Earlier this year, I spent a lot of time (and money) getting myself financially fit. I paid off a LOT of debt and tried to be more conscious of paying my bills on time and keeping an eye on my spending. Lately, call it my summer break out but, I've been a little lax. I added a bunch of pieces to my summer wardrobe, I went out whenever I was invited, and I treated myself to a few tech items. All of this added to the normal summer events, like graduations, weddings, festivals, has me back in the financial crunch.
Meanwhile, I've been struggling with my health and fitness. It's too hot to run in the evenings and its no secret how much I hate early mornings. My diet has hit a mental block; I know I need to cut portions, add fresh stuff, and prepare my own meals, but the thought of denying myself one of my last pleasures is painful. Yoga seems daunting again and I can't even fathom a new fitness goal. Maybe it's the thought of being that friend again, the one who's late because of a workout and even then, only has a salad. Being healthy is a lonely place in Philly.
Suddenly, the parallels between my financial and physical health are glaring at me. In both cases, I have to be constantly diligent. Whether I have plenty of money in the bank or have taken off lots of pounds, I have to keep that same early stage hunger. Because any gains that I have made can be quickly lost with complacency. I have to remind myself, that as much as I hate to be that friend, I hate to be a statistic even more. One of the many overweight Americans, or just another person in debt. And when I don't do what I know is right be it health or finances, I feel guilty. This morning, although my alarm went off at 5:30 am, I pondered, then went back to bed for another 2 hours. And the sleep was good, but as soon as I walked into the office this morning, N reminded me of my laziness. I had to tell her, no, I couldn't get my fat ass out of bed, so it would continue to be just that.
Like Madonna (one of my fitness heroes) says, "Tricks don't work, discipline does." I vow to have that discipline.
