For about 10 years after my younger daughter was born, I worked out religiously. Every day (even Christmas!) I would get up at 6 a.m. and either ride my stationary bike or walk for 30 minutes. It wasn't anything major, just enough to get me moving. But it kept me in reasonable shape and combined with my vegetarianism, also kept me slim.
Almost 3 years ago, as my ex-husband and I were divorcing, this routine that had lasted for so long, that had made me healthier and saved me from middle-aged spread,fell by the wayside as I went through so many other changes in my life. There was really no reason for this, as my apartment complex has a decent workout room and a great pool. I work from home most of the time, so my schedule is fairly flexible. I was already in the groove of working out, and it definitely made me feel better. So I'm not sure why it stopped except that I was going through so many changes, NOT working out somehow got added to the list.
I thought of that this morning as I read Jim's post over at Human Being Curious. I've been waking up each morning with a stiff, aching back and my body is no longer the svelte thing it was a few years ago, so working out has been on my mind. But what really struck me was what Jim said about committment:
"The thing you have to remember is that by choosing not to live up to a commitment you’ve made, whether it’s riding a bike everyday, or something else, is that you’re choosing short-term relief over long-term results. You’re choosing the short-term relief of not having to endure the mild pain of the bike ride over the long-term results of getting leaner and in better shape. That’s it. Choosing results over relief is always the more difficult path, and it’s always the most rewarding as well."
"Choosing results over relief is always the most difficult path." I ask myself, how often am I choosing short-term relief over long-term result? It's not just in physical fitness, either. I keep doing work that doesn't make me passionate, nor does it capitalize on my strongest assets but it does pay the bills and help me avoid conflict with some of my clients. I don't do as much to build my business in the longer-term because it's easier to focus on the work that's coming in now. I will often keep quiet about things, avoiding conflict, only to find later that I've made the situation worse by not speaking up sooner. Short-term relief over long-term results. The problem, of course, being that you don't build a very strong future. If I'm always choosing the short term, I don't build a strong long-term for myself. It's a matter of looking at those choices I make and seeing where I should be sacrificing my short-term relief for longer-term gain. Something for me to think about . . .
Where do you need to think longer-term?
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