A funny thing happens when you start waking up way before you have to be anywhere to go workout. I like to call it an elevated happiness from within. I decided that my night workouts are a good thing, but that I wanted more than just that. Going back to school I knew would be a transition because in the summer time I could wake up when I wanted and work out when I wanted and run when I wanted. It was great.
Then work comes around and has to put a snag in my fitness routine, right? Nah. I had been moving my wake up times throughout the summer to earlier times to accommodate different classes and to make sure I got in what I wanted to that day as far as mileage goes. I hated to think of the notion of losing part of that routine as I have come so far since January.
So there I was thinking about the back to school fever that everyone had and decided that it was best to take it to the morning and the evening. I now typically set two alarms, one for 5:17am and 5:20am. I am one of those people that like odd wake up times. 5 minutes increments are too much, haha. I am up and out the door typically by 5:26am as I have my clothes laid out and shoes etc the night before. I also pack my lunch and pick out my work clothes the night before for an added touch. The first couple of times I woke up I went for a 3 mile run around Curwensville which was tricky because of the darkness. I actually think it helped me to run a little faster, haha. That came to a halt however when I realized that maybe it wasn’t the best idea for safety. So I turned to the Y which is of course a 10 min drive. This is what drove the wake ups to an earlier time than what I had started with (5:45am).
Anyway, since August 29th I have been waking up early and doing my thing…mostly cardio with some weight training thrown in there for extra measure when the DOMS hasn’t set in yet haha. I regularly use the dips and pull up machine since that is eventually one of my goals–to do a pull up. I’ll get there…one rep at a time.
Monday was the start of my first 5 day week since back to school, and boy did my bed feel cozy that morning after losing my routine on the weekend and staying up crazy hours. However, it is the easy thing to go back to bed. It’s easy to lay there and shut the alarm off and just wake up at normal time. Discipline, though, is what goes beyond the motivation that got me to the point that I am at. Discipline tells me that I need to hop out of bed, tired or not, and work on myself and start the day right. I have to say that this discipline thing is rather awesome.
I have gained so much energy from these early wake ups and have noticed that I am much more efficient in getting ready and I am more ready to go when the school bell rings. I show up early for work, just because, and I have a greater sense of purpose that keeps me going day in and day out. I know this has helped me to deal with things in the workplace more readily and to face the challenges of the day and take them all in stride. It’s not everyday that is amazing, but even if many things go wrong, it can still turn out to be an amazing day because of what I made of the day.
I know, I know, too much crazy happiness, but if I could bottle up this energy and this feeling I really would and sell it. Today I looked at a comparison pic from a year ago until today. Every time I look at one of those pictures I surprise myself. Who was that person? I know she was happy, but she was completely unhealthy. It’s strange to me because I never felt like I looked that way. I felt big and I still kinda do what it is a different kind of self appreciation and self love these days. It’s one of those things that was always there but that you are more able to foster due to circumstances.
I can’t say enough about happiness being an inside job. We choose everyday how we want to react to things that we are faced with and we are the ones in control of our thoughts. I am not saying that I don’t get down or that I don’t have negative thoughts, but it is all in how you deal with those negative thoughts that sets it apart. I can’t help but being happy looking at how my life is being blessed each and everyday through the good and the bad.
I would rather be that annoyingly happy person that can help other people become happier or more motivated than the Eeyore that is constantly living in self-pity and regret. Everyone deserves to be happy, no matter who they are…remember that.