When I started my fitness journey in January 2021 (it’s October 2022 as I write this post), my main goal was to reduce my A1C levels and reverse my trend toward diabetes.
My mantra was this: “Do something everyday for the rest of your life. Don’t get injured. There’s no rush.”
As I lost the weight and moved from slow walks to walks peppered with short 30 second jogs and on and on, something besides getting my health back happened.
It only took about four months for me to reverse my blood sugar and other markers, but around 10-11 months in, something else started happening.
Around October, one of my sons started jogging the neighborhood.
My other son (they’re twins) asked me one night about what had been inspiring me to continue to stay consistent. “You’ve been doing good,” he said (or something along those lines).
My goal – to get my health in line – was one thing.
But a purpose started forming behind the goal.
I realized that my example was becoming much more powerful than anything I’d ever said.
In the back of my mind, there was always the thought that I wanted to be healthy and fit as my kids grew older and started having kids of their own.
But that October and November, about 10-11 months into my push, a new purpose started taking hold.
To be an example to my kids and anybody else who might be watching.
Today (again, as I write this), I ran a 5.5 trail race with my sons.
They’ve both started lifting weights nearly everyday. One of them is about 30 days into a 75 Hard.
My daughter, slightly different, has become extremely consistent in her daily practice for theater.
Every morning, i hear her upstairs doing vocal warmups, scales, and working on her songs.
I can talk about consistency and putting in the work all I want, but nothing beats actually showing and demonstrating constituency myself.
I’m by no means perfect. I have areas where I need to follow my fitness example (sales calls anyone?!?!).
But the purpose behind hitting any goals I have is less about me now.
The purpose is them. And anybody else who I have an outside chance of influencing.
