Yes, I'm a little bit pudgy, but that's not really what I'm talking about today. What I mean by getting a little bit soft around the middle has more to do with losing stamina and general malaise than being portly.
Yesterday was my Grandma Swift's 92nd birthday. An incredible woman, who has accomplished so much in her lifetime! Most of it stems from her mantra, "Get up, get dressed, and get your shoes on!" It sounds simple enough, but how often do we lay back, relax, and go barefoot? We tell ourselves that we've worked hard during the day or week and so have earned some rest on the nights and weekends. But in reality, we're doing ourselves a huge disservice.
Have you ever noticed that the busiest people seem to do so much more? I know that sounds silly, but what I mean is that people who tackle more and more agenda items in a day seem to accomplish more and more outside of work too. I find myself trying to clear off my calendar, not plan things too much, and generally just go with the flow. But then I find myself on Saturday mornings (or afternoons) still in my pajamas with little to show for the time I've been wasting. Now, there are extremes... I know people who can't even get away from work when on vacation in foreign countries, but this is more about getting active, being more present, and experiencing more of what life has to offer.
I don't want to be "that guy" who is always declining fun and excitement anymore. I want to have activities planned, be a little busier, and make the most of each day. Then maybe I'll accomplish more. We've charted a "one-thing-a-day" tack for a few years and I think it's made us unable to have the stamina to accomplish more than one thing in a day. Of course, some of this comes to discipline (and y'all know I'm not the disciplined type) but still I think it comes down to planning and follow-through.
So, it's time to work the "core" of my calendar and start stretching myself a little more. Maybe setting the alarm on the weekends instead of waiting for Phineas to "cock-a-doodle-doo" us awake is a start.
As my grandma always said, "Get up, get dressed, and get your shoes on" - that's a sure fire way to keep yourself from getting too soft in the middle!
