Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Prioritizing. Do You?

Do you ever feel like your mind is scattered in 124015 places, there are lots of things you want to accomplish, but just don't know where to start? It happens to everyone at some point--DEFINITELY to me. When trying to change something about your lifestyle, or when you HAVE to change something about your routine, you MIGHT have to do some soul searching and be uncomfortable for a while. The key is to not be LOST forever. When you allow yourself to become overwhelmed by lofty goals, a packed schedule, deadlines, etc--it is nearly impossible to excel in any part of your life without losing sleep and going moderately insane.

Hear me out: I see "prioritizing" as a self to-do list. THINK about what is most important to you, as well as what is most crucial for stability. For example: you want to train for a figure competition, but you have just been assigned more shifts at work, and are taking some type of classes/school. While your heart might want to drop the classes and extra shifts to fit in more training and time for yourself, that might not be the most realistic option. In this instance, don't forget about any "friends" and family you might have that are KINDA a priority as well. Personally, that's what I choose to put at the bottom of my list--not the family really, but the whole social thing. Going out late, being exhausted at work and during your workouts, getting backed up on academics. Family will always understand, and if you live with family...I'm sure they see enough of you anyhow. Good friends should understand your crazy schedule too, but based on personal experience--most people aren't worth it. There are always, ALWAYS exceptions. Anyway, back to the priorities: WRITE down a daily routine, from the hour you wake up to the hour you are ready to go to bed. Chances are, out of the 7 days of the week, there is time for everything--even those friends some people insist on keeping around.

Allow yourself to BREATHE, and be somewhat flexible with your schedule. Your time and sanity is MOST important. Be selfish, but not close minded. Write down tasks that are non-negotiable (work, school, sleeping enough) THEN write down what YOU believe is non-negotiable (for me, workouts and down time to cook and such would go here). After doing this, consider where time-relative deadlines fall in, and schedule your personal non-negotiables around these. If you have a test on a Friday, then have to work for 6 hours--it might be wise to schedule a rest day, instead of stressing about  squeezing in a workout. Sometimes its actually better to have a lot on your plate when desperately trying to change your physique, because you don't have time to mess up or obsess!

Now, this is MY blog. So I'll admit how I view my priorities, and what gets the most effort from me:
1. Training for my show (and my health, otherwise) 
*time sensitive: NASM personal trainer exam in a week that I have to study for. This comes before school work, for this week*
2. Working
3. School (this gets as LITTLE effort as I can manage)
4. Family (I live with them, see them all the time, am very close with them...doesn't really require any effort)

The only person I need to prove anything to or impress is myself. If kids in my classes think I'm stupid, or professors think I don't care about my education, I don't give a FUCK! Yeah, I know it's not typical for a "fitness blogger" to say fuck. Hence why I am your resident blogger dashboard badass. School is way tougher this semester, even though I only take 2 classes and one is advanced poetry, but that doesn't mean I'm stressing over it.

I live for myself. I'm fortunate enough to have parents that ALLOW me to do just that. They won't let me drop out of school, but they support everything else I do, and my choice to not attend college full time to let me do some LIVING and be SANE. 

Dont get it twisted. If you have bills to pay or pressure from parents, you can't quit your job. you can't drop out of school to pursue fitness modeling. as I mentioned earlier...these things are concretely non-negotiable. Just things that stand in the way of us REALLY living life to the fullest. If you have some BEST friends that you are obsessed with (I hope you're like incredibly young if you feel this way,) you might have to put off workouts to have movie night or club night with your friends.

Anyhow. These were my thoughts during my 7am cardio session this morning that have now become a blog. Training hams and glutes later. Here's a snapshot of me training at BODYSPACE fitness in NYC with Kelvin Gary 

Aaaand here's a pic I took yesterday. SHOW IS SO CLOSE 

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