We all fall down. We all have a set back or two throughout our life. We can all get stuck.

I think at one point or another in life we look at other people and have this voice in our head that says, “Boy, that person really has it all figured out!” all the while we are struggling to find the perfect balance between work, life and happiness. Sometimes we even wish we could trade places with that person. The more I talk with family friends and co-workers, specifically about overall happiness, the more I believe we are all trying our best to make sense of this life we were blessed with regardless of background or social status.

In my initial video I mentioned that since early January I had minimized my anxiety and stress to literally zero while feeling more positive, energetic and focused. I felt like I had more energy than I did in college. I had a very structured morning routine and set of daily goals I made for myself which over the course of a year I implemented and made into my daily habits. I believe these consistent daily habits over time led to this new mindset and helped me get into the best physical shape of my life, especially after being overweight for the better part of 20 years. It was to the point where I felt like Superman. It’s like I found the secret formula to life and happiness. Wouldn’t that be great!? Although that may not be the case, a recent set back along my journey does give me reason to believe I was on the right path.

This set back or what I like to call my “Kryptonite” was, and is … the snooze button! By hitting the snooze button I deviating from my morning routine. I had been getting up at 4am for over a year so for me, even though I set my alarm, waking up at 4am was almost automatic. My early morning routine allowed me to get a head-start on the morning without interfering or taking time away from my family. Most of my important routines or habits for the day were completed before I would head into work, or at least the ones that kept me at my Optimum Balance.

One morning I decided to sleep in a bit longer, which didn’t seem to affect me. That is until one morning turned into two, two to three and so on. Soon after, hitting the snooze button became my new habit. Being a father of 3 young children and working full time doesn’t really allow me time throughout my day to accomplish these daily goals. I thought it was a switch I could just turn on and off. I told myself, “Okay tomorrow I’m definitely going to get up.” But easier said than done, right? I forgot how difficult it could be to change a bad habit.

Stress and anxiety crept back in. I found myself chasing the day, trying to find pockets of time to complete my “good” habits. My weight started to increase as I began to eat more. I got stuck and found myself unable to focus at work. At home I wasn’t present with my wife or kids. I was frustrated about being frustrated. I had things to get done but didn’t know what order to do them. I let my mind drift to the past, dwelling on the loss of my father or thinking and stressing about the future. Going through the loss of my father is the hardest thing in my life I’ve had to overcome. This includes being bullied in middle school, a serious case of acne, and losing the tip of my finger after it was crushed on a drill press at work. A machine I wasn’t trained to use, but the manager insisted I leave my assembly position for the day to use the drill press to meet a customer deadline in the absence of two of the machinist. Oh, and did I mention the machine was jerry-rigged with a foot pedal and the safety precautions taken off. Of course this was illegal but I was 19 at the time and didn’t know any better. Perhaps a story for a later post.

So how do I turn this around? I know what I have to do, I just did it for the past year, I just need to do it, but how? Fortunately I came across this incredible interview by Tom Bilyeu of Impact Theory. His guest Ed Mylett, one of the youngest CEO MD’s in World Financial Group’s history, talks about a similar morning routine and the purpose behind it. This made me reflect on my original “purpose” over a year ago or my “why” for getting in shape and starting this blog a few months ago … My kids!

My urgency to take back my morning became even more heighten after listening to this emotional and impactful portion of the interview, especially being a father of a young daughter.

I’ll give you a few minutes to watch …

… That is all the motivation I needed.

There is no escaping death. The bell will toll for all of us someday and although my kids will have to go through my passing, I need to make sure I do everything I can to push that date out as far as I can, under what I can control. My morning routine being one.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said,

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

Here I thought I had arrived at my destination, by achieving my weight loss goal, but now realize this life I was blessed with is truly a journey of ebbs and flows. The best thing I can do for myself and my family is to live in the present and be grateful for the love and support of my family and friends.

Godspeed!
Joey B.

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