Are you waiting for your wake-up call?

I should have kept up with strength training.
I should not have started that race. 
I should have done a better job fueling my workouts.
I should have stayed more committed to my training. 
I should have taken my recovery days seriously.
I should have listened to my coach. 
I should have listened to my body. 
I should not have completed (or started) that workout. 

As a human being, it's perfectly normal to have a few "should have, would have, could have" moments in life. Regretting a decision that you made and wishing that you could go back in time for a different outcome is simply part of living and learning. As an athlete, you are constantly making decisions to help you gain fitness - some decisions work and some decisions, well, you learn from. You can't stretch your abilities from staying within your comfort zone - you have to take some risks.  Although some decisions are just plain silly (ex. testing out a run even though you have been diagnosed with a stress fracture), often times, you simply do the best that you can do, with the knowledge that you have to make the best decision possible at the time, under your unique circumstances. 

As it relates to a wake-up call, this is much different than a "should have" one-time decision.

A wake-up call can be an aha or scary moment that initiates a change in priority, behavior or action. 

As an example, if your diet reflects the typical Western diet of processed food, fast food and overeating, your wake-up call may be extreme damage to your gut health, affecting everything from your immune system and energy levels to your physical and mental health. Your wake-up call gave you a fire in your belly (literally) to make some extreme changes in your diet to improve your gut health through a more real food diet, making an effort to cook more, eat out less and pay attention to everything that goes into your body. Certainly, this is just one of many different examples but I notice that many people don't change eating habits until things become "really bad."

Because wake-up calls occur all the time, here's a good chance that you have been inspired by the person who has had a serious wake-up call. Whether it's diet, illness, lifestyle, career, relationship, traveling abroad - one small (or big) thing can completely change the way that you go about living life....in an instant! Think about it - you live a life of monotony, making the same decisions over and over until suddenly, something major/bad happens which rattles your lifestyle and suddenly, you have the motivation and desire to make a major shift in how you go about living your life. 

Is there something in your life that you think/know you should change?
What's keeping you from making that change?
Is something in your life affecting you in a negative way?
Why aren't you making a change to live a more positive life?

As an example, if your health, body composition, mindset, diet or exercise regime is failing you, don't wait for a the right time or a wake-up call to change the way that you go about your choices. Small, subtle changes can have positive cumulative effects on your quality of life. If your body is giving you a warning signal, don't ignore it. Take charge, make a change, take care of yourself and start living!

While you may look back on your life and wish that you would have done a few things differently (hey, we all make mistakes), don't live a life where you look back and wish you would have made better decisions/choices when you had the chance. 

Waiting for your wake up call

Athletes are all too familiar with wake-up calls. Waiting until things happen and then wishing they would have started doing things earlier. Injured? Perhaps you said I should have been better with strength training, I should not have pushed through that workout and I need to be stretching. Burnout? Perhaps you said you knew you should have rested when you kept pushing through. Not at your racing fitness? Perhaps you wish you would have made slow progress earlier in the year than trying to make everything happen in the last few weeks of training. 

As humans, I feel it is perfectly normal to use wake-up calls appropriately for we all need a little kick in the butt to remind us that life has meaning and we need to appreciate it to the fullest.  For the 20+ year smoker has been known to quickly stop smoking when he/she finds out he has cancer and the individual who thought that diet and exercise didn't matter may feel instantly motivated to change habits after learning that his/her current state of health is at a result of not focusing on lifestyle habits earlier in life. Most people find it easy to change their lifestyle when they are given a wake-up call...but why wait? 

Everyday you are forced to answer hard questions with your lifestyle choices. Perhaps everyone is doing it so you want to fit in. Maybe your standards are lowered because of lack of confidence. Or maybe you are excusing your behavior because you just don't feel you deserve any  better. Maybe you feel great and you love the way you are living life.

 Life is hard because many times we feel fine and have no reason to change, to think or to act differently. But when we ignore many things for too long, it only takes one quick wake-up call to recognize all those former positive thoughts that could have made an impact on how you are living today.

There are no guarantees in life. We often receive wake up calls because we are being given another chance. The call is not typically welcomed and many times, it keeps us from living the life we had been enjoying. But if you do a little searching, there are many times when wake-up calls are given to you as a learning experience and not as a punishment for your previous actions or thoughts.  Sadly, sometimes you aren't given a wake-up.

 Wake up calls require you to rethink your priorities and that is something that you can do now, tomorrow and everyday. Whether or not you have been given a wake-up call in the recent months, don't wait for your first one or another.

Remind yourself as to what is important to you in life. Crossing a finishing line, traveling the world, being successful at work, being a role model for your family, keeping your body in optimal health, sharing love and education with others. Many times it doesn't involve a number on a scale, a size of clothing or a 'fast' racing time or place. Eager to be perfect or to do well at everything, many choices are often extreme or goals are often pushed off due to difficulty.

Your body is there to take care of you for the rest of your life. Subtle changes have cumulative effects on your quality of life. If your body is giving you a warning signal, if you feel like you are waiting for the right moment to start or if you feel like all is wrong in your days....at least you have days to make things happen.

Start now, don't wait and enjoy the journey of life. Don't wait for the worst to make things better now.