Let me start out positive here.
I love my elliptical! It is a great machine and really gives me a full body workout, especially during the winter months when it is too cold to go outside. It is neat and compact and doesn’t get in my way and has not turned into a dumping space. I can listen to classes or music while exercising and have my water bottle handy. I have walked/run many miles on my trustee elliptical!
And now for the other side… I don’t actually like going on the elliptical. Really. I would so much rather be outside in the sunshine seeing the changing scenery go by as I glide through my walking path. I breathe better outside. I can’t really explain it well. But if you tell me to go outside and take a walk, 9 out of 10 times, I’m out the door within minutes. If you tell me I should get on the elliptical, 9 out of 10 times, I come up with four other things I need to do first and then I tell myself I will go on it. But then I would, at least I used to, until about two months ago. I kind of fell off the wagon.
What happened to all of my beliefs and valuing exercise and good health? I certainly promote this to my family all the time. And I do believe in it.
Honestly, I am not sure exactly what happened, but I know one thing, I do not like that I have stopped using the elliptical. I need to exercise. It is not just good for me physically. It is so good for me mentally. So what is stopping me? I think sometimes I feel like the elliptical gets me nowhere and that can be frustrating. But really it is getting me to a healthier body and mind. I am just not physically anywhere.
Well, after a year of pandemic, I think I am tired of going nowhere. I want to go somewhere and do something, anything really. And I will, but not yet. There’s always hope in the summer.
But what about now? How am I getting back onboard? Well, I have to say, once it is warm enough, I will be outside. I like walking outside pretty much any time of day or night and sometimes even in the rain and snow.
But it isn’t warm yet and it bothers me enough to tell you that I can’t sit around waiting for warm weather, at least not in Michigan.
So it all comes down to not just having important beliefs and values, but acting on them, and consistently.
There is nothing like this time of year that gets me into super scheduling mode. Everything related to Pesach is on my schedule. Because if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t happen. There’s too much to get done and I like to have a time and place for each thing.
And so, I need to put the elliptical back in my schedule, or bundle up and go outside. Either way, priorities are only priorities if we actually make them happen.
Have you been falling off of important goals lately? What will it take to get you back on track (or the elliptical as the case may be!) ?
Wishing you all success with all of your goals and Pesach prep!