"I don't HAVE to do this. I don't HAVE to become a personal trainer!" That's what I exclaimed to my friend Shelby moments before I did my final personal training practical exam. She stared at me with this look that said "Wow. Cara's having a mini-meltdown." I was really nervous. And I guess I just needed to let off a little nervous energy. I ended up doing VERY well on my exam. And when it was all done ... I was totally wired and ended up getting only four hours sleep. I slogged my way through the day ... and through the week ... desperately trying to catch up on my sleep. But it was worth it! There were many other late nights as I worked towards this overwhelming goal. To get here, I put in a lot of extra hours on top of my demanding full-time job, my part-time job as a group fitness instructor, my own training, and my sporadic social life. And now as I bask in the glow of accomplishment and major fatigue I ask the question ... how do I find the "perfect" balance? How do I find the balance between "working tirelessly towards a goal" and "taking care of me: physically and emotionally". I made this statement on FACEBOOK and many who commented were searching for the solution as well. However there were three comments that made me think and I'd like to share them with you ... with my thoughts just below each one:
1. "Perhaps it's how we work towards our goals that's the problem. Tirelessness should be replaced with consistently and persistently."
Good point considering I'm not really "tireless" ... I'm exhausted by the end of the week! I'm not sure how I do it.
2. "Sometimes working tirelessly and not listening to our bodies is what gets us into the predicament I am in."
Her predicament: brain cancer. It made me think about how much I want to live my best life NOW ... and not wait until "this" or "that" is in place.
3. "Balance is what we always seek, physically, emotionally, spiritually, if you find balance in one and not the others you will simply fall down... work them all"
There's the solution ... it's a constant pursuit ... it never ends ... that's what makes life exciting ... that's what will keep me on my toes ... that's what will keep me striving for more ... that's what keeps me driven ... so maybe it's better to have an "imperfect" balance.
I love this post, I have empathy. By day, I am the IT Business Analyst, but for 4 evenings & Sat. mornings, I am PT. And I too am still trying to find balance. Juggling day job, play time at the gym, a social life, family, friends, a yes me time, a challenge. I learned a difficult lesson last year, In the end, I scaled back. In the end we are only human and can only do so much. As PTs, we need to follow our own advice, and look after ourselves, whole-listically/holistically. I think knowing that we are not alone in this challenge, makes the journey a bit more bearable.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we can try to do so much and neglect the most important thing... ourselves!
ReplyDeleteLove your post!