I’m Not Starting Over — I’m Starting Back

Have you ever had one of those seasons when your normal routine just completely disappeared?

That has pretty much been my life lately.

We moved.

And because apparently we thought the “do-it-yourself” approach sounded like a great idea, there was packing, lifting, loading, driving for three days, unloading, unpacking—and living out of suitcases for almost three weeks.

Let me tell you, nothing says wellness routine quite like trying to remember which box contains your shoes.

My normal schedule went right out the window.

We were eating out much more than usual. There were cocktails. There were days without scheduled exercise. Sleep wasn't always great. Stress was definitely higher.

And yes, I was moving—a LOT.

But there's a difference between movement and training.

Lifting boxes, carrying furniture, climbing stairs and spending hours unpacking are certainly physical activities. My body can confirm that!

But random physical exhaustion isn't the same thing as purposeful exercise.

And eventually, I could feel the difference.

When Life Gets in the Way

Here's the thing: this is life.

We can create wonderful routines around exercise, nutrition, sleep, hydration and stress management—and then life comes along and says, “That's cute. Here's a moving truck.”

Maybe for you it isn't moving.

Maybe you've been traveling. Maybe work has been demanding. Maybe you've been helping your family. Maybe you've had visitors, taken a vacation or simply had a few weeks when your normal routine wasn't possible.

And suddenly you realize:

I've gotten off track.

That's where we have a choice.

We can beat ourselves up about everything we haven't done.

Or we can start walking back.

I'm choosing the walk back.

Start Somewhere

One of the biggest mistakes we make when we've gotten away from our routines is believing we have to fix everything at once.

We don't.

You don't need to wait until Monday.

You don't need a detox.

You don't need to punish yourself with a two-hour workout because you missed a few days.

And you don't need to undo three weeks in three days.

Just start somewhere.

Drink more water today.

Take a walk.

Put some protein and vegetables on your plate.

Pick up the weights again.

Go to bed a little earlier.

Make one choice that feels like you are taking care of yourself again.

For me, today is my start back.

Not because everything is unpacked or life has suddenly become perfectly organized.

I'm starting back because I decided today is the day.

Self-Care Is Part of the Walk Back

I'm also reminding myself that getting back to wellness isn't only about exercise and nutrition.

Recovery matters too.

After weeks of packing, lifting, driving, unpacking and managing the stress that comes with a major life change, sometimes our bodies need care—not another demand.

So schedule the massage.

Get the facial.

Have the manicure or pedicure.

Take a long bath.

Read the book.

Sit outside with your coffee.

Stretch.

Take an easy walk without worrying about your pace or how many calories you're burning.

Whatever self-care looks like for you, allow yourself to do it.

Taking care of yourself isn't something you have to earn after you've finished taking care of everything and everyone else.

It's part of your health.

I'm Not Starting Over

This may be the biggest lesson I've taken from the last few weeks:

I'm not starting over. I'm starting back.

There's a big difference.

Starting over implies everything we did before somehow disappeared.

It didn't.

The strength we built matters.

The habits we established matter.

The lessons we've learned about our bodies matter.

A few weeks of restaurant meals, cocktails, missed workouts and disrupted sleep don't erase years of taking care of ourselves.

We simply return to the things we know help us feel better.

One meal.

One walk.

One workout.

One good night's sleep.

One act of self-care.

Then we do another tomorrow.

Aging Is Direction

This experience has also reminded me why the phrase Aging Is Direction means so much to me.

We're all aging.

We don't get a vote on that part.

But we do have some influence over the direction we're traveling.

And that direction isn't determined by one perfect day—or one imperfect month.

It's shaped by the choices we continue making over time.

That's also why I say we're training for life.

We're not training just to look a certain way or reach a number on the scale.

We're building strength, endurance, balance, mobility and resilience so we can live our lives.

And sometimes life means hiking, traveling and playing with the grandkids.

Sometimes it means carrying groceries or getting ourselves up from the floor.

And apparently, sometimes it means carrying moving boxes and living out of a suitcase for three weeks!

Train for Life is how we prepare.
Aging Is Direction is how we choose where we're going.

So if you've gotten off track lately, maybe you don't need a big restart either.

Maybe you just need to choose your direction again.

Don't wait for Monday.

Don't wait until next month.

Don't wait until everything calms down.

Pick one thing you can do for yourself today.

Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can say is:

Today is my start back.

And that's exactly where I'm starting. I decided to include it in my YouTube Channel - Cathy Clements - Train For Life - for follow my story there!