How I Remain Sane in an Insane World

Let me just cut to the chase…for anyone that knows me, knows, that I am hell on wheels if I don’t workout.  I am sluggish ,grumpy and my stress level goes through the roof.  Knowing that, I make exercise a mandatory part of my day six days a week.  So, let’s talk about how exercise keeps me sane in this insane world. 

Once upon a time, my life was crazy.  Oh wait…it still is.  Anyway, many years ago, I worked a high demand job that brought on stress.  Then my personal life was not exactly sunshine and rainbows either, so there was stress.  I was also raising three boys….LORD HAVE MERCY…..STRESS!!!   (I wouldn't trade my boys or life with them for anything).  At that time, I had no idea how to manage my stress, so I would eat and I would drink.  My blood pressure was through the roof and I had headaches all the time.  Now, to the outside world, it looked like I had it all together, but the reality was that, I was falling apart. 

Fast forward a several years, I had relocated to another state, was still working a high demand job, my personal life was still crazy and my health was going down hill. I was depressed all the time about everything.  Then….I started working out.  I started off slow; just walking on a trail near my house at the time.  Then, I joined a gym and started working out 4 days a week.  As I continued to workout, I noticed that I was more upbeat.  Things didn’t seem to bother me as much as they used to. 

Now…let’s fast forward to March 2015. 

I know have a routine.  I start off my day with a workout and there has to be a REALLY good reason why I don’t workout.  It brings me a level of peace that I cannot explain.  It gets me ready for whatever the day brings.  Exercise keeps my stress level down.  Exercise keeps me from snapping on people.  Exercise keeps me level headed.  Exercise allows me to think.  Exercise keeps healthy.  Exercise keeps me sane and calm.  For the people that knew me from “once upon a time” and know me now will be able to see the difference.

Whether there is stuff going on at work or in my personal life, it doesn’t seem to bother me as much as it used to.  Yes. Things happen that upset me.  Yes. My feelings get hurt.  Yes…I get disappointed.  At the end of the day, I exercise, so that I am healthy and am able to better handle these types of things when they happen.   I am a firm believer that exercise is the best stress reliever. By the time I get off my treadmill, my mind is clear.  When I go to my Zumba class, I dance away all my worries.  Now..I’m adding cycling to the rotation.   I wonder what that will do for me. 

So with all the insanity going on in my life….AND THERE IS QUITE A BIT, I am the sanest I have ever been.  I will continue to exercise, not just because it helps improve my physical well being, but also because it improves my mental and emotional wellbeing.  I only wish I had really embraced this all those may years ago.  

The Importance of Scheduling Your Workouts

Today’s random thoughts are brought to you by Sherry J. 

In my last blog I talked about how I plan everything.  Well…today, I was sitting here going through my personal and work calendars.  Boy do I have a lot going on.  I have reminders, to-do’s and meetings on my personal and work calendars.  I have work meetings that I must attend and they are scheduled.....95% of the time.  I also put my workouts on my calendar as well, which are schedule 100% of the time.  

As I was walking on the treadmill this morning, I had a talk with myself.  I tend to oversleep sometimes, and try to squeeze in my workouts, while on work conference calls.  That clearly is not working.  So…I’m going back to the way I used to do things.  My mind set is…..I don’t miss a work meeting at it is scheduled.  It’s on my calendar for a reason and I was invited for a reason.  That same concept applies to exercise.  I invited myself to a workout.  I typically workout 5-6 days a week.  As long as it’s on my calendar, it is a meeting that I CAN NOT miss, unless something major comes up.  That is just how important, exercise is to me.  My goal is to make sure that I start my day off with a good workout. 

Did you know that exercise is a good way to clear your mind? Did you know that exercise improves your mood?  Did you know that exercise is a good way to de-stress?  I’m sure you knew that.  Personally, scheduling my workout helps me remain accountable.  I am accountable for doing everything I can to be successful in my fitness journey.  I even include my husband on all my invites (Just in case I’m still lying on the basement floor from doing a crazy workout.  At least he will be able to tell someone what I was doing J).

See, on your job, there are meetings that you have to attend.  Lord knows…there are days when the only meeting on either calendar is my workout.  Then there are days, when there is complete insanity going on in my work day, and my only saving grace is the very first meeting of my day…my workout.  I also have evening meetings a.k.a. workouts as well.  They are all on my calendar as well. 

How important is your fitness journey to you?  Is it important enough to really start holding yourself accountable?  Making sure that you are adding workouts to your calendar and treating like meetings that must be attended?  Are you ready to step up your game on your fitness journey?  Are you ready to hold yourself accountable?   

The Insanity of being a planner

After a day like today, I question why I do what I do and why I am the way I am.  As a project manager, I am responsible for making sure stuff gets done on time and within budget and if it doesn’t get done, it’s my job to figure out why, get it fixed, back on schedule and done.   Now on a day like today, with deadlines looming (like two days away), changing requirements, missing resources, a ton of stress and unhappy team members, I put my head in my hands and asked WHY in the world did I decide to do this for a living?  It is sometimes a thankless job.  Then I had to do some self-reflection.  I realized today that I am a planner.   I LOVE what I do.  Sounds crazy…right????  Well…I have to admit that I have a plan for EVERYTHING.  I put everything on my calendar whether it is work or personal related.  I typically even have a checklist, so I don’t miss anything.  I plan my route when I’m out running errands so that the trip goes smoothly.  I plan what stores I’m going to go to when I go to the mall.  I plan to the point where it drives my family nuts most of the time.  The only time I don’t plan is when I go on vacation.  Which is when I should have a plan…lol.  So….one might ask “how did Sherry get that way”? 

Well…it started with my grandmother who used to tell me, a woman should always have a plan.  I had no idea what she was talking about.  My grandmother always seemed to have it together, or at least that is what I thought. I remember she would take me to roller-skating. She would ask me if I had an extra pair of socks…. check.  Kneepads…check.  Did you go to the bathroom…opps…OK…check.  Do you have your jacket….check.  Did you get your roller skates…check.    Once she verified that I had everything, and then she ran through the list of all the stops before we actually made it to the skating rink.  We would stop at the bank for some change (money so we can get into the rink and get my hot dog and Icee), the gas station for gas, the store for snacks  (candy because she refused to pay for candy at the rink) and then the skating rink.  When we got done at the rink, she would take me out for a bite to eat at the McDonald's on Swope Parkway (for those that remember when it was open).    That was our process EVERY TIME she took me skating.  In my little mind, I thought that is how it was supposed to be done.  You have a checklist and a plan. 

So now, many years later, I have to blame my lovely grandmother for the way I am today.  I suppose being a planner isn’t such a bad thing (at least in my mind).  My typical day has me sitting in front of my work and personal laptop.  I’m also a multitasker.  I respond to work and personal emails on both laptops.  I’m looking up stuff, researching, conducting conference calls, taking notes, responding to text messages, updating calendars, scheduling meetings, Instant message coworkers and somehow still manage to function.  Believe it or not, I plan and accomplish everything I set out to do in both worlds.  I like structure and organization and the opposite of that drives me NUTS…LOL.  Surely there has to be a happy medium where we are all sane with my planning tendencies.   I just wish I knew what that was.  If I don’t plan, at least in my personal life, things don’t get done.  In my professional life, I definitely have to plan schedules; tasks and resources or nothing will get done.  Do I want to pull my hair out sometimes?  Yep…. especially after being on a conference call and the plan changes.   Do I drive my project team crazy with my planning…absolutely!!   Now…let me ask those same questions from a personal perspective.  Personally, I try very hard to plan and there are times when the plan doesn’t go as planned.  Do I have to adjust the plan to make sure things get done???  YEP.  Do I drive my project team..OOPS, I meant my family crazy planning????  YEP. 

What’s crazy, is that now, I have a granddaughter and she watches everything that I do.  I wonder, if she will grow up to be a planner/multi-tasker.  I wonder will she look back on the times that we will have together and be writing a similar story when she grows up.  I hope that she learns although it is good to have a plan, that it is OK to just go with the flow sometimes and ride the wave.  I hope she will learn that even with the best plan, nothing goes as plans.  I hope that even with all the insanity of being organized that she enjoys her life as much as I am enjoying my crazy life. 

Introduction

Welcome to my first blog!!!  It is my hope that the things that I share in my blog will somehow help someone out there.  I am new to blogging, but not new to journaling my thoughts.  So, let me tell you a little about myself.  I am a daughter,wife, mother and grandmother...oh yeah and I have a full time job too.  I love my crazy family to the moon and beyond.  My life keeps me on my toes.  I have been on a fitness journey to be healthy for 4 years now.  I'm learning to love running (but that is taking some time).  I absolutely love Zumba (I love dancing, but Zumba gives me an excuse to look crazy while having fun). This is just a high level introduction.    So..with all that being said.  I hope you enjoy my random thoughts.