This topic seemed appropriate after my recent focus that I had leading up to Masters Nationals for Olympic Weightlifting: finding balance. A lot of people have goals or specific events they may be training for in life, ones that require a ton of work and dedication, but it’s important to find balance so you’re also enjoying life. It can’t all be about eating clean, making sure you’re getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, not drinking alcohol, giving 110% to your training day in and day out, unless of course you really are training for the Olympics! lol
My goals for the past decade have been fitness related, however this idea of having balance can also apply to someone who is so career goal oriented that they allow other areas of their life to suffer, moms whose only focus is on their children and being “the perfect mom” that they leave zero time for themselves or their partner for that matter. We all need to let loose from time to time and have a cheat meal, maybe a few drinks, or a night of crazy dancing! Maybe all of the above! We need to be human and enjoy life without having the guilt that’s sometimes associated with it too!
When I was doing intense weight training (8 weeks) the beginning of this year with the end goal of doing my best at Nationals it controlled my life. I knew I wasn’t going to bring home the gold, but I wanted to do MY BEST. When I commit to something, I’m all in. (not sure if that’s a good or bad thing sometimes!) Because the training was so hard, I had to have so many other things in place to make it successful. I had to get a lot of sleep, wasn’t hard, I was exhausted! I had to make sure I was eating right and keep my weight in check. I gave up alcohol almost a month before the meet because it was interfering with my bodies ability to recover. I had to adjust my schedule to allow for several hours of lifting four days per week and on rest days I really had to rest! I had to be proactive when it came to self care, ie: chiropractor, massage, cryotherapy. As you can probably imagine I wasn’t a ton of fun during this time period. Lol. What’s happy hour, or grabbing a quick pizza (that wasn’t made from cauliflower!), or staying out until 1am, or even dropping in a pilates class on a rest day?!?!? It’s non existent, that’s what it is. Guess what though…it was only two months! There was a goal, a plan, and light at the end of the tunnel.
There have been numerous times these past several years where I’ve made these, what I think are, short term “sacrifices” for fitness related goals/events. Some career athletes will say that they’re not making sacrifices, but choices. I, however, not being a career athlete, see it as a sacrifice. I enjoy just being able to do what I want, when I want! If that means going to a 10pm movie and eating a ton of popcorn and skipping a workout the next day, hell yeah! Again, I’m all for setting goals, just with an end in sight and then being able to live a “relaxed”, balanced life chock full of whatever! lol That is, until the next goal! 😉
It can be hard not to feel guilty after a cheat meal if you’re on a strict nutrition plan. You may be scared of derailing and undoing all of your hard work, but you shouldn’t. You worked hard to earn it, so enjoy it! Then get right back on track. It’s also totally normal as a full time mother to feel bad about spending time with your girlfriends or getting a massage, but you’ll be a better parent, spouse, and person by balancing “work” and play. You need to take care of you so you’re able to better take care of others. <3 We all want financial success and security. For many that means working long hours with little or no enjoyment in life. It’s so important to be driven and focused on career goals, but you also need to enjoy the here and now.
Embrace the journey, the balancing act, and the good and bad days. You can party like a rockstar, just not everyday! 😉 I think plenty of them have illustrated that’s not a healthy lifestyle anyway, mind, body, or spirit for that matter. So set those goals, crush them, and then EAT THE CAKE!!! We get one ride on this crazy roller coaster called LIFE! Make it a GOOD one!!! #itsallaboutbalance