Moving forwards

Firstly I'd like to thank the special people that contacted me to ask "ru ok?" It meant a lot to speak to you and put things straight in my mind and then move forwards. This blog post is a definite improvement in mood and mind, so don't worry, read on!

Yesterday after a continuation of feeling depressed and extremely anxious I had some time to sit down, draw a mind map and write out a daily plan. The mind map helped to highlight how many different areas I need to focus on and how each of them broke down into smaller tasks. From this simple task I was able to plan my days. Most days had the same format with a small difference dependant on what training I had to do on that particular day. It was quite scary and ended up going from this:

06:00 - Wake up, mobility exercises, shower, brekkie
06:30 - Leave for work
07:00-15:00 - Work
15:30 - Get home
15:30 - 21:00 - Free time (infrequent fitness training)

Post mind map:
(Mon, Weds & Fri later wake of 5am due to training)

04:30 - Wake, tea, mobility exercises
04:45-05:45 - marathon training (Tues & Thursday)
05:45-06:15 - shower and brekkie
06:15 - leave for work (to avoid traffic and arrive early)
07:00-15:00 - work
15:30 - arrive home
16:00-16:30 - shower, tea, write out day's "learns"
16:30-17:00 - blog writing
17:00-18:00 - reading and learning (chippie stuff)
18:00-19:00 - cooking for lunches, work bag prep, kit out for AM training
19:00-21:00 - acro practice, stretching and chilling :)
21:00 - slumber time!

I know it may look boring and a bit overboard, but this helped me no end today. Yes it was day one, but I got up at 5am (a later start, no running) and did my bodyweight training before showering, cooking brekkie and leaving early for work. Once I'd finished work I knew I was going to go home and what I had to do. It was great to know that I had a plan and purpose rather than procrastinating.

Above all else it made me feel less anxious because I had purpose and less grumpy because I had achieved a lot more than normal. I'm not celebrating yet because I want to make this a habit, which for me means doing it everyday for a month. But I'll get there because I have to and because I want to.

Tomorrow is my first 430am start, so I'll see how that goes! It won't be easy, but I won't be making excuses, I have now entered three races and want my marathon PB when that race arrives at the end of July.

Until tomorrow,

Tom :)