Creating a New “Normal”

At the end of last summer, we did a 21-day challenge.  My focus was to work out on the treadmill every day I was home during those 21 days.  Other challenges from readers centered around exercise or blogging, it was quite a range.  While I did really well during my challenge, I struggled once school started to continue the momentum.  School was hectic, the girls were and are constantly busy and we were working a lot to finish the basement.  However, since the basement has been completed and we have a dedicated workout room, I have been on the treadmill pretty regularly.  Some weeks are better than others and I can’t say it is necessarily my favorite part of the day but there are definitely benefits to working out.  I get a few minutes of ME time, can jam to my own music, sleep better and have lost a couple of pounds.  But even as I worked out more consistently, I never really increased my stats.  I did not go farther, longer or burn more calories.  Enter my husband……

Anyone familiar with me knows I might be a tad competitive.  The very first night Jason and I ever actually hung out, he beat me in everything we played.  We played darts, he beat me.  We played pool, he beat me.  We played video games, he beat me.  This did not work very well for me……We played foosball last night, he beat me.  I can’t stand it.  As much as I love him, losing to him irritates me, which is why he is important to this post.

As much as I have been working out, Jason has been working out even more.  One day at the beginning of February, he was determined to burn 300 calories on the treadmill, which he did.  I was super proud of him but irritated as well.  In all of my working out, I had never even come close to burning that many calories and I thought I was doing a good job.  But now that he had accomplished it, I had to as well.  I had the mentality I would never be able to work out so long.  I had convinced myself I could not go that far, but the game was on….

So on the same day as Jason, I warmed up, I cranked up the music (90s of course), I was going.  Then I ran and I ran.  I would run and then run faster, run and then run faster.  Pretty soon I had run 1 mile faster than I have run a mile…… possibly ever.  Then I kept running and running and after thirty minutes, I had run 2.25 miles and over 325 calories!!!!  I had never done this amount in my life, my life!!!  Not even when I was in high school did I run 2 miles.  I told myself I was not a runner, I was a thrower, I was built to be explosive.  Sound like an excuse to you?

Fast forward to today, since this one day in February, I have been able to run more than two miles every time I have been on the treadmill.  It literally took me one time to challenge and show myself I could do it and now it has become my new normal.  When I look at my stats from the beginning of the year, I sort of laugh, I could do that now without too much effort.

Creating a new normal sounds scary, but if I can do it, so can you.  Your new normal does not have to be working out.  I had the same experience the first time I presented to other teachers in my building.  I will never forget it.  I was presenting about some research I had done with attendance and survey results from our school.  I did not sleep well the entire week before my presentation.  I practiced, I shared with other people who were not in my building, I knew my presentation inside and out.  Still, I was so nervous!!!!!!!  I might have blacked out during the presentation, I honestly don’t remember it, but I got through it.  Today I feel comfortable presenting to other teachers, it is a normal part of my job.  I may get a little nervous, but I am also confident I can do it.  It just took one time!!

Challenge Time!!  Is there some aspect of your life you see as a scary challenge?  Is there a way you could create the new normal and up the ante just a little bit?  Could you see yourself going farther in one area?  What would it take?  Share your ideas with me here or on the Facebook page, Speaking Jelinese.  I would love to have this conversation with you.  A new normal is just one time away!!

Talk to you soon,

Angie