Hi, Everyone! I know it's been forever since I've written a post. A ton has happened in the last year and a half. Cory and I got married and have a beautiful little girl. Iris Ivory Cox! Who would have thought? I don't believe in the phrase, "Be careful what you wish for". I'm more of a believer of the phrase, "NEVER SAY NEVER!" I have said in the past on numerous occasions the words I'm never getting married or I don't want kids! I'm glad things don't always turn out the way we think we want them to.
I believe where we are at in life at this very moment is the sum of the choices we have made leading up to the here and now. The small decisions make a huge impact on our family life, our career and our physical and mental health. Getting into established routines is extremely important so we don't have to make decisions everyday because we have built in habits. BUT.... What happens when things change? Some of the most crucial times in someone's fitness journey is after they've been pretty sick, just started a new job, new relationship, new baby... creating new habits as quickly as possible is important. Small decisions in the moment lead us onto very different paths. I like to share my experiences in hope that it might help my clients. When I don't train clients super early in the morning I usually roll out of bed and go for a run or a bike ride. It's almost second nature. Then I get blessed with baby Iris. Late nights rocking baby to sleep, midnight cries and diaper changes puts a little damper on the enthusiasm to roll out of bed and run... The first week was super hard to exercise early on. I did it though. I mean I do have the T-shirt in my closet that says "ONLY YOU PREVENT DAD BODS" With a picture of Smokey the Bear on it. What happens if I stay in bed one morning and that rolls into the next one? I then decide I'm too busy or too tired to exercise in the morning. Then fast forward 5 years. Will my life be different? I would argue absolutely.
I recently read a magnificent book called the Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I highly recommend it. The character in the book gets to experience different lives that were created by things in her past she chose to do or chose not to do. Example where would I be at this moment if COVID never happened and I wasn't forced to leave my vortex of a life at LA fitness? Would I be married to Cory and have a beautiful little girl? I would say probably not. The chances are I would still be a big fish in a very small pond that falsely satisfied my fragile ego. We have all asked the WHAT IF??? Questions? While there is a ton of things out of our control I believe we can protect our physical and mental well being by having a little checklist.
Life can be extremely stressful. We have numerous responsibilities. Bills, work, family obligations, social pressures. It can be overwhelming and make it easy to succumb to depression and lethargy. Here are some small things I try to do everyday to help navigate my day.
[ ] Stay Hydrated. Glass of water upon waking..real water... coffee doesn't count. Lol up to 60% of our body is made of water. Makes sense if we are dehydrated that we're also feeling fatigued and unmotivated to live.
[ ] Exercise daily. Get that heart rate up. I find early runs or lifting sessions starts my day off right. Sex counts. More on that soon.
[ ] Read or listen to something or someone that will push you for personal growth. I love audible books or podcasts. Or the voices in my head.
[ ] If in a relationship. Have sex frequently with your partner. Make time for it. In a healthy context it strengthens the bond between you and your partner and it helps with elevated mood.
[ ] Listen to those around you and ask questions. Be a sponge. Learn. Not just from people you tend to agree with.
[ ] Tell someone you love them everyday
[ ] Gratitude list. What are you grateful for? My wife, my baby, my career that I love.
NO matter how bad shit gets always remember everything is temporary. A favorite phrase of mine is "This too shall pass"
Love you all. Please share, comment, or like. Brian
