At the end of 2018, I completed a half marathon in Las Vegas. With my spirits high and the adrenaline of a successful race still in the forefront of my mind, I set more running goals for the next year. Unfortunately, just as I had embarked on another training program, an injury kept me from most fitness activities until April.
SVD

As the years go by, I think of the activities I want and need to do to keep myself in reasonable shape. I have a lot of great ideas:

  • Yoga and meditation
  • Cold therapy
  • Strength training
  • Swimming
  • Biking
  • Running

Since 2019 began with me nursing an injury, the greatest challenges I have found with the execution of these fitness ideas comes down to two factors: prioritizing time and managing injuries. Patience and time have been the only solution to my injuries, so my bigger challenge is time management.

I read an article several years ago that said you can only do three of the following five things well at a time:

  • Work
  • Sleep
  • Family
  • Fitness
  • Friends

Fitness was one of the items that has suffered in 2019. Even though my fitness goals have not been met this year, I have kept some small fitness habits going. As I continue to recover, I remind myself each day that if I can improve in my fitness goals by 1% today, it’s better than declining by 1%.

Declining by 1% ultimately leads to zero which is not a place I want to be with my health. By setting my fitness goal to a 1% improvement, I am able to keep the habit of fitness as part of my life. Some examples of my 1% in 2019 include stretching for 20 minutes, driving to a meeting early so I can spend 10 minutes in the car listening to a meditation app, or going for a 25-minute jog.

Even though I am not where I hoped to be with my 2019 fitness goals, I have taken steps to keep the habits I need in place. That means when I am healthy, I can move my fitness goals back into my top three priorities because I have the foundation in place.

For 2019, my challenge to you is to think about what your 1% is to keep health and fitness a part of your life.