Welcome to the “Take Your Life Back” newsletter! As a busy professional, it can be difficult to prioritize your health and fitness goals amid a busy work schedule and other responsibilities. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital to your overall well-being and success in all areas of your life.
This newsletter aims to provide you with practical tips, strategies and inspiration to help you get and stay in shape, even with a busy schedule. We’ll cover a range of topics including healthy eating, exercise routines, stress management and more.
As your guide, I will share my personal experiences and knowledge as a busy professional who has successfully incorporated a healthy lifestyle into my daily life. Together, we will explore various ways to prioritize our health and fitness and ultimately achieve a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. So let’s get started and start this exciting journey to TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK AND BECOME A BETTER, HEALTHIER YOU!
Newsletter #3:
Hello and happy Monday!
I hope this newsletter finds you rested and ready to tackle the week ahead. As we dive into another busy week, I want to remind you that you are capable of overcoming any challenges and achieving your goals. I believe in you and support your success!
Before we begin this week’s focus, I’d like to share an inspirational quote:
The greatest glory in living is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we fall. –Nelson Mandela
The way to start is to stop talking and start doing. – Walt Disney
Why did I choose these two passages? They are simple but powerful, and I wanted to remind you to take on this daunting task—one that seems almost impossible to begin and even harder to imagine completing. You will be so happy and proud of yourself when you do. When I first started the 75Hard challenge, I failed so many times it was unreal. People often asked why I tried. The point for me was not that I failed, but that I started all over again every time I failed. Every time I fell, I dusted myself off and thought about what I did or didn’t do and then started again. This became a powerful way to strengthen my resolve and build that inner confidence in my abilities to take on tasks I didn’t want to do – at least inherently, anyway.
How did I fail, you ask? Well, one day there was a coworker who wanted to have a few beers (FAIL), so I accepted (had to look up the spelling on her (wink)). Another time, my wife made some delicious cookies (FAIL) that were definitely not allowed on the diet I had agreed to. I even had a day where I just didn’t want to drink the water (FAIL) as I had agreed. After more than a year of starting and failing, but never losing sight of the end goal, I dug deep into my soul and found a well of inspiration that would push me to complete the challenge once and for all, right? Yes, but can you believe I failed this time because I caught COVID? Exactly 57 days later, with only 18 to go, I was laser focused and feeling incredible that I had taken on this impossible challenge and was winning. It felt great. Ask any of my colleagues who were around at the time – I was flying high and feeling really good about not only completing the challenge but feeling like I could achieve anything I put my mind to.
Well, I got COVID and not only could I not complete my daily tasks (trust me, I tried), I had to fail again (COVID = FAIL). This rocked my world for the next three months as I slowly slipped back into bad eating habits, weak workouts, you name it, I had regressed. Some people said it was COVID and I should have picked up where I left off. WRONG! It doesn’t work that way, and I’m not particular about my own rules, so I have to start over…
I gathered my strength and started for the fifth, sixth or seventh time. This time, though, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me! In fact, about sixty days into the challenge, I found myself driving home from Huntsville, AL, on a work trip and not having time to complete my second workout. I stopped at a rest area, ran around the parking lot and got the job done! You see, if you want to do something bad enough, you really want it, you’ll find a way no matter the circumstance. I completed the 75Hard at that time and I am a better person because of this challenge.
Okay, story time is over, let’s get back to business.
This week’s focus is on getting your sleep under control. Sleep is the main domino and will either help or hinder your progress in this #takeyourlifeback.
How well you sleep matters. I’ll list some tools to help you achieve better, more restful sleep. If you already sleep well, I’m jealous, because I don’t.
Follow your circadian rhythm
Be careful with exposure to light – There is a lot of information about this, but you need to see sunlight when you wake up and you need to stay away from bright lights when you want to sleep.
Maintain a consistent sleep/wake schedule – this is more important than you think and when your body is on a consistent sleep/wake routine, you will notice and sleep and wake up better – not to mention have higher overall energy levels. Do NOT sleep in on the weekends, I know it’s tempting, but this will set you up for low energy when the week starts. I wake up at the same time every day. This often happens when I have “me” time because the rest of the house is still blinking. I use this time to do things I want to do – read, write or whatever.
By Andrew Huberman –
Visit this site for science-based tools and further explanation of the topics I mentioned above.
Have you ever had a night where you wake up and don’t feel rested? I think we all have. The next time this happens, give it a try – there’s a tool you can use to restore your body in ten minutes. It is called NSDR the no sleep-deep rest. Here is a link to a free YouTube script for this protocol. I use it and it WORKS very well!
Remember, proper sleep is essential to your health and overall well-being. If you don’t sleep well, learn and take the appropriate steps to start sleeping well. You’ll thank me later!
Okay, enough about sleeping for now, I’ll go back to sleep from time to time just to keep you in check and make sure you don’t forget.
As always, I hope this newsletter has provided you with valuable information and inspiration to help you prioritize your health and fitness goals. Until next time, keep making strides towards a happier, healthier you!
