The Juggling Act - Revisited

I’ve listen to experts, taken their advice, tweaked it to fit my preferences, and then fell right back into old habits. Which old habits? Well, sitting for hours on end and not getting in enough exercise for one.

I blame writing, which dictates I sit for hours at a time. It’s a great excuse for not exercising more, and that is exactly what it is, an excuse. 

The lack of sufficient exercise led to my weight gain, which adds to my lack of motivation to exercise more. (Yes, my age is also a factor, but not as much as I like to pretend.) 

I admit I did better with time management when I was still working outside the home. With less free time, I spent fewer hours puttering away on projects not directly associated with my current works. (Looking for pictures for a future book cover, one I haven’t even started, is somewhat productive. Well, okay, maybe not.)

Experts say short sessions of concentration, punctuated with breaks, stimulates the brain and aides in retention. It’s important to step away and do something else for a while. The same goes for exercise. Short bursts, spread out during the day, are just as effective as longer sessions. That fits right into my agenda.

Now, how do I apply all of that knowledge into something manageable that I can stick with? As a famous author once stated, “There’s the rub.” 

I have come up with a plan I believe is workable, at least on paper. (Yes, I know how uncooperative the flesh can be. That’s how I got into this mess in the first place. My alter ego, Negative Nancy, can just keep quiet.)   

This time I have plenty of flexibility built in instead of a ridged framework that fizzled like warm pop the first time my husband sprung a spontaneous activity. Keeping my focused on increasing my exercise time to an hour and writing at least a thousand words a day, it should be simple. Right? 

So, here’s my plan. After devotions, coffee, and breakfast, I’ll do a ten-minute session of weight training followed by twenty minutes of aerobic exercise. If I use the stair stepper, I can read writing articles or do social media on my laptop. With the built in time limit, I won’t be chasing rabbits for hours on end and get nothing else accomplished. Then shower and get in my word count. That leaves the rest of the day open for the unexpected, except for two fifteen-minute aerobic sessions spread out over the afternoon and early evening. Volia! Goals accomplished. 

Wish me luck?