Woman in Balance

Ever feel like you're sinking in quicksand?  The more you try to fight your way to the top to get air you just end up getting pulled deeper and deeper into the pit.  It's a struggle, figuring out how to keep your head above water, but the best way to float is to find balance.  Remember when you were a kid and the first thing you learned about swimming was how to lay flat on your back and let your body just float to the top?  Life is the same way, sometimes you need to just relax and find your balance to stay afloat. 

Lately I've really been struggling trying to find the time for everything in my life.  I work full time, go to school full time, volunteer for various organizations and still need time to run and workout.  It's a lot.  Sometimes it feels like more than I can handle and I get overwhelmed.  Now that the days are getting shorter, it's getting harder and harder to fit everything into my day.  I can't get up early to run anymore because it's too dark to run by myself, that's not laziness, it's a safety issue in the city.  What I realized is that my way of finding balance is to focus more on my food now that I'm not spending as much time being active.  I refuse to lose my momentum or let my progress stall just because circumstances in my life have changed.  There will never be the perfect time for it, you just need to make the most of the time you do have.

I usually weight myself every Monday morning just to see where I'm at and keep a general idea of my progress.  I don't get caught up in the number, it's just one of many markers that I keep in mind to track where I'm at.  I have to say that after a couple weeks of school and a lack of quality sleep I was a bit worried to see where I would be.  I haven't been to the gym, or done much running, so the only thing that I had been focusing on is my "diet" (I use that term to generally define what I eat, not a specific regimen that I follow).  I'm happy to report that I actually managed to lose a pound!

When it comes down to it, there will always be something that will cause you to alter your plan and possibly veer you off course.  Be flexible and open to new options so that you can keep making progress.  Just because you were pushed in a different direction doesn't mean you need to go backwards or stop, keep moving forward and have faith that your focus and hard work will pay off.  You know how much you're putting in and what's realistic to expect from your efforts.  Don't expect to reap the rewards of work you're not doing, if you're honest with yourself you'll see the results.  Find your balance and you'll be unstoppable.