When it comes to exercise, we all have that little voice in our head that we have to get past in order to get something accomplished, or a goal met. That little voice is our self-doubt, or another way of us coming up with an excuse to not do the exercise. “It is too cold outside”; “I am tired”; “I am too busy”; “I am sore”; “Maybe tomorrow”; “I need new shoes before I can do that”; and on and on it goes. Ignore all that self-doubt and get moving.
It is there. Sometimes it may be hiding, or that voice, or force, is very quiet. But it is there! You need to listen to it and “goal” for it.
That little force, or voice, may actually be your spouse in disguise (or friend, training partner, pet, etc), It can be anybody who will, or can, help you get out the door and move. Take advantage of that help!
Yesterday a group of us met at 7AM, on a Saturday morning, and went out and ran 9 miles. By ourselves, several of us probably would not have done that, or for the others who may have, certainly would not have been as enjoyable, or as easy to do, on our own. We all push each other. We spend the whole time talking, just like we do on our run club mornings on Sundays. It is easier to get out of bed when someone else is counting on you as well.
Nowhere is this truer than in South Dakota. 3 weeks ago, we had a weekend in the upper 60’s, and then Winter came back. And the bad part of all of this is it is not done yet! Get out and get moving!
Repeat this again…and again if you need to, or as many times as it takes for it to sink in. You are in charge. Listen to that voice in your head telling you to get moving. That voice telling you that yes it may be tough, but after all is said and done, it will be worth it. A lot of the times if I put something off until later, something else comes up, and now I am trying to cram some type of activity in, and now it is a chore. Or for many of us, that activity just does not get done at all!
If you don’t learn how to push through it, you will never push past it. Listen to the positive points of that little voice in your head. And no, you don’t need medications because you are hearing things! Be positive. Be active. And remember, make it fun. Keep moving everybody!
After exercising on Wednesday this last week, it marked the completion of 3 years in a row of exercising without missing a day. Far from the almost 12 years I had prior to my health issues, but…I am back at it. I may be slower. I may get more tired sooner. But I am out there still doing it. It just makes me feel better when I can get out and move! I have said for years that we all need to have a goal, and have challenges in our life. Those challenges can be both good and bad. I guess I have also realized that turning those bad ones into good ones are what separate us. You can learn from them and get even better. No where is this more true when it comes to the mental aspect of staying consistent, and persistent. Attitude is key. I for one always have to keep reminding myself on the attitude aspect of it. It is easy to get down and feel sorry for yourself. Nobody is going to change it for you. Work at it.
You choose what kind of change you want it to be. Change never comes about without work. You don’t always know what you are made of until those true challenges come about.
You dig deep and you stay focused. And remember, keep coming up with ways to make it fun. If you don’t make working out fun, it will always be a chore, and something you dread. You won’t stay with it very long then either. We were made to move, so MOVE!
Those challenges, and days when it gets tough, can be just like the weather we had Saturday morning. Foggy, not able to see things clearly. But, if you look closely, you can see things shining through. Those “shining” times are make it all worthwhile. Keep looking. Some days those shining moments stay hidden. They are still there. You still woke up that morning to take on a new day. Appreciate it and get ready to take it on. What will life throw at me today? Will it bring something new to me? Will a bring a new challenge? A challenge that may be good or bad? We don’t know. I don’t know. But that also is what brings some excitement and anticipation into things. Look forward to it instead of coming up with things to avoid it or dread it.
And don’t forget to spend time working on those challenges with the ones closest to you. Sarah has always been there for me. I may be the one keeping track all of the time of my consecutive days, but she exercises all of the time too. I don’t know how many days she has exercised every day. For all I know she could have a longer streak than me! Going out and taking pictures helps clear my mind, and it allows me to focus on all of those other things in my life. This next picture sums it up pretty good. It was taking one day this last week.
Keep working on things. Keep challenging yourself. And then put an exclamation point to it like you mean it! How fitting does this picture say it? I did not even realize that it looked like this at the time until I was going over my pictures later. Perfect summary! I will keep working on my streak. What can I say…that is what I do! Make one of your own or get ready to start one. Keep moving everybody!
Ever had those moments when you seem like you are just working like crazy, yet you don’t seem to be making much progress? Or times when you have a goal you want to achieve and you keep putting more effort into it, only to fall short of that goal, or not even come close to completing it? There is no question the things in life we want we have to work hard at it. But there comes a point of diminishing return where you put too much effort into it, or work too hard for something, or for achieving a goal, only to have the results be even worse than you would have imagined. I will use me for an example. My goal has always been to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have run a marathon now 17 times and have yet to achieve it. Those days now may also be behind me. But I thought that if I worked even harder, ran more miles, put in speed workouts, got up earlier to get going at it, that I would be able to do it. Somewhere in all of this sleep was sacrificed, or my body just said “enough”, and it could not keep going. Not only on some of those marathons did I not come close to a Boston qualifying time, I did worse that I had ever done before. This is where I say “More is Less”, and sometimes we have to figure out that “Less is More” may actually work better. Maybe working harder is not the answer, but working smarter! That may just be the key to everything in life. Work smarter, and those goals or dreams may actually have a chance of achieving reality more.
We all need to learn how to take a break. Whether that break is from exercise, our diet at times, or work. Sometimes we just need to listen to our body and take a break. I still exercise every day, but my recovery days are walking. I will admit this Winter I have done more walking than running, and that is ok. I did a marathon in September, and I think my body just said, “slow down”. How busy things have been the last 6 months (if not the last 2 years!) at the clinic also had something to do with it. I could go out and walk, and relax and unwind, but I did not have the energy to run. We finally took a break and traveled to Alaska a week ago. First time flying since Covid. Boy was it worth it. Perfect example of “Less is More”. Take it easy. Go hiking. Unwind. Get away from the grind of medicine. I got to spend quality time with Sarah. By doing “less” of our usual routine, it returned “more” energy and enthusiasm to come back and go at it again.
We still exercised every day, but it was different activity, and different scenery. We got to spend time together, and not at work.
That is why these last few years I have really gotten interested in pictures, especially sunrise and sunsets. “Less” pressure, “more” relaxation. “Less” stress, “more” fun! I am slowing down enough to enjoy the little things in life, only to realize the little things in life are the important things. We could all learn more on how to do this.
This double rainbow shot was from a few nights ago. I got poured on taking this picture. I had already been out to take some pictures, when it started raining, and then the sunset broke through the clouds, and this showed up. If I had not already been out there, I would have missed it. Taking “more” time to get away and unwind, and creating “less” stress, and “more” enjoyment in life.
My daughter and son-in-law came last weekend for a visit with our grandson Connor. Just getting back we had a ton of things to catch up on, but it could wait. I am not ever going to pass up time with them. I am totally loving this “grandpa” title. Spending “more” time with him makes it easy to have “less” stress and having “less” stress makes for “more” fun! It is impossible not to be laughing and smiling around him. Take a lesson from our grandkids. Slow down. Enjoy life! “More is less, and less is more!” Keep moving everybody and learn to slow down and enjoy the ride. It really does go fast!
Who would have thought Alaska in the wintertime would be fun? The scenery was great. Lots of hiking! We went to a Family Medicine conference for part of it, as Sarah and I were speaking at it. But then the rest was vacation. Hiking every day. Lots of things to see. Here is some of the views we got to encounter while out hiking.
There were lots of wildlife to see as well. Lots of eagles, and moose!
We even came across a bear!
OK, so the bear was not real! I was ok with that. But the scenery was truly amazing.
There was always something different to see out on the trails.
Some days were cloudy, others sunny. The day before we came, they had 5 inches of new snow, and the trees looked really cool.
If you have never been to Alaska, you really are missing out. Whether winter or summer, there is always something to view. The hiking and wildlife were amazing. Sunrise and sunsets were also amazing. Put Alaska on your bucket list if you have never been there. It was well worth the trip. Alaska is so big we only saw a fraction of what is available. It was also nice to get back home and see almost all of our snow gone! It is time for Spring! Keep moving everybody!
The next in the series of “Purpose in Life”. Again, what would you want to be remembered for, and what is/was your purpose in life? For me, and Sarah, a big purpose has been being a doctor. There is nothing more rewarding when trying to help people, especially when it comes to health. But there also can be times when nothing could be more devastating as well. You take care of people the best you can, and do everything you can to help them, and sometimes it just does not make any difference. We have no control over that. I wish we did! We are both in year 28 of practicing in Watertown, and no day is ever the same. Sometimes, you just have to go back to when the process all started and remember what you went into medicine for in the first place.
This picture was taken at the end of my second year of medical school. We had to take a series of Board exams to keep moving on in school. Part One was the worst! The hardest part about medicine was the volume! I thought undergraduate college was intense, but it was nothing compared to medical school. Nothing out there could ever prepare you for the time you had to put in. The first two years were consumed with all of the basic sciences. It was the foundation for going into our clinical years. There is no question the importance of this, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine the volume. This picture has me with the “important notes” and review manuals preparing for that Board exam. It either made you or broke you! But medicine involves lifelong learning. Medicine changes so fast it is incredible. You always have to keep learning.
This is the material 2 years ago getting ready for my re-certification Boards for Sports Medicine. We are seeing patients every day, and continuously learning as well. The volume can still be overwhelming. But you also have to practice what you preach when it comes to healthy living as well.
This is Sarah and I running the Halloween 5k during residency. I have to say, we look exhausted. It was not because it was a 5k, but it was during residency. Now we are doing more training/running.
I have always said, you can’t tell your patients to work out, and exercise, and watch your diet if you don’t do the same thing. That is another thing I want to be remembered for–walk the talk! Lead by example. You have more credibility when counseling patients about what they need to do when you are doing it yourself!
This is where I need to stop and think about things now. Everything going on the last 2 years has really been a struggle. You bust your butt to do what you can and wonder if it really makes a difference.
We did not create this pandemic, we are just trying to help where we can, and continue to do what we do, regardless of how some of the days go, or who is taking their frustrations out on you. Everybody is frustrated. We can’t wait for all of this to be gone too. We were trained to take care of sick people, but not to take the abuse that health care personnel have been taking the last several years. It has made the decisions for some people to quit, or retire early, a very easy decision. You can only do so much.
I just have to keep reminding myself that Success as a physician is truly a journey, not a destination, and for sure, not a final destination. I/we are going to keep doing what we can do, and help where we can, and hopefully we can say when all is said and done, we did the best we could. The best we could–always!
Especially as a Family Physician, we emphasize treatment of the patient with the health issue, or disease, not just the disease. We are all human, and we can have some very major health issues, and we can’t always “cure” them, but we can certainly help them deal with it the best they can as well.
This is hopefully what my true purpose in life was meant to be. Make a difference! Help others feel like they make a difference. Because–bottom line–we all make a difference. Live the best life you can. Learn to go with the flow. Expect setbacks and learn how to make the best of them. Ask yourself when you have health issues, “what is it this problem is trying to teach me?”. How is this not only going to help yourself, but others? I thought I had a lot of empathy prior to my health issues 3 years ago, but no question it helped teach me how to have even more empathy. What do we learn from those experiences, and how do we make things better for someone else? Figure out your purpose in life! Keep moving everybody!
