Getting off the Couch of my Mind

I worked so hard all day and I deserve a little shut-eye. The sofa calls to me with its plush throw pillows and microfiber cloth. I slide onto the soft fabric and dough-like cushions. I turn on an I Love Lucy re-run, lower the volume a bit, rest my head and snuggle, pulling a fuzzy throw from the couch over top of me. There's no harm in taking this well-deserved rest. I'm just going to close my eyes and doze off to the sounds of a laugh track...

Woah! What time is it? What year is it? 2023! Where the hell did the time go?! I swear I just put my head down for a minute, then BAM! Years are suddenly gone. What happened? Does this resonate with you at all? I don't know about you, but for me, time flies. Some days I feel like I work so hard and my brain just can't word anymore and my adulting is off. So, I sit down after a day's work, throw on the TV, have a snack and before I know it, I've settled into a life on the couch, the couch of my mind.

I know what you're thinking: "There ain't no way that girl is snackin' on the sofa! She up at 4:30 am workin' out! I seen her posts! She lyin'!" (Yes, in my mind, you all sound like Madea, hellllerrrrrr). It's true, some days I am up at 4:30 am, energizing, reading and laying the foundation for a good, positive day, regardless of burn out. What if I'm just going through the motions and not really aligning my body and mind? I frequently stand on my soapbox, shakeology in hand and say, "Workout with me! Get up off the couch! Just 20 minutes, four times a week! Break a sweat with me! Let's do a Beachbody program together!" And I mean that. I'd love more like-minded folks to share this fitness journey with me. I mean, it's all around good fun, good for you and the sense of accomplishment sends your self-worth through the roof! I'm off the couch physically, yes? I set aside time every day to read and workout. It's become such a habit that it's a no-brainer for me.

I'll let you in on a secret, I had a bit too much wine last night. I woke up with a headache and quite frankly, a bit hungover. However, I didn't allow those factors to stop me from waking up, reading a few pages, energizing and breaking a sweat for 25 minutes with Shaun T. Like I said, it's such a habit, it's a no-brainer. Yet, something is...off.

I have not been off the couch of my mind for years and quite possibly the entire time I've been working out and coaching. I don't think I'm the only captain flying my plane on 'auto-pilot' waiting for an attendant to make my flight pleasurable. I've been sitting in my safe, average box waiting for something magical to happen to my life, wondering when my ship is going to come. It never occurred to me that I had to go find my ship, the way I found my workout groove.

Now, what steps do I take to crawl out of the average box, nix cruise-control and put the pedal to the metal? Simple, the same steps I took to literally get my ass off the couch; making the time, setting a schedule, sticking to it, even if it's just 30 minutes a day and doing the work. How many 'shelf-help' books can one read before deciding to apply what's learned? I decide, here and now, to commit to my goals. I've been jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, lunging, squatting, crunching and sweating my ass off, and it shows, I'm tight, fit and stronger in places I've previously struggled. A fit body is just an outward manifestation of what the mind can accomplish. I've proven to myself I can tell my body when and where to concentrate using my mind. I don't want to wake up in 2023, imprisoned, average, comfortable and surrounded by poor choices, or worse, no choices. Feet, take my mind's goals and jump high.

#fitness #mindful #positive #intentions #time #goals #alignment