Choose-Day

Since my weekends have become, well, not mine but rather an air BnB establishment with an Uber side hustle for the kids, I’ve been bunking my weekend gym classes. Throw in a month of work travel, reduced Pilates hours, freezing weather, a self-confessed recent repeat snooze offender, and a forgotten password for Impala Ridge Farm’s veggie box deliveries to round off my holistic approach to an off-course August.

Enter the first Monday in September.

New leaf and all that malarky. You know the drill. Monday is the day! And Monday was the day. It was amazing. I got up without snoozing, I did all my “stuffs” – meditation, morning pages, warm glass of lemon water, and I even had a working lighter to get a scented candle going. It was going well. My Walkie Talkie 5km run with Cheryl was back on, I smashed out a lot of my work To-Do’s, and had time to get Ava and her bestie to Brownies and make spag bowl.

I was hoping for more of the same come Tuesday, but then I should know better than to try to ride on the coattails of day one delusion. Day one is always easy because you have put in days and maybe even weeks of thought and preparation for “Monday”.

But then comes Tuesday.

I am referring to it as Choose-Day.
Monday was a given.
That was a new day of a new week of a new month.
You were prepared for it. Planned for it.
But Choose-Day – well you have to consciously make a decision – choose– to do all the right things, again.
And that right there is the hard part.

Back to my gym dilemma and I have decided to go to Virgin Active on Tuesdays and Thursdays for strength training because it’s good for my body and my mind. It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my gym fees went up to a lesser discounted rate because I haven’t been visiting enough.

My earphones were on charge, I was armed with a plethora of Pinterest cheat-sheet guides for some inspiration and off I went.

First hurdle.

Why is everyone at the gym so early today? Where are the parkings? I had to park so far away. I might as well have parked at the school.

No matter, I am focused. It’s all good. I am doing this.

I walk into the gym with a plan to cycle for 5min and warm up while I review my cheat sheet exercises to ensure I know what’s what.

Second hurdle.

The bike doesn’t have pedals? WTF. Is it just me being me? Have they changed the bikes? Is this how they are now? Was I supposed to have those special shoes? It’s ok, it’s not like anyone is staring at me thinking I need help.

Gym Manager “Maam, do you need help?”

F…. It’s that obvious. I explain and point like it’s the first time I have ever seen a stationary bike. He scuttles off to get some pedals.

No matter, I am focused. It’s all good. I am doing this.

Third hurdle.

I put my earphones on and hear the low battery beep and then silence. F… They didn’t charge. How am I going to do weight training in silence with nothing to shield me from my thoughts or distract me from my surroundings?

No matter, I am focused. It’s all good. I am doing this.

Forth hurdle.

Ummm what the hell is a spider pushup? I thought I knew all these exercises but on closer inspection, it’s clear that I do not. I confess I had to google several moves, you know, just to be sure. Doing weight training with a trainer is way better and easier and better. Did I say it was better? Well, it is.

No matter, I am focused. It’s all good. I am doing this.

I did manage to sweat it out for a 30 min session, with no earphones and no clue.
But I showed up.
I chose to keep going at every hurdle when it was so so easy for me to just turn around and go home.

Happy Choose-Day