It's All TECH to Me

I try. I do. I really, REALLY do. But, try as I might I'll never be able to speak "tech." I will also not be able to understand it, explain it, or truthfully care about anything tech-like. When someone starts to talk technology, I feel myself falling into this abyss of confusion and lethargy. For someone inept in all things techy, the struggle is real.

...I'm the gal that was honestly stumped a week ago when someone asked me if I had an iPhone or an Android. Honestly...I have no clue. If you offered me $1,000 to tell you one difference between the two I would walk away with no money. To me a phone is a phone. Can I call, text and take pictures? Great, I'll take it.

...The Cloud. I just had Jesse explain it to me...again. As long as I know my files are safe, I'm good.

...BYTES. Honestly. What in the world. Jesse starts saying "bytes" and I think of food. Like how big of a bite of deep dish pizza can I take? As a visual he wrote out the differences between the different bytes, like megabyte vs. kilobyte, gigabyte vs. terabyte. This can be best represented to me in a visual. For instance, if I stacked Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top of each other, and each cup represented one byte, which stack would be taller. Now that has me doing math....

I tried to actually use Reese's to understand bytes and their different sizes,
but Jesse then tuned me into the fact that if 1 peanut butter cup = 1 byte and there are
 approximately 35 cups in a bag, I'd need 30,000 bags for a megabyte.
Now THAT I can comprehend because that is something I can actually BITE into. 

Here is where I feel badly. Since Jesse works at an IT Company in town, technology is a big part of his life. It is something he is truly interested in it, and as his wife I'd love to be supportive and listen and show I care, but it is tough when I have NO clue what he is talking about. That, and to be frank, it bores me...very much like every science class I ever took.

So, welcome to some realistic scenes in the life of a wife married to an employee at an IT company.

SCENE ONE:
Jesse walks into the door as I'm once again whipping up a domestic diva's dream supper of mac'n cheese.

Sarah: Welcome home, honey! How was your day?
Jesse: Well, today I had fun trying to identify the age of a PC with our RMM tool because it's a white box and only reports the serial number on the motherboard and the manufacturer is less than helpful. After that, I had to update the quoting templates for our server options because the processors on the Gen 9's switched from v3 to v4 and the speed has increased on the DDR4 Ram.

Cue my faraway look and random thoughts...
Sarah: Can he see the emptiness in my brain where all tech knowledge should be? If I respond with "Sorry about that," will he end this conversation thinking I understood what he said or will it make him keep talking? Maybe I hear the girls fighting and I should go break that up. Why does it matter if it is a white box? I think a teal one would look cool. Did he say something about a mother? I need to call my mom tomorrow. Wait, focus!! 

SCENE TWO:
The girls are in bed and we are relaxing and catching up on some episodes of Longmire while he blogs or tinkers on his computer and I'm probably doing something for my It Works business. Suddenly, with a burst of enthusiasm Jesse pumps his fist in the air.

Jesse: Yes, I DID it! I installed three different OSs in VMs on the desktop of my laptop in an hour. Now I can run Ubuntu as my daily driver and use the VMs to test other operating symptoms.
Sarah:
Yup, I wrote nothing there because due to the time of day my faraway look is now just a completely blank stare. I'm also too tired at this point of the night to have the energy for random thoughts much less the effort to ask any questions. Instead, I give him the classic "I'm so sorry I'm unable to understand but honey I'm really proud of you" look.

I'm sure there are others of you out there that can relate. I'm sure we all have a spouse, a family member or friend that has some talent or interest that you could really give two hoots about, but because we love them and care for them we listen to them. We rejoice in their victories (even if they have to explain them multiple times) and comfort them in their struggles.

The crazy thing with me is that while the topic of technology wants to make me take a nap, it is pretty crucial to our (and my) every day living. If you would take away my phone and my computer away for a bit I would struggle. I know I would survive and life would go on, but you have to admit technology has streamlined our lives. I depend on it for so many things from connecting with my family and friends to running my business. I'm blessed to have a husband that gets the tech stuff. I don't get it, but I'm glad he does.

I know there are several things I'm interested in and talk about that make Jesse zone out, but at the end of the day I know he cares about me and supports me in all I do. I just hope he sees that in return.

Simply put...the connection is processing. 

Beautiful Exhaustion

The other night my 2nd grader was getting out of the bath, and in her overtired state insisted she was too tired to dry herself off. As she stood there with water dripping around her she pulled out the big guns and said,

"Mom, I think you, as a Mom, have no idea what it means to be truly tired."

I instantly had about a million sarcastic (but true) comments to this, but I kept silent, knowing that saying anything at this point would just make the situation of a temperamental overtired child even worse. Instead, allow me to share the hashtags I used when posting this latest zinger from my daughter on Facebook.

#whatdidyoujustsay   #youhavetobekiddingme   #ohmyword   #icanteven

AS A MOM...
This is the part of the quote that literally made me laugh out loud (ok, internally) the most. Of anything, or anybody, mothers everywhere know exactly what it means to be truly tired. Her statement still would have made me laugh, but the fact that she added the "as a Mom" part really got me going.

Before I have everyone up in arms about how they are tired too, I realize that. I don't deny that everyone, no matter what stage in life you are going through at this time, does get tired. My point, though, is motherhood takes it to a whole other level. This is written to be humorous, but everything said is the dead-honest truth. Ask your mom, or your wife, or your best friend or cousin that is a mom...you get the idea.

PHYSICALLY TIRED...
When she said I have no idea what it means to be TRULY (I also love that she added that for emphasis) tired I immediately thought about both physical and mental exhaustion. Let's start with the physical side.

From the moment you become a Mom you are physically exhausted. Having a human growing inside of you is no easy task. Even when your baby is still the size of a pea or a blueberry or whatever the piece of food they equate it to at that point in your pregnancy, you are tired. Talk about first trimester tired. The feeling of waking up but needing to go back to sleep, or taking multiple naps during the day then wanting to go to bed at 8 PM. OK, who am I kidding, 6 PM is a normal bedtime. From those early months on...it just continues.

Physical exhaustion reigns supreme when:
- 2nd and 3rd trimester tiredness is compounded by swollen legs, migraines, aching backs and sleepless nights due to multiple bathroom stops.
- Labor turns into a 24 hour ordeal and you get NO sleep because back labor is so intense. 
- Those first months of multiple feedings and diaper changes every night become your normal. You are so tired you put the diaper on backwards. It does NOT help when your husband wakes up the next morning and says, "The baby slept pretty well last night." Really?!?!? What room were you in?
- When post pregnancy hormones get out of control and you have severe insomnia for 4 months. Never ever have I so detested the sound of cheerful chirping birds in the morning. I wanted to cry from utter exhaustion. But I couldn't cry because I was too tired.
- You are so tired you don't want to shower or clean the baby spit up off your yoga pants. But, when you are a working mom you have no choice. Having to be presentable for work saved me from falling into the abyss of hygienic despair.
- What about those sleepless nights with sick kids? Like when you share your bed with your allergy-induced asthmatic daughter to make sure she keeps breathing? Or when the other one tops out at 6 night terrors spreading over the course of the night resulting in 2 hours of sleep for you? Or when you are on puke clean-up/bed sheet change #4 of the night after they have projectile vomited 6 feet into the air and....then...wait for it....they vomit once all over you. You are so tired you peel off the icky clothes and just climb into bed. 
- Another doozy is when they get older and you are chasing your littles all over the house, or the park (or the store!).  Once they are in motion the exhaustion of up, down, here, there takes over. Added to that are the pleas to "Watch me, Mommy!" "Push me on the swing, Mommy!" "Pick me up, Mommy!" "Let's play tag, Mommy!"
- Through this all you still fold the laundry, do the dishes, grocery shop, etc. Life as you know it doesn't stop. Tired...tired....tired...

EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION
As they age things change and they start sleeping through the night and they are able to entertain themselves at the park so the physical exhaustion ebbs a bit. While that side ebbs, the emotional exhaustion that has been there since Day 1 just continues, and quite possibly intensifies.

- Moms are probably their own worst critic. "Am I doing this right? What does the best-selling book say about this? The internet? I've only checked on 74 websites."
- The emotional exhaustion of knowing "that part" of your life will not be making a resurgence anytime soon.
- Discipline. "Are we doing this right? Why are they behaving like that?"
- The internal comparison game with other moms. "Why can't I be like her? She makes motherhood and family life look so easy."
- "Do they know how much I love them?"
- "Does my husband know how much I still love him? It is hard to make time for us these days."
-  How do I balance it all?

WE WOULD DO IT AGAIN
I am well aware that the lists above could have LOTS of other bulleted items, and there would be a wide variety for all the different moms out there. I intended this to be a comical look into the life of a mom, but realize I probably came away sounding like I'm complaining. That was most certainly NOT my intent. In the end, I (and I think a large majority of moms) would do it all again. I know the tiredness we feel now is temporary. Our eternal heavenly home will be one with no pain, no stress, no tears, and lots of rest.

Someday the physical exhaustion will be gone. God-willing our girls will be grown up and out on their own, maybe raising their own kids. Jesse and I will be at our dream lake house. He will probably be fishing and I'll be sipping coffee and reading a good book. While I often dream for a quiet moment like that now, I know years from now I'll be wishing I was pushing them on the swings at the park, packing up everything to go to the pool, taking another bike ride, or picking them up in a big hug. The emotional exhaustion I'm assuming will have taken a slightly different role...constantly wondering and praying for them wherever they are in whatever stage of life they are in.

So what soothes this exhaustion? At the end of the day, when you hit your breaking point both mentally and physically, and your child gives you the biggest hug and kiss and says, "I love you, Mom." 

BOOM. And there it is. At those words my body and heart just melt. Then I get up and do it again tomorrow.

Simply put...this is a beautiful life. 

This quote was said on one of those physically and emotionally exhausting days.
She was 4 years old at the time, and I dearly loved her perspective. 

The Invisible Line

When you run a race, you know where the starting line is and you know where the finish line will be. Sometimes it is 3.1 miles away, sometimes 13.1, and for all those die-hard runners it could 26.2 miles away. You might not be able to physically see the finish line, but you know what must be done to get there.

Last week I ran a 5K, and the starting line and finish line were the same. I knew I had to get back to the big arch of purple and white balloons. That was the seventh 5K race I've done, and I'm by no means a professional runner, so for all of you awesome runners out there read this in relation to a much longer race. I just picked running up about 5 years ago and do these little races to challenge myself. During that race my thoughts turned towards completing goals, and this It Works journey I am on.

Last year I had set a PR in this race, and I was hoping to hit that mark again (or beat it). I knew it would be tough for me since I hadn't had the greatest sleep the last 2 nights. Here is how it progressed...

Mile One: I was ahead of my PR pace.

Mile Two: I was still ahead of my PR pace.

But then as Mile Three began we suddenly turned into the wind and my tired body took over. I can pretty easily run a 5K (albeit not quickly), so for me to falter after 2 miles was unusual for me. My legs started dragging, but I kept pushing my body because I knew how much further I had to go. I continued to push on because I knew the mile markers were marking my journey and I could SEE the finish line. Off in the distance those purple and white balloons were blowing in the wind. My mind talked my body out of stopping...I just had a little more to go.

But...what if I hadn't been able to see the finish line? Would I have had the gumption to keep going? What about you...What if someone told you to go run a race, but you didn't know how long it would be or when you would ever see that finish line? You have a goal of finishing the race, but you just have no idea how long it will take. Would you have the endurance to keep going? Would you keep fighting for that goal?

This got me to thinking about my It Works journey. I am going to be very real and open here. I have had doubts lately because my 3 year anniversary is fast approaching and I am not close to where I thought I'd be. I contemplated throwing in the towel. As I ran it got me to analyze why I felt like I could throw in the towel on a business I have worked so hard for, but yet when my body wanted to collapse last week my mind was able to convince it to keep going. WHY!?!?

For me, it is because I could SEE the finish line. I knew if I pushed for 5 or 10 minutes more the END would be in sight. But, with It Works we are given no timeline for our goals. No one says, if you work hard for 3 months you'll hit Ruby (a promotional level in our company). Or, push hard for 10 months and you know at the end you'll be a Diamond. For that reason myself and others might lose motivation to reach our goal because we can't SEE it. There are no purple and white balloons (in our case they would be black and green) blowing in the distance to lead us to that goal.

So, how do you keep your endurance to reach your goals? For me, when I run a race I start right away by picking a person in front of me and then I chase them. When I pass them, then I pick another and chase them, and then another, and so on. Eventually I cross that finish line. With It Works my "runner" is one of the reasons I started this journey in the first place. I'm looking to help my family with our financial struggles. Shouldn't that keep me going? But, truth be told, it is hard to keep pushing. I KNOW it is great motivation, but the drive and motivation is harder to maintain when no finish line is given.

I have quickly realized that with anything in life be it business related or not, I can't lose sight of the finish line, even though I never have been given a set time to know when I'll cross it. I need to stay motivated (chase those runners) along the way to keep moving by setting incremental goals along the way. And, in the end, I have to remember that every little goal along the way (no matter the size of the runner you are chasing) is a successful journey.

But, unlike a race, my finish line will keep moving. Once I cross that Ruby finish line, my next finish line will be Emerald and so on.

I didn't make my PR last week. At first I was upset about it, but then I thought....No way, I still should be proud because I accomplished my goal. My race wasn't how I planned it, but I DID it. Will it take me 3 1/2 years to hit Ruby? 5? Only God knows that. I just need to keep setting one goal at a time and enjoy the journey along the way.

Simply put....

"The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race."

- Unknown - 

This summer, when I ran on the beach in Oregon I felt like I could run forever. There was no visual end in sight, much like setting goals that have no visual end or time constraint to them. 

You Have GOT To Be Kidding Me!

There are times that you just have to shake your head in wonder. I have found in parenting (and working at a school) you tend to do that multiple times a day. Sometimes it might be a little shake, other times you feel like you head might snap off in disgust...or surprise....or joy.  Well, today it happened. Any working parent will be able to relate with the following scenario....

I'm a paraprofessional at the Middle School here in town. We had a LONG summer. A new high school was being constructed, and a lot of construction was also being done on the three other school buildings. All in all, our summer was almost 4 months long. Yes, 4 MONTHS LONG. That alone can make a person say, "Are you kidding me?" A long summer can be a great thing, but to a mom it can be rough. After two months your children are sick of all the trips to the park and the pool and all the other "fun" and "creative" ideas you tried to dream up. They start to turn on you (but it isn't my fault!) and each other.

Needless to say, there was much rejoicing when our first day of school rolled around. My girls don't go to the school I work at, so they started last week. Today was my glorious first day of school. My first day at work in 4 months. For 4 months I never had to fear them getting sick and me having to call in and request time off because I had 4 incredible months off of work! With that being said, I picked out an outfit to wear (yes, I'm 40), had my new lunchbox packed and I was ready to face the first day with a smile on my face.

It almost was not meant to be. In the past she is the one we have to drag out of bed, and she often struggles with a morning routine. We started the morning OK with my husband doing an excellent job of covering up the fact that the Tooth Fairy forgot (again) to come visit last night. But then she started complaining about a headache, and she does tend to get them. It quickly spiraled into not wanting to eat, being SO tired, etc. We were trying our best to get her ready and out the door, but it was not meant to be. Seven minutes before I was scheduled to leave for my first day of work she threw up multiple times in the living room. Instantly I knew that headache was one of her migraines that intensified to the stage of making her vomit.

But, I couldn't help thinking (and quite possibly stating out loud to my husband), "Seriously!?!? SERIOUSLY!?!? This is my first day back to work in 4 months and it is the first time our children have gotten sick in 4 months" Unreal.

It all worked out just fine. Jesse was able to stay home with her, but it just left me shaking my head once again. Call it cheesy but I would like to quote The Shirelles by saying, "Momma said there'll be days like this...."

In the end, this head shaking business worked out just fine just like it usually does. Hopefully, though, Day 2 will not be quite as eventful. I do work at a middle school, though, so anything is possible.  :)

Simply put....tomorrow is another day.

Mom, I'm OK

There are few words that stir up such a mixed batch of emotions in me as does this one: PARENTING.

Before children I looked at the whole concept of "parenting" in probably a naive way. I grew up in a family of 5 children, and somehow my parents made parenting look quite easy. I'd like to say it was because we were all little angels, but I know that isn't true. My guess is that to some extent my parents went through the same gamut of emotions I feel as a parent. If not, I hope some other parent reading this is nodding their head so I know I'm not the only one.

From the first time your child grabs onto your finger, and then your hand, you want them to know you will never let go. You got this, right?? Right!?!? But then the first sleepless night happens or they start crying uncontrollably and you don't know what is wrong....then you start to think that there is much to learn. Parenting is challenging yet rewarding, complex but yet at times so simple, rewarding yet so frustrating, tiring yet so energizing...and the list could go on. And, just when I think I've mastered something, I'm taught something new. 

These past two days have twice taught me how resilient children can be, even your own. As a parent you know your children's personalities and what makes them tick. You prepare for each new adventure accordingly. You make sure all the landmines are avoided. You tread carefully. Then the unexpected happens and you are surprised.

Hold on, girls. I'm here...and I'm learning.

Scenario #1

Our older daughter has always been strong willed to the core. She is confident in most situations and likes to do things on her own. Case in point, when she started Kindergarten I walked her in the first day. The second day she didn't want me to get out of the car, and as she walked away she said, "I got this, Mom." Well, OK then....As most of the other moms walked their children inside I sat in my car and tried not to be offended that my child didn't need/want me there. I attempted to make myself feel better by saying a prayer of thanks that my daughter will have the confidence to face many things in life. 

From the time she started all-day preschool she has always enjoyed school. I think last year she maybe complained about a little bit of math homework, but she did it. So, needless to say I was surprised when I picked her up from the first day of 2nd grade yesterday with a sheepish look on her face. By the time we got home there were tears rolling down her face. It doesn't really matter why, it was more the fact that this was so unusual for her. Due to the nature of the tears, I was expecting this to hit her quite hard. 

I was wrong. This girl is resilient. We chatted about the day, and after she had time to soak it in and get a little TV time to unwind she was back at it. By the time my husband got home she was having a dance party with her sister. She was ready to go back out there and tackle the world, and today she was ready to get back to school. 

Scenario #2
Our younger daughter is, in many ways, a polar opposite of her sister. She is much more of a free spirit and has always been more shy than our eldest. Cuddles and hugs are her thing, and she tends to stick close by my side in new environments. It takes her a bit to get acclimated to new people as well. She also went to an all-day preschool, and the first few days of that were not easy ones for her.

Knowing this, I thought the first day of Kindergarten might be a tough one for her. Not only is it a new room and a new teacher and new friends and new expectations, once I leave she wouldn't have my hand to hold onto.

Today was the big day. We found her room and her locker and got her things put away. She went into the classroom and signed in and picked her lunch option. No words were spoken, but she didn't need to because I could tell it all by the look on her face. It is a look she gets when she is taking it all in, and that look was very present today as well. Her teddy bear she was allowed to bring from home was in one hand, and with the other she made sure I was close by. Then it was time to say "goodbye."

Once again I was proven wrong. I knelt down to give her a hug goodbye. I told her I loved her and that I'd see her at the end of the day. She looked at me and I said, "Are you OK?" It was then that she spoke with a clear voice and said, "Mom, I'm OK." With that she walked off, found some new friends to play with and never looked back or called my name. I almost fell over.

I would be a fool to think that every day from here on out will be all peaches and cream for both of my girls, but this showed me that they are more than I maybe give them credit for. When those days come, I'll be here to pick them up and comfort and console them.

These children of mine that I thought I knew so well taught me these past few days the same thing. Our children are resilient. They grow. They mature. And they will surprise us when we least expect it. That is what I LOVE about parenting. 

Simply put...I'm learning. 

Sweet Success

---

Greetings and salutations friends! This is Sarah Simplified's simple husband here. I caught Sarah in a dazed and confused state and got her to agree to let me write a post here on her blog. If you'd be so kind as to indulge me, I would love the opportunity to regale you with the world's greatest explanation of success ever written (by me in my own little world).

Right about now you might be wondering why in the world I would want to ramble on about success on my wife's blog. Well, here's the scoop... My wife became an Independent Distributor for It Works! about three years ago. In true motherly fashion, she did this to help our family. Since I am the greatest husband she has ever had (and only one), I support her 100% and do everything and anything I can to help her succeed. 

To do this to the best of my abilities, I forced myself to figure out what success looks like so I would know when we reached it. I've heard rumors about this whole success thing, but never really knew if I had ever found it, or achieved it. Today is your lucky day. I figured it out and I'm going to share it with you...kinda-sorta. 

Family, friends and money. Three things that most of us want and/or need to survive our short lives on this rock called Earth. But which one makes you successful? 

Families are everything. Without family, you don't exist, but that's basic biology. No family means no parents. No parents means no you. It's not the fine technicalities of lineage that I'm talking about though. I'm referring to the love, joy, sadness and pain that come from being part of a family. Yes, all those things. If you never have the sadness and pain, you'll never truly appreciate the love and joy.

Friends are right up there with family. They bring you the same love, joy, sadness and pain that a family does - just on a slightly different plain. Some of your greatest friends may even hold an honorary title of being family.

Money has a way of being both a blessing and a curse. However you look at it though, it is a necessity in life. There's not a lot out there that's free. It's a fact of life that you need money to buy the things you need to survive. The money left over after doing that is gravy.

So you're probably wondering which one marks success. The short answer is all of them. The more complicated answer is that it's different for everyone and you have to decide that for yourself. 

The wrong combination of these three can make you miserable. Lots of money with no family or friends gets pretty lonely. A big family with no friends or money can also be quite miserable. Fine tuning the mix that works for you will determine what success looks like for you. 

We have a wonderful family and lots of amazing friends. My wife started her business to help add a little something the the financial side of the picture for us. She did this because she loves her family. She continues to do it because her fellow It Works! friends are now like family. She also happens to love the products and truly enjoys sharing healthy living with others (new friends). The fact that it adds a bit of income to help out on the financial side is a bonus. 

The fact that she is able to do all this while still managing to be an incredible, loving mom and wife is amazing. If that's not success, I don't know what is. 

Start Somewhere

Low-Carb Diet...Weight Watchers...It Works...Jenny Craig...Nutrisystem...Grapefuit Diet...Isagenix...Detox Diets...Advocare...Flat Stomach Diet...Beachbody...Vegetarian..Plexus...Level...Beverly Hills Diet...Fit for Life Diet...

Is your head swimming? If I was someone embarking on a journey to better health I would look at all the options out there and probably give up before I ever started. I just went on Google and put in "weight loss options" and it shot out 28,400,000 choices. That, I believe, is the beauty and the curse of the internet. There is a flood of information at your fingertips, but an individual can easily become overwhelmed.

So, what is a person to do? Once again I'm no professional, but I honestly think that you have to do what works for YOU. Not what works for your friend, your favorite celebrity, or that cool fitness mom you are following on Instagram. Even with that being said, where does one start?

I consider myself lucky because I fell into the solution of what works for me before I even realized I needed a solution. Up until 3 years ago I considered myself to be a fairly healthy person. I had a fairly nutritious diet and I exercised multiple times a week. I knew I had about 10 pounds to go to get back to my pre-baby weight, but what I didn't realize, though, is how good I could actually feel. The only reason I realized that It Works! would be the solution for me was because a friend shared it with me. Just a few weeks in I knew this was the solution for me.

But what will work for you? I think a large part of figuring out where to start is analyzing not only the obstacles you have in reaching your health goals, but also your strengths and what will help you succeed. For instance, in a previous blog titled What's Your Obstacle? I listed my personal obstacles, and one of them was food in general. I LOVE food so I know I would never be able to do a diet that completely eliminated a food group or meals in general. Drinking shakes for every meal would not work for me. Balance is a word that often comes to mind when I think about my approach to nutrition.

By stumbling on a product called Greens I was able to combat several obstacles in one. Allow me to explain. Because it is packed with 34 fruits and veggies and 52 super foods in one serving, my body was finally getting what it needed. I was never able to afford all that nutrition on a budget before this. Now my body was alkalized and ph-balanced, so it cut my cravings (obstacle #1), increased my energy (obstacle #2) and decreased the severity of my headaches. The best part is it costs me only around $1.50 a day (obstacle #5). Does it replace a healthy diet and exercise? NO WAY!! It just greatly enhances my health journey. That is why this works for me.

Now in reference to strengths, while I LOVE food, I'm pretty good with portion control. I know that if I eat a lot I feel gross and lethargic. I didn't really need a plan to focus on portion control. Did I need something to cut the cravings of the food I did like? Yes, most definitely. Another strength is that I really enjoy exercising, and I know how it benefits me both physically and mentally. No one has to encourage me to get out there and do something.

In my unprofessional opinion you finally just need to start somewhere. I realize you are probably thinking that it is easy for me to say this because I sort of "fell" into what worked for me. Yet, with all things in life, you need to take that first step. I already mentioned taking note of your strengths and weaknesses, but think about WHY you want to change. Are you looking to lose weight? Gain energy? Need help bulking up? Looking for endurance help to run a long race? Do you just want to have a better quality of life? Everyone's goals differ, so in the same way not every plan will work for everyone.

Just start. Find your WHY. Write out your goals. Analyze your obstacles. Emphasize your strengths. Find a support system. Then just take your first step. You can do this.

Simply put...just start somewhere.

They are a big part of why my health is important to me. I want to have the energy and mental stamina to be there for them day in and day out. And, God-willing, someday be around to play with my grandchildren and take them on a bunch of fun adventures. :)