So I’ve been researching how to be more productive and effective in my daily life.  I have downloaded new apps, synced devices and mopped my floor. Random. I know but it’s all true.  Thing is that I have, or had a routine that worked. I worked out every morning at 5am for 1 hr. I ate a light breakfast, showered and hopped back into the bed for an hour or so. Wake up, meditate and then map out my day. (all this before 8am) Oh and I don’t talk with anyone before 8am. I was dropping pounds and inches, full of energy and organized.  then…

I stopped.

No reason really. I just did. I decided I wanted to read more and the 5am workouts became unfocused and random. So I stopped going.  I read books voraciously and meditation wavered. Then I began accepting calls from a few select people before 8am. Slowly but surely I drifted away from my morning ritual.  I gained the 10 lbs back that I had dropped and clothes fit more tightly again.  The one thing that had me solid and grounded for the remainder of my day, my morning ritual.  I found myself downloading apps and reading random articles. I stared out the window more and made purchases that served temporary satisfactions.

I was off…wayy  off.

It’s amazing how we are onto something that is working and we will stop for no reason at all.  Well sometimes our schedules get jacked up or someone bogards their way into our lives and we give in to the distractions. Look up and you are on a whole nutha block away from the path you were on.  HOW???? WHY???  DAMN.

Well no sense in crying (well not too long anyway)

1. Recognize that you are way off track
   1. take some time to determine what threw you off? (emotions, someone else, plateau etc)
2. Decide if you really want to get back on track
   1. This new track will not be the same as the old one. Your untamed ego will not allow that at all. BORING is what it will scream. or “that didn’t work last time etc etc”
   2. Have your goals changed? is that why you fell off of whatever you were on?  Were your reasons “why” not strong enough?  Decisions are not easy, they require us to look at ourselves and ask the hard questions.
3. Map out a new plan
   1. perhaps you’ve learned some new exercises, meal prep or productivity tools.  Your life schedule may not permit the 5am workout anymore (daylight savings time throws me off every time)  Have your finances changed? Romance? new obligations?
4. Set your goal and commit to it.
   1. Setting a goal requires decision decision decision. DECIDE what you want to do. Decide when you want to accomplish it and then subtract 2 (2 months, or 2 weeks or 2 days or heck 2 hours depending on what it is)  Ex: You want to drop 20 lbs in 6 months.  Cut that down to 4 mths and make it happen.  Challenge yourself.
   2. Commit. Yes that word. WE all cringe a little whether we want to admit it or now.  IF I commit i might miss out on …NOTHING. focus PEOPLE!!!  commit to your goal, smash it and then move on to whatever you swore you’d be missing out on.
5. Celebrate – don’t forget to pause and celebrate your accomplishment. A real friend will celebrate with or for you but if you don’t have one of those…be your own!  And celebrating doesn’t always have to mean spending money. Get creative about how you show yourself appreciation.  Paint your own toes, do your own hair, fix that special meal for yourself the way YOU REALLY LIKE IT.

Distractions happen to the best of us. The key is to STOP when you realize you are off track and do something about it.  Otherwise you’ll look up and sooo much time will have gone by and you won’t have anything or anyone to blame but yourself.

Oh and me.  what have I done to get back on track?  I made myself walk 5.5 miles this morning. I have returned to not answering calls before 8am and I kept the app I downloaded for meditating.  I’m working on the rest of things.