Conquer Road Blocks: Move It Or Lose It

Move For Your Own Well-Being

Working for myself the last few years has given rise to many habits; some good, others, not so much. One of the best ones I’ve created has been to challenge myself to get up and move more often, and with more energy every day.

Since one of my personalities involves numbers, I tend to lean towards things which give me metrics so I can see statistically how I’m doing. Whether it’s steps on my FitBit, numbers on the scale which I track in an Excel spreadsheet, or the food and water I consume and track via MyFitnessPal, seeing my progress inspires me to strive for more.

In the years I spent punching someone else’s time clock, sheer frustration, and lack of excitement for the job I was doing made me less conscious of my own, physical well-being. It showed in my attitude, my weight, and how I presented myself. By the time I left my last full-time job, I’d developed some pretty slovenly habits, and my body was rebelling. It’s no surprise the first thing that happened after I settled into my new career path, and lifestyle was the release of about 30 pounds.

Physical Changes To Move Stuck Energy

The release was far more than physical. Being able to sleep as long as I wanted to was great, but I soon realized it was merely rebellion after years of forcing myself into a schedule of someone else’s making. I had to create my own schedule, and yes, set my alarm so I still got up and moving at a decent hour. Though the lack of a commute meant I could sleep a little later, I recognized I still needed to be at my desk and working by 9-ish in order to be productive, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Eventually, I began to add regular housework and yard work to my schedule, both because I found I prefer a little less chaos in my environment, and for the exercise. Slowly, but surely, the mantra Use It or Lose It played in my head from the moment I woke, to when I laid my head on the pillow to sleep. Oddly enough, the more I took regular breaks, and used them for more than a trip to the bathroom, the more energy and motivation I had to push my business to the next level, and more, to decide who I wanted to be when I grew up.

The years spent dragging my feet through life, sitting still, or playing mindless computer games left me clueless as to how to position myself and my business, or even where I wanted to go, much less, what I wanted my life to look like. My energy was stuck, and presented itself as arthritic knees, a recurring, herniated disc in my neck, and a variety of both real and imagined maladies.

Move More to Move More

The day I woke up and decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired prompted me to create a new, improved lifestyle fashioned for me, and me alone. In hindsight, figuring it out before the COVID lock down probably saved me from gaining back most of the weight I’d released, but also brought new skills and confidence into my life.

With the gym closed down, and later, less-than-diligent about enforcing mask mandates, I added ballet classes to my schedule. Though frustrating at first, and in different ways now, it meant getting up and moving for 90 minutes 3 times a week, and essentially replaced my weekly trips to the gym. Meanwhile, except when I joined friends in a park, street, or basketball court, line dancing was limited to our once-weekly Zoom gathering. Still, I was dancing regularly except for the rare occasions when life, or arthritis slowed me down.

The real surprise was the more I began to move every day, the more I wanted to move! It started with getting up after breakfast, scooping sandboxes, brushing my teeth, taking my supplements, and washing and moisturizing my face. Like a baby getting ready to move from crawling to walking, I soon outgrew what became limited activity, and started adding things like sweeping floors, or de-cluttering to the mix. It wasn’t long before my average daily steps grew from about 1,500 to over 6,000, and to over 13,000 on dance nights.

Life is a Long Series of Choices

I’ve discovered what many of you already knew: the more I move, the more I want to move. Sitting still for too long unless I’m engrossed in research, or writing a piece makes me twitchy. I start getting restless, and might wander around the house, unable to settle until I’ve moved enough to make my body happy for a little while.

The real bonus to allowing my body more time to move is not only an increase in focus, but a clearer picture of who, and what I want to be, how I want my life to look, and the clients I want to attract. Best of all, with little additional effort, I’m starting to attract those amazing, talented people into my life!

Had you told me even 3 years ago the missing ingredient in the goulash I call my life wasn’t to work harder. It was simply to move more. All the sitting, pushing, procrastinating, and fretting had caused energy to pool, not only in joints and organs, but in my heart and mind as well. Thankfully, it didn’t require an explosion or an 8.5 earthquake to get moving in the right direction. I learned however I move is the right way, and ultimately leads to movement in all aspects of my life.

Making Yourself a Priority

I’m reminded of the old adage: “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” When I failed to keep myself busy enough, I got far less done than when I began filling my days with tasks, healthy habits, and expectations. It doesn’t mean I started doing stuff just for the sake of filling my days. It meant finding ways to improve my environment by sitting less, and using the time I did sit more effectively.

Each person has their own requirements when planning to move more. It might be physical limitations, or time constraints. It’s like anything else in your life. If you want it enough, you’ll make the time, and work within your limitations. In time, you’ll make physical activity a priority, and move things around. Whether it’s dance nights, ballet classes, gym visits, or something else, they will become your non-negotiable items, replacing a few which habits might have been doing you more harm than good.

Above all, remember, you deserve to have time in your schedule for self-improvement, but it won’t happen until you make yourself a priority. Until you recognize making yourself a priority will improve your efficiency in other areas of your life, you’ll probably keep putting it off like I did. Ask yourself this: do you deserve to live a life of ease, joy, and realized potential?

 

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author.

Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.