It’s dark, my motivation is obviously lacking and I’m not enjoying this one little bit!
Dragging myself out of a cozy bed at 4:30 in the morning is just ridiculous and winter is still months away.
I ask myself “Why am I doing this? ” – Why?
Well ok yes, having a good level of fitness does, without doubt, help me in dealing with stress and anxiety. Yes it does clear my head and yes it also assists me in thinking things through.
Beyond this mornings “feel sorry for myself” blues, I do feel well, my blood pressure is under control, my weight is fine (probably could lose one or two kilo’s) and my heart rate is low. So all in all I’m in a pretty good place. I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
Yet, honestly I can’t ever recall being overjoyed or ecstatic about going for my early morning run or facing up to an early morning swim. It’s tough, damn it, it never seems to get easier.
That little voice in my head lectures : “If these early mornings became easier then I’m not trying hard enough, it should never be easy, it defeats the purpose. I might get older and I might get slower but I have to push on” Ugh – I hate that little voice!
Strangely though, if I do miss a swim session or a run, I feel like I’ve dropped the ball. I become really disappointed in myself. Legitimate excuses are hard to come by!
So what’s all this mean?
The challenge lies in the default setting we all have – the comfort zone.
It’s a much better proposition to laze around taking in all the wonderful things that are at arms length, not having to advance your skills, exert energy or actually push yourself.
Staying within your comfort zone is way more inviting. There’s a lot to be said for the comfort zone!
Trouble is, there’s no growth there.
Growth brings fulfilment through reaching a level or a goal.
By choice, in the early morning, I make myself step out of my comfort zone. It happens through developed habits and I know it’s taken a lot of effort and commitment in getting to this place. I acknowledge the value in the benefits I have gained. Continuing to maintain the discipline is so very important, particularly as I get older.
So it seems I’m going to have to accept I’m going to be uncomfortable for hopefully a few years yet.
As always thanks for reading – RD
__________________________________________________________________________

If you enjoyed this post, I would really appreciate sharing it with your friends. Head to the home page and enter your email address and subscribe to www.manstheory.com.