FINDING BALANCE

A few months back, I realized that my life was getting away from me. I was working crazy hours, not eating right, spending money on things I didn't need, and doing nothing to better myself. Somewhere around November of 2017, I knew I needed to make a change. I was scared to change everything at once so I started small. I started with going to bed earlier. Lately I had been falling asleep well after Midnight and waking up around six in the morning. Now I usually go to sleep around nine thirty (laugh all you want I am well rested) and wake up at five thirty to go to the gym. The gym was another thing I decided to do to get myself right. I had completely lost interest in running and thus stopped working out all together. I joined a CrossFit gym close to my house and never looked back. The workouts are mix of mental and physical fitness that push me further than I ever thought possible. My favorite thing about it though is the comradery. We are all going through it together and as a noob, I was welcomed with open arms. I knew that I had gotten stale professionally too. I took some time off in December to figure out what I could do to put out more of my own content and grow my personal brand. I had been building brands for clients for years, but building my own was foreign to me. There is an old saying that states “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” Well, I must have been ready because I received a random message on Instagram from my now Mentor and we began work right away. He pushed me to finish my website, start writing these blogs, and even believed in the podcast. In addition to all of this, I knew if I wanted to be better I had to work my mind. I started reading more switching between an industry related book and a book I wanted to read for fun. I’m using a meditation app to help my emotions stay in check and even began journaling to track the work I have been doing. It all sounds like so much, but the truth is I have more quality time now then I did before. I'm also more present in the moments I have. I'm no longer attached to my phone when I am out with my friends and family, and on the weekends I am able to unplug, except for a few dedicated times. It's amazing how much time is wasted when we “act” busy and how much more time we can have when we are disciplined. I'm far from saying I have found the perfect balance, but I can say that I have made great progress towards it. It was definitely a shock to my system in the beginning but as the weeks went on, it not only felt more natural but right. It felt as if what I was doing was making a difference in my life as well as the lives of those around me. I want to note that I am not doing this alone; my family, friends, gym mates, and mentor have made a huge impact on me. But I do want to recognize that the decision to change came from within. Recognizing that there was a problem and surrounding myself with people who were willing to help me, made all the difference.