I've actually been meaning to write this blog for a while, and it was actually going to primarily deal with people who give excuses for not working out. I've actually changed that around a little and added a few more things in there after a few people in my life expressed some things. Now that I have an afternoon to myself, here I go.
This one is all about the excuses that people are full of. Excuses as to why they can't work out, excuses as to why they can't eat healthy, excuses as to why they cant spend time or have a conversation with their friends or family.
The best excuse: "I dont have time to work out for an hour," "I'm injured." "I dont have time to make a healthy meal," "I dont have time to shoot a text or a phone call to a friend," "I dont have time to sit down with my family and have a conversation."
Let me go ahead and share with you a little bit about myself, and we can go ahead and compare our schedules, shall we? I am a Master's student at Cleveland State. This is my last semester at CSU, as I will be graduating in May. In my last semester, I am required to A) go to class once a week for 4 hours (Tuesday nights from 5-9), B) start an internship that adds up to about 150 hours, and C) pass my comp exam in March which covers all of what Ive learned over my 2 years in graduate school- aka I will be studying my ass off for the next 2 months. I started my internship a little over a week ago. I am working as a general trainer at the gym at the JCC in Beachwood. I work there Monday and Friday mornings, 8am-12pm, and Sundays 9am-1pm. ON TOP of CSU's requirements, I also work as a graduate assistant Athletic Trainer for the Cleveland Clinic. Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I work in a Physical Therapy Clinic from 8am-12pm (sometimes 1pm if we have a meeting). AND Monday through Friday I work at VASJ High School as their sole Athletic Trainer. I am there every day from 2:30pm until 6pm, unless we have games (right now its bball season, so I'm there a couple nights a week til about 9:30, and Saturday evenings until 9:30 as well). About twice a month we have 6:30am meetings on Friday mornings that we have to attend. ANNNND I have therapy on Wednesdays from 1pm-2pm.
Somewhere in that insane schedule, I find time to lift/do cardio SIX days a week. Currently, I am working as hard as I can, ON MY OWN, to be able to compete in a powerlifting meet sometime this year. I have no personal trainer, I just read my dad's powerlifting mags and get his input as much as I can when I get to see him. I lift 4 days a week, and I do cardio 2 days a week. I have a goal and I'm putting as much effort in as possible to be able to reach that goal. As for the "I'm injured" excuse, I've got a torn shoulder, military neck, an injured disk in my lower back, and arthritis in my thumb. ALSO, at the clinic, I work with injured patients to rehab them back to health. Rehab is called therapeutic exercise for a reason. There is ALWAYS some type of exercise you can do.
I find time to drop a line to my friends as much as I can. Even if it's just a stupid hey whats up or something. I MAKE time to spend time with them as much as I can as well. I can't live life and handle all this shit if I shut out my friends. They understand my schedule, I understand theirs. Most of them are just as busy as I am, but we still try our best to AT THE VERY LEAST keep in touch as often as possible. NEVER ONCE have I said "I'm too busy to talk to you." I LOVE talking to my friends during the week, which is probably mainly why I have friends...cuz I keep in touch and they know I think about them often. I mean, even if it's JUST on twitter or facebook or something dumb. I can take a minute to say hi.
Conveniently, I do live with my mom, dad, and brother, I live across the street from my gramma, and I live down the road from my baby cousin who is one of my best friends. It's weird that regardless of this fact, I barely see any of them. I see my mom and dad most nights, dad not as much because he is in bed by 9 every night. I spend as much time as I can with my mom as well- Wednesday and Sunday nights we watch our shows together. I wander my way to my gramma's house on Sunday nights for scrabble night with her and my mom. I get to spend Thursday nights watching Parks and Rec and The Office with my brother...since that's pretty much the only time he isnt studying for his PT boards test, and pretty much the only time i get to see him for more than 5 mins. I take any extra free time I have to go to my cousin's salon to get my hair done just so I can spend some time with her.
As for eating healthy, yeah my mom cooks most nights, but breakfast, lunch, and snacks are on me. When I lived in Toledo on my own, I was in charge of buying my own damn groceries and making my own damn dinners. So yeah, I'm capable of that too. I eat well, I choose healthy foods, I make good choices...and sometimes I eat some damn chocolate...so what?!
Lets sum that up and make that less confusing for those of you whose brains just exploded:
M: internship 8am-12pm, lift, shower, VASJ 2:30-6, comps study group 7:30-?
T: PT clinic 8-12, VASJ 2:30-4:30, class 5-9
W: lift, shower, Therapy 1-2, VASJ 2:30-6 (we often have bball on Weds so sometimes 9:30) Modern Fam with my mom and dad at 9:30
R: PT clinic 8-12 (1 oclock twice a month), run, shower,VASJ 2:30-6 (games usually this night so 9pm sometimes)...if no games, brother/sister time
F: meetings 6:30-7:30, internship 8-12, lift, shower, VASJ 2:30-6 (games til 9:30 or so)
S: lift, shower, VASJ 5-9:30ish
S: internship 9-1, cardio, shower, scrabble night at grams
So uhhh...yeah...whats your excuse for not working out? Whats your excuse for not having time for your friends? Whats your excuse for not spending time with your family?? Whats your excuse for not eating right??
Take a piece of paper and a pen, and write down all your excuses for the above. I'll wait..........................
Good, now take that piece of paper, and throw it away. Your excuses are garbage, and no one wants to hear them.
Have a nice day, and do something.
