Encouragement

Below is an email that I got from Sue in how she has trained herself to exercise and get in shape. She was going to post this on the blog, but the word limit cut her off and I thought it was good stuff, so I wanted to post it here.

Of course, my new excuse is that my wife and the kids have been sick since I last posted on this topic, so I haven't had a chance to work out. I'm literally going on a few hours of sleep a night, and I'm too tired. I know that is most likely only my "excuse du jour" but that's OK, too. I'm going to get started tonight if all goes well. I'll post tomorrow with the update. (Yikes, that seems like accountability!)

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Message from Sue below
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Greg, Greg, Greg . . . I'm feeling ya buddy. I was going to call, but decided an email would work. Hear sympathy in my voice, with an underlying sternness. Anyone can talk themselves out of anything (it's too early, it's too late, I'm too full, I'm too hungry). Anyone can talk themselves into anything (this is perfect, I feel great, this is a good thing).

I needed a set scheduled day and time. I couldn't do every other day; on the night I had to workout I'd think how good it was not to workout the night before and talk myself out of it, so I workout consecutive nights – Sunday-Thursday at 8:00 p.m. no ifs, ands, or buts. I take off Fridays and Saturdays and live a little – I'm worth it. If it works better for you, workout Monday through Thursday, leaving a night for flexibility and if you do workout all four days, you've worked out more than half the week.

Eliminate all the obstacles. Leave the door open so you see it all the time. Put your workout shorts/t-shirt in plain view, right there to see all the time, I even put mine on a half hour beforehand to get me in tune and also so the family remembers. Put an old pair of tennis right by your machine to use, so you don't have to wait for your daily ones to dry. You need a timer to set at 30 minutes the moment you walk into your workout room so when someone comes in you can say I have 12 minutes left – just about done. You have to set a scheduled time like 8:00 p.m.; right after the girls go to bed. If the girls happen to stay up a little later to finish a movie, we high-five and blow kisses as they go by and they know I'll be in in 16 minutes to give them a sweaty, stinky hug and kiss – they get a kick out of this actually.

Lastly, keep in mind it takes three weeks for something to become a habit. Not only for you for it to become a habit, but for your family too. They will learn and understand it's time for you to workout and respect that, your guilt does go away. You are the only one that feels the guilt, they don't. Squeeze out some willpower and you need to start your workout tonight my man, you can do it. By three-weeks time, by February 1st, it will be a habit and you won't think anything of it when it comes to a workout. You will be fully in sync - mind, body and spirit.

Love ya! ~Sue