Often, when I ask my mother how she’s doing, she’ll say that she’s just all out of whack.
Generally, this means there’s some level of crazy pants happening in her life and she would like things to settle down.
Settle down like, yesterday.
I don’t know what whack is, but it’s clearly where we'd all like to be. I mean if things are out of whack, then the opposite of out of whack is to get back in whack, right?
Of course.
It’s September. I know, I know - we want to pretend it’s not, but the fact is, summer is winding down. The Red Sox are cruising towards the playoffs, and the Pirates...well, they're breaking my heart. Again.
Hopefully you’ve filled the past few months with road trips, beach time, and backyard BBQ's. You’ve had weddings and picnics and graduation parties and it’s quite possible that you are slightly dehydrated as you read this from that awesome Labor Day picnic you enjoyed yesterday.
What? Oh...me neither.
You’re probably thinking “I’ll get back to it on Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or the following Monday....”
So here are three tips for getting back in whack:
1. Don't wait
You don’t have to wait until whatever imaginary day you had in your mind. You can go to a picnic for lunch and get back in whack for dinner. You can have donuts for breakfast and a salad at lunch. Or you can know that you're going to a party later and be deliberate about not blowing the entire day out of the water.
The point is, once you've had a piece of cake or slice of pizza, it doesn't mean the day is shot. You can balance the healthy choices in with the splurges.
2. Make a plan
September is one of the busiest gym months, sometimes even busier than January because folks are ready to buckle down after the summer. This might be the time that you decide to join a gym (and if you do that’s awesome, but what’s the plan then?), make some nutrition changes (meal plan?) or train for that half-marathon.
Either way, be specific about your plan. What would success look like at the end of September when it comes to exercise? Going to the gym three times per week? (And what will you do when you get to the gym?) Going to the gym twice a week and walking three nights per week?
Whatever success looks like for you in 30 days, write it down and put it somewhere you can see every single day.
3. Get someone to hold you accountable
Hire a coach, find a workout buddy, or tell your kids that they need to make sure you go for that walk. Seriously, I think kids are the best at holding parents accountable - I've seen it with my own eyes. But regardless of what your goal is, find someone else who can hold you accountable to those goals. Life is too hard and things get too complicated to always to it by yourself.
And let us know if we can help you.
Sometimes the best way to get back in whack is to hire someone to help you. I know, because I've had to hire someone to help me.
So do what you need to do to get back in whack. And if we can help you, let us know that too.
Ok?
Ok. Good talk.