Part of the fun of the August Challenge is getting to think of things I don't usually do and then DO THE HELL OUT OF THEM. Of course, it's a work week so I haven't exactly done anything wild and crazy, but I will. I swear.
So far there have been two days.
Day #1 of Something New:
Due in part to exceedingly high levels of exhaustion that I'm experiencing, and due in part to reminding myself first thing in the morning that I needed to do something fresh today, I decided to take my damn time getting to work.
To put it in perspective, I get up between 4:30-5:30am most days. I try to be out of the house by 7:00am and in my chair at work no later than 8:00am. I tend to have meetings starting by 9:00am at the latest most days so I need some time to read thru emails, listen to voicemails and prepare. But over the last couple of months, I have seen those times change to something like: dragging my ass out of bed by 6:15am, out of the house by 7:30 - usually in a frantic hurry with sweat dripping down my face, at work by 8:30am and then feeling behind for most of the rest of the day.
That hurried, frenzied, chaotic routine, has created a stir that has made it harder and harder to get to bed calmly. To make it worse, the fast-paced, starting-from-behind morning routine usually left me headed to work without a prepared lunch that meets the nutritional needs of my P90x workout, and often even without a snack. I'd justify it with "I'll just buy lunch," but unless someone makes me by having a lunch meeting, I have a hard time stopping my work to eat. So, I was pretty much not eating, not eating enough or not eating well. As far as energy goes, that is NOT where it's at. Add in that I've been going it solo more than half of the summer in parenting because the other parent has been out of town for work more than he's been in town, and you have
ONE
RUN
DOWN
LADY.
So, on Day One, as I began to frantically work to get out of the house, as my kids were dragging their asses, a realization came to me: "Uh, what exactly am I in a hurry for?" I had no meeting until 10am, the kids were clearly in a lower gear and I didn't need to be so high-intensity. So I decided my Something New would be to take my time. As a result, the kids and I laughed during our morning get-ready, I made a full lunch with all the parts I'm supposed to have, I made the kids' lunches and snacks (they usually just eat the Camp or Day Care lunch), and I calmly headed off for drop-offs and work. I wandered in to the office around 9:30am and, aside from what's-with-you? looks from people who aren't used to beating me to the office, nothing fell apart. No one died. No one was fired. It was fine.
My boss is semi-concerned about me and makes a point to note "You aren't yourself. Exhaustion is serious. Do you need to see a doctor?" So I guess maybe not NOTHING happened. A bit of an exaggeration? But other than her telling me to "be seen by a doctor (and offering her own if I needed him) or take some time off," it wasn't detrimental to be calm.
So taking a note from Day #1 ...
Day #2 Something New
As I go to bed each night and set my alarm, I check the schedule for tomorrow at work to see if I need to be particularly concerned with getting out of the house at any specific time, or if I need to start my morning at an off-site meeting, which I often forget. And backtracking across Austin in morning traffic, isn't the biggest win in my day EVER. Last night as I looked at my schedule I was reminded of the beautiful thing I'd been seeing all throughout the day as I was checking for things in my schedule: I don't have a single meeting, appointment or time-sensitive task on my calendar for Thursday, August 2nd.
How is that possible?!
WHY AM I QUESTIONING IT??!!
So, my reaction? I turned off the 6-staggered-times-alarm-system in my phone. Yes, people, you
Not that I plan to make a habit out of sauntering into work whenever I feel like it, but my lesson from Day #1 of this Challenge was that my value at work, nor in life, comes not from being there first, last or most; it comes from being good - damned good - at my job. And that doesn't have anything to do with what time I get out of my comfortable bed, eyes-closed, and head to the shower.
So, I woke up around the same time as I usually do if it's an Oh-Shit!-I-Overslept!!-Get-Up-Kids!!!-We-Have-No-Time-To-Waste!!!! morning. Honestly, the dog could care less if I want to sleep in or not. He has no interest in me being on a path to self-improvement or whether I'm trying out Something New each day. He wanted to go outside and chase the neighbors cat. So ...
But other than that, it was calm moving. (Calm-moving is the reason I usually get out of bed at 4:30 or 5:00am. I hate the rush; it ruins my day.) I made The Toddler her hot chocolate. Actually, scratch that. I stood by as this three-and-a-half-year-old-going-on-TEN made her own hot chocolate START. TO. FINISH. I made a breakfast shake. I made a full lunch. I set out the things I'd need for dinner tonight. I went back tot he bedroom and cuddled with The Toddler for 10 minutes. Then I started my shower-clothes-hair-makeup thing. And left calmly. And got to work later than usual, but earlier than yesterday. And today I don't think anyone noticed.
WIN.
=================================================================
SIDE NOTES:
I mentioned that I would also be blogging more in August - twice a week at least, to be exact. So far: once. And it's been two days. So, CHECK.
I also mentioned I'd be continuing with the P90x thing. I'm just going to be straight up and say that yesterday's level of exhaustion was real. And I couldn't even TRY to work out. It was Core Synergistics. If you haven't been down this P90x train, let me just say that Core Synergistics is NO JOKE. And so I gave myself permission to wait until today to start. Reflecting today on that decision, I still think it was best. my body needed a break. I mentioned in the past post that it's the mental hurdles that are the hardest in P90x. This wasn't mental. This was pure physical exhaustion. So I feel fine with that choice and I'm positive that I will be happy I did so today when I'm sweating like a mad woman while I'm trying to do the SupermanBanana in my living room.
If you don't know about the SupermanBanana, go find out. It's fucking ridiculous.
Like a 7.1 gymnastics routine.
Yep, Olympics reference. You're welcome.
It only happens once every four years. That and Leap Year.
Peace.
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