doing things differently

inspired by posts i'd been noticing, especially by tom volkar and colleen wainwright, i wrote last week about doing things differently.  just one thing.  even just one small thing.

so this week, here's one thing i did differently.

i started working out with a personal trainer.  i've mentioned that over the past year i've lost 80 pounds.  that felt great.  but i still have work to do in the name of health.  yes.  part of this is about vanity.  part of this is about wanting to hit 40 with guns blazing, much closer to living a life i've willingly created.  

and let me just say.  i used to think i worked out.  until this week.  wow.  

here are some other things i've learned this week while doing something different.

changes often affect other areas more than we think they will.  there are three of us who participate in these sessions.  i also keep running into the same people who work out the hour before our session.  everyone is really nice, and incredibly encouraging as i start out!  they've cheered me on when i thought i couldn't go another step, shared stories of the changes they've seen in their lives.  i've made new friends.  

i've also had two people ask me about potentially doing some photography work.  (expanding the business by attending a gym?  didn't see that one coming.)

i've also learned (or remembered) some other things this week that i believe i can use in other areas of my life.

1)  we can often do more than we think we can.  if you had described these workouts to me before i started, i am not sure i would have thought i could get through them.  i also noted that there were times when, if i'd been working out at home, i would have stopped.  i push myself.  but i don't always push myself as far as i can actually go.  

2)  there's no room for whining.  i can't tell you the number of times this week i thought, "i am such a wimp!"  and okay.  maybe i am.  but i won't be for long.  (and my trainer doesn't allow that kind of talk anyway.) and really, the only way to get better is to appreciate where you are, be okay with it, and work on it little by little, day by day.

3)  a little friendly competition can be great!  each of the members of our group are at different fitness levels.  and that's okay.  and everyone wants everyone else to do well.  but if we're jogging?  'the man who is a machine' will most likely be in first place, but i'll guarantee you the other two of us will not be far behind. 

4)  add in some accountability, and you're golden!  yes.  there was a day i didn't want to go to the gym.  my trainer also happens to be a friend of mine, so i run the risk of him showing up at my house to track me down if i don't!  also, being asked to write down what i eat and show it to him everyday?  there was stuff i wanted to eat this week but didn't just because i didn't want to have to tell him.  (ha)

i was also reminded that sometimes we jump to conclusions based on our own experiences.  i was impressed by one woman i met at the gym, assuming she'd worked out in order to lose weight and get into the shape she was in.  thus, i was inspired in my quest to do the same.  however, i later learned that she'd always been naturally super-thin and was working out in order to *gain* muscle and weight.  it's funny how our own experiences can lead us to conclusions that aren't necessarily true.  (neither scenario is bad, mind you.  it's just that it is a different journey.)

this experience has been difficult, but incredibly rewarding.

i look forward to where it goes going forward.

in the meantime, i'm rewarding myself tonight with a night out with friends.

what one change can you make?

let us know what happens when you do!

all the best!

deb

p.s.  there was another thing i did differently this week that's huge!  but i'll save that story for a later date.  ;-)

Comments

[the communicatrix]

Wow. It sounds to me like you've been doing a *lot* of things differently.

Ah, the things we learn at the gym. Inspiring stuff.

[deb]

thanks colleen!
not sure if it's inspiring....it's just my story.

and i really didn't intend for this to be "more than one thing". i thought i was just starting to work out with a trainer! ha!

all the best!
deb