"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." ~Brian Tracy
Everyday at around 3:40pm I start to hear the voices inside my head. I am so tired. School is so stressful. I have so much to do. I am exhausted. The kids took it all out of me. The stack of essays is starring at me. The laundry still isn’t folded, and I don’t know when I will have time to grocery shop. I feel a little nutty by this point of the day.
However, unless I am really sick or something is wrong, I drag my ass to the gym. Most of the time, as my friends/coaches will attest, I won’t even say HI when I first get there. Certainly, those that know me well may be confused by this because….welll…I like to talk…a lot!! In fact, since my husband’s job has changed, he is home when I get home from school and is often confused (but maybe happy?!) by my silence.
I need some time to completely shut down and reboot. During this reboot, I tell those voices to shut up because I know what awaits me at the gym. Whether I get a PR and have a great workout or have a shitty workout and feel disappointed, I am rejuvenated nonetheless. I feel like everything that I gave all day at school is now returned to me in some way. By the time the next morning comes around, I am ready to be Mrs. Ryan again.
This balance, although hard to achieve, is something I have grappled with for the past few years. Isn’t balance something we all strive for? It isn’t easy. Things always need to be adjusted and it doesn’t always work. However, when it does, I am at my happiest and think that is probably true for most people.
I took some time off of competing for a while for this very reason. While I was still putting in the same hours at the gym training hard, competitions on the weekends started to feel like a chore. I didn’t have my weekends to regroup, catch up on grading, and get good sleep. However, after a long hiatus, I competed on the VCF team (my first team competition) at the Winter ShakeDown! It was SO FUN; we got 3rd place, and my team was amazing! Competition was fun again for me, and it got me excited for the Open (thank goodness). Woot!
