I’ve written a post almost every time, but if I don’t sit down and allow some time at a keyboard to make it happen within an hour or so, the thoughts are lost to the busy-ness of the day. Lately that has pretty much summed up every day. With the new job, the continued health efforts, and all the typical demands of a family life I’ve let my daily efforts get in the way of some introspective keyboard time. It happens.

So that’s one of those areas that needs a little nudge. We make time for what’s important to us. Family time always comes first…except when it doesn’t. We try, and I think we mostly succeed, but it takes a concerted effort. Same goes for fitness, diet, personal development, and almost everything that we know should be a priority but only becomes so if we make that choice and simply do it. Simple right? Apparently not.

But in reality it is. This last year and a half my health has necessarily become one of my top priorities. First in response to a strong desire to improve how I felt physically and mentally I went made a significant course correction with some weight loss and change in activities. This was rewarding and rejuvenating. Then with the cancer diagnosis it added emphasis to my commitment to healthy choices every day.

That was a major course correction that has required continued adjustments along the way for shifting priorities and reacting to changes in my treatment and how I’ve felt. It’s definitely included some big swings in how the treatments have impacted my capabilities, but for the most part I’ve benefited significantly in how I’ve been able to endure the treatment side effects and been able to function almost normally day after day. For that I’m grateful and it keeps me pulling myself out of bed early every morning to do it again. And it’s not easy. That getting out of bed part I mean.

Probably the most frequent comment I hear when people look for something to say about my 6 day a week early morning workout routine is “I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t get out of bed every day like that.” Well the short answer is, I just do. I usually joke back that I have some extra motivation, which is really true, but I’m not doing anything different than what anyone could do if they decided it was important. Every stinking day when that alarm goes off it’s as hard as every to roll over. I’m fatigued from interrupted, poor sleep and staying in bed sounds like a great idea. But then I remember my motivations and commitment to do this every day, and then I simply move.

Often that’s a literal stumbling affair to the closet to fumble for my workout clothes. Then somehow I work my way downstairs to start whatever routine that day prescribes. I’ll confess that most mornings I rely on some energy infusion to get going and to maximize my workout. On heavy strength days I use a pre-workout drink powder called C4 that has creatine and caffeine. On the other days I go without if I’m doing ok, or I use some Organo XT to help me get going. It may be a bit of a crutch, but out of all the things I could be doing I’ll accept that as some needed support. This helps me push to my #GoBeyond in every workout and make the most of every opportunity I have to improve my health and fitness.

Usually within 15 minutes or so the energy boost gets me going and I’m starting the spin class, weight lifting or yoga that is part of my chosen winter workouts. Over the next couple of hours is when I feel the most alive. Breathing hard, sweating profusely, and feeling like I’m actually doing something that may help me beat this cancer. Like Stuart Scott said "It feels good to be winded, having trouble breathing, chest hurts [during a workout]... I'm alive." And "Every day, I fight."

Always a good time for a silhouette with my lovely bride

The last few months have been tough in a variety of ways. My health has been ok, but I’ve had to push against some challenges. As I reported to my Oncologist last week, the fatigue continues to be a real challenge and other side effects are there. But it’s manageable and really I can’t ask for more than that. Knowing some friends going through much harder treatment and having the negative issues, I feel very blessed and fortunate to be able to function every day in mostly a normal way.

My goals have shifted from weight management to trying to build muscle mass and improve fitness. With that change in focus, while I’ve maintained my weight admittedly my leanness has suffered just a little. Not much, but I notice because I pay close attention because frankly it’s one of the few things I can control about my health situation these days. So I decided it was time for a nudge on this and I’m adjusting some of my efforts to make that little course change.

On the cancer front, it’s a whole lot of “no news” to really report. Well that’s not totally true. With the transition in employment we switched me over to Heather’s insurance. My new job was made possible because of Heather having insurance through her teaching job because my new employment doesn’t currently include insurance. As a result we are working through some issues of them refusing and wanting to alter my current treatment. While working through that we’ve had to delay my intended CT scan until hopefully just next month. So another month to wait and see the status of things going on inside me. Anxious to know, and hopeful it’s good news.

No, really hopeful it’s GREAT news, but ready to accept whatever it ends up being.

So until then, we just stick to the plan, work hard and keep making the most of every day. Up next I want to write some thoughts of and about gratitude, so hopefully stay tuned.