Catching Up: New Focuses?

My good friend, Emily, is still in Spain with her boyfriend this week-- can you say jealous?!-- so once again, I am in need of a good catch up session.

Last week, my boyfriend was at Lake Anna with his friends from Charlotte. They rented a lake house for the week, and while I managed to get out there for the day Sunday and Wednesday after work, I had plenty of "me" time. Not a bad thing at all, but it's during these quiet times that I start to throw around ideas, reflect on the past several months, and reorganize for the future.

If we were chatting over a glass of wine, a la Emily-Liz catch-up sesh, I'd tell you:

• I've been in a bit of a fitness rut these past few months. Part of it has to do with the balance of responsibilities, or lack thereof. Part of it has to do with uncertainty. And then another part of it has to do with all these other thoughts floating around in my head that can't quite be summed up in one sentence. Regardless of the reason, I am disappointed with this burnout and am looking for alternate options to get in a good workout.

  

  Not just interested in the 'bells anymore.

• As a result of my fitness rut, I am trying to transition to a more active lifestyle outside of the gym. This is much easier said than done, because working out at the gym is so ingrained in me, especially having gone through two back-to-back competition preps last year. I've been known to succumb to the idea, "If it didn't happen in the gym, or if it's not strictly cardio, then it isn't a real workout." This summer-- okay, let's be honest, the boyfriend-- has had me trying all sorts of new things in the great old outdoors, and I'm thinking a change of scenery is in order. Slowly but surely, I would like to replace at least 2-3 days a week of gym workouts with cross-training on different terrain.

  

  It may be cooling off, but the Supra still has
  a few more weeks of water to see.

• Financial literacy has been on my mind day-in and day-out as of late. Confession: I finished Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad yesterday and immediately ordered his other book Rich Dad's Guide to Investing. I also referenced his book in my phone appointment with my financial adviser. As much as I'd like to say this disturbs me, I'm actually rather surprised. While I do love my family, I was not raised to understand financial competence. As a child of divorce, I saw the struggle of being a single mom to four children, and I still see it. Investing can be frightening, and many people choose to stay safely away from that fear. However, I have been welcoming this catharsis as I embark on this financial endeavor. 

  

  Financial fitness book #2

• I'm ready to invest in myself. I love my job. Love it. But I know that I don't always want to be working for someone else, and I know that I have other talents and knowledge that I can share with others. It has been a long time coming, and with a few well-timed comments from friends who don't even know I've been considering this, I have decided to study and sit for my NASM Certified Personal Trainer exam. I have a few hectic weeks to get through, but I am hoping to register by early- to mid-October.

  

  Source: NASM

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm out to sleep off this nasty head cold.