Time Management

One of the biggest things I struggle with is time management. This week is no different...especially since I am a single parent this week. Single parent, you say? Yes, I am the single parent of our fur child Lulu this week while my husband is shivering in Maine on business.

Lulu, our 1 1/2 year old yellow lab, normally leads the life of luxury. She wakes in the morning and goes for her first two mile walk of the day with one or both of her parents. After the walk, while we sip our coffee and check in with the work world, she indulges in her morning breakfast. Soon, she settles at the feet of my husband who works many days out of the week from our home office. In the middle of the day, she has a few trips outside, a ball session or two with her dad during the lunch hour. At the end of the day, she greets her mom with a wagging tail, eats a little dinner and usually heads back out for the second walk of the day.


This week, like my schedule, she's had to adapt. Most days, Coach MH has me on a double workout session. So...its early to rise for me and I need to get in at least one workout before heading to the office. Because I haven't yet found the willpower to get up at 4:30 in the morning, Lulu's morning walks this week have not happened, neither have the evening ones. Instead, I've had to improvise. Thank goodness for Dog Services. Lulu gets to play with all her closest friends for the day while I work.


Yet, at the end of the day around five, or my more normal "mid-afternoon", I've left the office feeling guilty for only working until 5 and head to pick her up. She of course is eager to greet her mom but tired, worn out and ready to curl up for the evening when she gets home. No such luck for me although with the chilly temperatures outside there is nothing I want to do more than curl up and relax. After dropping her off tonight, I had to motivate to head to TG strength training, my first time. I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I've been lifting nautilus for the past 2 months, at least twice a week, but I had heard from past participants that TG strength training was particularly challenging and yummy. And it was. I am positive that my entire core and arms will remind me of every V up, push up on the balance bar and crunch of the many varieties Coach Mark and Grandison dreamed up over the short break. Yet I stuck with it and will be headed back on Thursday.


Exhausted from a busy day, with a pile of work yet to get to, I finally curled up on the couch with Lulu beside me to watch my favorite show on TV these days - The Biggest Loser. Week after week that show inspires me to achieve more and push myself to be better. This week was no different. Nicole, who unfortunately went home tonight, gave me the inspiration this week I needed. After the contestants were sent into the work world for the day and had to return to campus for their evening workout, Nicole essentially had this to say before she headed to the gym to bust out a long workout: "I know there will be days like this when I'm exhausted, when I've had a long day or when I'm just burnt out. But I know I still need to give my best and put in the workout. That's what separates the old me from the new me that I've become."


So go get it Nicole! I'll look forward to seeing your transformation in a few weeks. In the meantime, I'll be sticking with my workouts and working hard for the new me that I've become.