The Back to School Promise

Summer is coming to an end for parents of kids in school still!

Crazy how slow it goes while you’re in it, and how fast it was looking back on it.

This summer for us was epic. Exhausting. Wonderful. Expensive! Yikes!

 

 

How was your summer? Most likely it was similar to mine: 

• You still worked, but you also found time to be with family, with it being the longest time of year the kids are around with such abundance; 

 

• Your sleep schedule fell off pretty quickly, late nights became the norm, early mornings compromised since kids didn’t need to catch a bus; 

 

• Workouts were less than normal, as you were outside, running around anyway, and hitting the gym became a negotiation between “me time” and “family time”; 

 

• Eating foods you enjoy at BBQ’s, 4th of July celebrations that last a month long, and gatherings with family and friends made sticking to the diet/lifestyle you worked on since January impossible;

 

• You thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace, time off work, vacations and moments together, and most likely faced some challenges along the way that disrupted plans. 

 

Summer is like that. It is awesome, and also zips by way too quickly. 

Suddenly, the school year beckons and it is time to regroup, restart the schedule, and recommit to best practices moving forward. 

This is the time of year that we probably don’t want to look at our promises…just like January, it can be intimidating and feel like we need to repent of all the bad things we’ve done.

First of all, with the many ways in which you’ve let slip in terms of your fitness, health habits, sleep, and even work, it’s important to not feel too guilty about it. 

Just be grateful you had the time to change things up, as the important part is to not wallow in time and effort lost but rather starting again today to make the future the way you want it.  

Secondly, look at the photos and videos on your phone from the summer fun. Feel gratitude for your life, whether all things were perfect or there were some hiccups along the way. 

As I’m viewing what we packed into 2 short months it is astounding really. I still worked, a lot, but got in all the family time possible, and didn’t miss a thing. it’s fun to look back on all of that vacation-type time.

We had many adventures, the best one was visiting Ella in Alaska, where she has been living for the summer in Juneau, what a magical place. It is so cool to look back on those photos and videos.

 

 

Quite the contrast from 2022.

At this time 4 years ago, I was recovering from a leg injury that derailed my summer in late July, followed by surgery, and a major change in plans. I looked at the summer in photos from before the accident, and wow, it was awesome. 

Until I ruined my leg. 

But even then, I saw the love from family, friends, strangers who came to my rescue, and felt gratitude…while laying in bed recovering. 

View the challenges you have faced as resilience training for getting through the hard parts life throws at you. 

Third, make a NEW Promise. 

Everything shouldn’t be a promise, but the right things should be. Set some goals, make the most important goals the promises that are non-negotiable. 

For example: 

Set a GOAL to get to the gym or workout every day. 

Make a PROMISE to move every day no matter what. 

There’s a difference there. 

Truth is: You may or may not hit that goal every time, but you can always Keep The Promise.

It means that if the gym eludes you due to your schedule, and a full workout isn’t possible, at least park the car a little further away at the grocery store to walk a bit more that day, and find any way to fit in some movement. 

That’s a Promise you can keep and feel great about. 

The same is true with eating better, sleeping more scheduled, getting back on the right track. 

One of my promises to myself is working on sleep, which is something I haven’t focused on my entire life. It just hasn’t been a priority. That has caught up with me. I am now incapable of getting a naturally good night’s sleep. 

Whereas my wife is a professional sleeper. It is astounding how good she is at it. She wakes up every morning completely refreshed. I have never woken up and felt like I slept a full night. I have a lot of work to do. 

Some of the changes are as follows: 

• Going to bed earlier (I have gone to bed around 1 AM or later for 30 years)

• No phone for an hour before bed 
• No TV or visual distractions before bed 
• No emails, social media, texts, or potentially bothersome messages read 2 hours before bedtime 
• I have begun sleeping with earplugs for the first time in my life and it makes a massive difference, even with my “Dad needs to hear everything” mentality, now that the kids are older, things are changing
• I track my sleep with my watch, and may get an Oura ring soon as well for even more information 
• Tracking my sleep helps me realize what I can do better in the daytime to get more restorative sleep (such as working out earlier rather than later in the day, the importance of cold plunge timing, sauna before bed, what to eat and drink, etc)
  

 

I feel a renewed sense of vitality and happiness when I’m back on schedule. A purpose that is hard to quantify. I have also just returned from our National Speakers Association annual event, Influence, and feel inspired to better my business, my life overall, and push to greater heights.

All in good time, pacing is important.

“Remember Goldilocks & The 3 Bears”, my friend Chris Poulos used to say, “Not too hot, not too cold…just right.” 

What are some of the changes you’re working on at this time of year? 

What are some of the great memories you created for yourself and family this summer?

What are your promises to family, work, and health as we transition to this next season of life?

Thank you to the many who send me private messages! If you comment below, you’ll be my new best friend.