I think I mentioned it in already, but as I think about where I am today, it bears repeating. A few things have to be in place to really get a great start to a lifestyle change.

1. Your mind is bought into the need for change. The ‘bit’ is flipped. As I mentioned in my first posting, for me this just happened. Intellectually, I knew I had to do something about my overall health and weight. However, there was not enough internal buy-in to do anything about it. But on that early July day as I looked down into an incredible valley at Rocky Mountain National Park and realized that it would be foolhardy for me to attempt a big hike, my bit flipped.
2. As with any change, be prepared for a difficult transition. At the very beginning, it is not too bad. You are excited about making the change and will follow whatever plan you created. It becomes challenging when you are into it for a few weeks and the luster has worn off of the change. The food starts to seem a bit bland, the workouts are tough. This is where you need to remind yourself why you started down this path (see item #1). To me, this is where the power of journaling/blogging comes into play. You can review the progress you have made. Re-celebrate the wins and think about the misses as you get yourself back on the tracks.
3. One other key element is having time to focus on what you are doing at the beginning. It is so important to not be in the middle of chaos while trying to make big changes in your life. This is not an excuse to push this off because you are busy, rather a caution to put a little thought into when you will have time to focus on you and your goals.

I bring this up again as I consider what’s happening around me right now. Work continues, of course at breakneck speed; school events seem never-ending and weekends are now consumed with sporting and other extracurricular activities. I just joined a gym and am making an effort to get there 4 times per week. Monday and Tuesday, I went early, before work. Wednesday was a rest day and I was going to go in this morning. However, that did not happen (hello snooze bar). My secondary plan was to go in the evening. I had to run a few errands getting ready for the weekend. And then a few more and finally was ready to go. at 9:30p. My wife made the comment that I picked a less than ideal time to join the gym with everything else in high gear. I thought about what she said and replied that this is just part of making the lifestyle change. Life is busy, things pop up and we need to ebb and flow to accomplish the things we believe are important. Then, stepping off my soapbox, I considered all the time I invested upfront in educating myself about the road I was now travelling upon and reached the same conclusion I did awhile ago…timing is everything.