Choose your HARD.

My alarm went off at 5:17 (I have this weird thing about waking up
at odd minues- I could never do a 5:15 or a 5:20- it’s always an :11 or :17, :47,
etc).

I immediately thought about how much I wanted to continue
sleeping.

I considered how busy the day ahead was going to be.

I thought about all of the day’s demands: taking care of my kids,
my husband, my students, my home, my body.

I didn’t want to get up. It was hard.

But I knew that a group of twenty some ladies were counting on me.

And I knew that they were experiencing the same thoughts and
having to CHOOSE to get going even when everything in them said to stay put.

So I got up.

 I put on my workout clothes, spent a few quick minutes with
Jesus, and then hopped in my car to drive to the park to meet my workout group.

I Showed up.

And even as I arrived, I still wasn’t ready. I had a bit of a grumpy attitude
and questioned if I really should be doing these classes three times a week. I
began to doubt the calling that I had been given.

But then the first lady showed up. And then another, and another,
and still more. Twenty one brave souls showed up, and even though several were
brand new and we were missing a few of our regulars, we had a great time.

When it’s dark, and the responsibilities of the day lie ahead, it
can be difficult to face the day with enthusiasm. It can be hard to KNOW that
the benefit is going to outweigh the cost.

But then, we begin.

We consciously CHOOSE to start off our days by honoring Him with
our health.

We lift our weights and cheer each other on,
and as we do, we lift our spirits.

We push through when tired, and in turn, we are given energy.

We persevere when we want to quit, because we know that what we are pursuing
through these workouts goes way deeper than a number on the scale or a clothing
size label.

And before I can believe it, the workout is done. We stretch and
then close in prayer, praising God for bodies that move, for hearts that are
willing, and for the sunrise we have watched.

And then, the day begins.

For the next 16-17 hours, someone else is going to need my
attention, and will be making requests and demands from me. In order for me to
be able to do all that I have ahead of me, putting my quiet time and exercise
time first is CRITICAL.

Do I ever want to get up that early if I had the choice? NO. But I do it
because it is a matter of survival during this busy stage of life.

Some things that help me:
1- Tell a friend (or schedule to meet one) that you plan to get up and workout.
Ask them to hold you accountable. Even consider setting up a check-in that you
can do by text, email or Facebook post to let each other know that you’re up
and moving.

2- TRY to go to bed at a decent hour. I know, I get it. Late
evenings are the only time I have to myself, but I know that if I stay up
really late, I will NOT make myself get up and the rest of my day will suffer.

3- Move your alarm clock away from your nightstand. Set two
alarms. If you have to physically get up out of the bed to turn it off, you’re
more likely to stay up.

4- Lay out your workout clothes the night before OR SLEEP IN THEM.
Yes, it’s true, I do this at times.

5- Pack or lay out any items you will need for your workout the
night before. For me this means finding my car keys so I’m not frantically
searching in the morning, packing my basket with weights, my workout list, my
speaker, a sweat towel, my mat, my water bottle, my donation bucket, and my
liability forms.
For you, this may simply be getting your workout DVD loaded into the DVD player
or setting up your mat/weights wherever you will be working out.

6- Put your workout on your calendar. Seriously. Schedule it into
your day before it even begins. It also helps me to write down HOW I feel after
a workout and the thoughts I have about how good I feel so that when it’s
another day and I don’t want to get up, I can REMIND MYSELF of the benefits.

Getting up early is a practice that will take a while to develop.
They say a habit takes 21 days to form. Some say this is not the case and it
actually takes much longer. It WILL take time and there will be times you will
blow it.

It IS hard to sacrifice your sleep to try to honor God with your
body through exercise, and there are indeed seasons in life when this will not
be possible. Give yourself grace for those times and keep telling yourself that
‘this too shall pass’.

But know that even if it IS HARD to get up to exercise, it’s also
HARD to not do so. When I don’t exercise, I am tired. I am grumpy. I don’t have
energy to tackle the tasks that God sends my way. And if I stopped exercising
and taking care of my body, I would gain back the weight I have lost, slip into
my old patterns of medicating with food, and THAT would be hard. You get
to choose your hard.

I’m praying for you and cheering you on, friends! What you do with
your body MATTERS. I know there are some that can’t get up and exercise, ones
who have physical limitations and or illnesses. I never want to take for
granted this gift of a healthy body. If you can move it for the glory of God,
you should.

love y’all!

*Please note before sending me any comments, I understand that
exercising early in the day is not the only time that matters. Some of you have
to do so at night, and that is great. Whatever works best for you is what you
should do. If you’re looking to gain more energy, impact, and endurance in your
day, however, early morning is best for 99% of us.