I was talking to a client the other day who graciously expressed, “I love watching your Instagram, it’s nice to see how hard you work in the gym and then also go on and have a good time on the weekends. I’ve always struggled with that kind of balance.”
I had to laugh a little bit because sometimes when it’s Sunday and I look at my story from Saturday and it’s me with my buddies (a few drinks in) dancing & rapping to Post Malone, my instinct is to click DELETE. However, he brings up a solid point about his experience of what he’s seeing.
There’s a younger version of me that used to get so angry about my choices: because it was either stick to the diet plan or go out and have a good time. But those were my choices, a miserable dichotomy, because I decided they were my choices. I was the one making my fitness goals the enemy of enjoying my social life.
It’s a tough thing us fit folks struggle with, especially because we don’t want to feel like we spend 2 days erasing all the hard work we did for the previous five. But, there’s a larger idea here: what is the fit body and fit life even worth if you can’t go out, let loose every once in awhile and have some pizza? Why strive so hard for a six pack so you can sit home and stare at it in the mirror while your friends are at the beach having a margarita?
So what’s the secret? Is it counting calories? Is it making sure you have enough room on Saturday – and then getting back on the diet Sunday? Do you lift Friday?
The secret is much simpler than that: deciding with intent that you’re going to have a balanced weekend and enjoy yourself. Sure that may mean a heavy lift or session on Saturday afternoon, but it’s with the intent of enjoying that to the fullest so you can enjoy the rest of your day to the fullest.
Forget making lists and stressing about the details, what if you just decided – “My life is balanced and I love having the freedom to choose what I want to do this weekend.” If you make an agreement with yourself to enjoy & not feel guilty – then you can fully enjoy all the excitement, anticipation and spontaneity the night can bring you. And it can help you work in the idea of moderation since you’re not resisting your temptations. Chances are, because you’re coming from a grounded place, you’re going to have a more moderate approach to what you get into – no binge drinking or eating. Because, what is it you want to do immediately to do when someone tells you not to do something?
In closing, by allowing yourself the freedom of enjoyment – you’re giving yourself an opportunity to find balance that is judgement-free and from a place of command and strength.
It’s your life, live in to the fullest. That’s why we say train bold and live wild at RoxFire. Living wild means you’re in command and making the choices you want to make from a place of empowerment. So go on, choose balance and trust yourself.