Now What? Now that you have survived that first month with the kids away what do we do with the remaining hours in our day? Maybe you already have a plan. Maybe you are already passionate about something. Maybe, like me, you dabbled here and there and did things you liked when life allowed, but never really embraced something to the fullest.
Now is the time to figure that out! Find a new passion or expand your love of something you never really had time for because you had another focus. You are not loving your children less because now that they are gone you are deciding to do something for you.
What did I do? I will tell you now, it a common misconception that because I work in a gym that I have a lot of time to work out myself. Working at the gym is just that, work. I teach swim lessons (I absolutely love my littles!), but that doesn’t mean I have time to do laps in the pool. I work behind the scenes in the office, that doesn’t mean I work out on the gym floor or take a ton of classes. Did I consider myself a fit person? Kind of. Was I in descent shape? Yes, thanks to wonderful genetics. Could I do better? Hell Yes!
That is exactly what I started to do for myself. With the kids gone, I made a point to take a class here and there. Some I liked, some I didn’t. Some I really loved after I got over the fact that these swimmer hips don’t move to the beat like so many other women.
What made the difference after all these years? It makes a difference where you work out. I was a member of the gym before I started working there. I would drop the kids off, swim some laps, work a little upstairs with the equipment and then go home. Nobody seemed to care if I showed up with no make-up and bed head. They greeted me with the same smile and hello no matter what I looked like. I loved that there were people of all shapes, sizes, ages and stages working out. Find someplace that you enjoy. Try places out and if you don’t get the feel you are looking for, try somewhere else. Don’t be afraid to ask if they have a week try-out period. You can’t judge a gym by one class.
Go with a friend! Go to her gym or if you both don’t workout and want to try, go together. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Talk to the person next to you. Maybe they have a class they can suggest.
I’m lucky, I will admit that. I found my gym just down the road. I stayed at my gym because I loved the people there, staff and members alike. The people I have met have helped me find my new passions. Yoga and Running. I will share my yoga journey and running love/hate relationship with you another time.
Do you have to be like me, waiting until the kid are gone? Heck no! Start whenever you want. When the kids were at home and little I did genealogy. I had a computer, I had the time here and there and I had an interest in finding out where we came from. It kept my brain challenged and functioning while raising little boys.
FIND YOUR PASSION! It doesn’t have to be yoga, running or working out like me. Just go out there and try it. Quilting? Painting? Fashion? Give it a whirl! Whatever it is….embrace it! Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something either. You are never too young, too old, too thin, too heavy, not the right shape, size, color, gender, not rich enough or anything in between. Haters gonna hate. Use it instead to inspire and empower yourself and the people around you!
You can do it!
