The Front Office Challenge

This was typed at work today, but I never got a chance to post it in our blog!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

01:13:58 PM

Funny how things work.... just this morning, I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock for a good hour before I finally got out of bed.  Consequently, I was running late.  I got the kids dropped off, and got to work on time.  While driving to work, I couldn't help but think about how my old morning routine has been completely thrown off course over the last year.  Most of my life, I was always that person that always had a desire to be able to wake up at 5am to get a good workout in before work.  But I felt like I was never wired that way... I love my sleep and have never been good at getting out of bed in the morning.  I'm not exactly one of those people that can immediately open my eyes and spring out of bed the moment the alarm goes off.  OH how I wish I could!  Anyways, so when I started my Masters' program last year, I needed that extra hour in the morning to get my school work done.  Funny how work or school work can motivate me to get out of bed at 5am, but exercising does not.  I've noticed since the holidays that my alarm still goes off at 4:45, but I haven't been getting up any earlier than 5:30a on some days, and it's getting worse.  I've lost track of my purpose for getting up that early to begin with.  When I wasn't getting up to study, I was packing my bag, and heading to work early to go for a run.  It felt great!  Granted, with the dark winter mornings, this has not been happening.

So the concern I was feeling this morning was.... after wanting to be able to get up at 5am for so long, how to I get motivated to get my body clock back in gear, before I completely lose it!  I think I got my answer.  I was approached by my colleague, and she asked me to join a team for our "Front Office Challenge" here at work.  The Front Office Challenge is a fitness challenge, in which employees form teams to exercise, log their minutes, in an effort to "beat" the front office.  The Front Office is our facility's Executive team, including the hospital Director, Deputy Director, Chief of Staff, Nurse Executive, and a few other head honchos.  When my colleague first approached me, she asked, "Michelle, have you been exercising lately?" to which I answered, "no, I haven't found the time."  She convinced me to join, and I heard myself say, "this may be the motivation I need to get back in gear." 

What is it about being committed to others that helps us stay more motivated at exercising, eating well, and all other measures of being healthy?  Why is trying this on my own so much harder?  Shouldn't I, myself, be motivation enough???  Funny how things work....

mv/mc