I had a big win a few weeks ago that simply must be shared.
For the first time that I can remember, I was able to stick to my workout plan after a rough night with Juliana.
This may seem like such a simple thing. But it is not. Angels (children with Angelman Syndrome) can have sporadic sleep patterns and lots of energy! Yes, even at 4:00 am. You see that toy saucer up top? Looks innocent enough right? Wrong!
That kiddie saucer becomes an instrument at night. Hard toys are now banned from her bed because we’ll get a banging, jam fest at odd hours of the night. Soft toys only in bed.
On the night of Juliana’s no-sleep-acrobatic-performance, I gave Lamar the “hey, please check on Juliana” nudge while half asleep. She needed a pull-up change, but even after Lamar got her settled, sleep was not on her agenda. Playing was!
I grabbed my blanket and headed to her room to calm her down, so she would get back to sleep. It didn’t really work. After what finally seemed like hours, she quieted down to snooze.
I dosed in and out of sleep while she made noises (that no one should make at 4 a.m.) and finally slipped out of her room at 6 a.m.
It was time to start the day with no more sleep to be had.
Our morning was already off to a different start, but I did what I was supposed to—put on my workout clothes. It would take some motivation, but I was determined to labor through.
But here’s the true reason why I wasn’t a zombie all day. In an odd defeat of not wanting to do one more thing the night before, I ditched my to-do list and climbed in bed at 8:30 p.m.
When Lamar stumbled to the coffee pot that morning and said how tired he was, I boasted, “Not me! Since I went to bed so early last night.” “I missed my workout this morning,” he grumbled “Well, I’m gonna do mine!” I said.
And I did. Now truthfully, I cheated with some of the jumping jacks and my arms didn’t go as high as they normally would. But the point of huffing and puffing through that workout was to prove I could power through. Yes, I got to bed early, but I was still tired.
Didn’t matter though because the plan is to do my workout no matter what. Even if I cheat a little. I’m on a mission to take better care of myself–not sometimes, but all the time. And a big part of that is sticking with my fitness plans—even when there has been a snag in our night or daily routine.
Can I pull this off all the time? I’m not sure. But what made this time different was the plan of action that I already had in place. My workout clothes are the first thing I put on in the morning. My weights stay near my workout spot in the family room.
It’s a challenge that I will keep working on, but I know that I could never be successful in this goal without a plan.
Is there something you’re hoping to have success with? Do you have a sure-fire plan in place to overcome the obstacles that will surely come?
