Reach, Routine, and Refresh: One Mom’s Approach to Personal Revolution
By Bronwen Fordyce
I recently moved to the Triangle area, and with moving comes change. I went from working outside the home, and living in a condo in the city on the other side of North America, to being a stay at home Mom, in a suburban home. With so much change already occurring, I decided it was a great time for a wholesale Personal Revolution as well. For me my focus was on being increasingly happy, healthy, and fit. This past month I have realized that the changes have stuck and I am seeing real results – I feel happier, stronger, and more energetic. In reflecting on what is different this time around, I came up with the 3R Approach to Personal Revolution (Reach, Routine, and Refresh).
This technique is doable for anyone and can be implemented right away … so let’s do this!
1. Reach – Listen to that inner voice that answers the question “what is next for me?” and stretch yourself to that place. Too often that powerful inner voice telling us to “just try it” or “go for it”, or “maybe I would be great at that”, is drowned out by an inner critic, fear of failure or “excuse generator”. Push past that negative little bugger, and make positive change happen now!
2. Routine – Build a daily/weekly schedule that supports your objectives. We all have a routine whether we are conscious of it or not. Whether it is a strict regimen or habit of going to bed late then hitting the snooze button in the morning, that is your existing routine, and it will need to change, if you and your life are going to change. (More on this later…)
3. Refresh – or Review, Refresh & Reset. Keep your routine alive and thriving by tweaking it when something is not working, recommitting to objectives that are important to you, and jazzing it up with planned variety and lots of fun. Review your routine at the beginning of each week and any time you feel slippage or that something is truly not working. Refresh/update your schedule to include any special events, appointments etc., and when life events, such as a sick child, or anything else for that matter, take you off track, be sure to come back to it ASAP. Reset your thinking and recommit to the awesome routine you have created for yourself. This step is key, as this is what will help you go the distance and make this a “new life” versus the latest fad. Your routine has got to be interesting, flexible and fun, just like you! J
To illustrate the 3R Approach, I will use the example of reaching for a more active lifestyle (something many people can probably relate to).
While I am a big fan of keeping things simple and approachable, I feel that in this case, the most simple approach is to go ahead and change everything at once. Time and again I find changing things piece meal leads to things feeling off balance and out of place and not seeing results. You have to change your schedule to reflect your new focus, and your focus to reflect your new schedule (do you like that feedback loop? I do!).
Here are the very detailed steps to re-invent your Routine and make a more active lifestyle a reality:
Step 1. Find a gym with great childcare and join it. (I joined O2, because I like their childcare staff, it is quite affordable, and has a youthful vibe. There are many other fantastic facilities out there as well. So, pick a gym that fits your needs and join it).
Step 2. Bring home (or print from the gym’s website) a copy of the group fitness schedule. Make a detailed schedule of your week with all the inputs that cannot be changed (school drop off/pick up, work, kids classes you have already committed to, etc.), then compare the gaps in your schedule (even if they are small) to the fitness schedule. Next, book into your schedule as many fitness classes as possible. If the classes do not line up with your availability, go to the gym when you can and hit the treadmill (time flies while you watch a great show)!
Step 3. Put together a gym outfit you feel great in. If it’s your favorite over sized t-shirt that reminds you of a great time somewhere, wear that, if you have some cool new duds, sport those. Just be sure to wear something you feel awesome in! You want to feel fantastic and empowered when you throw your gym clothes on and own it!!! (There are lots of inexpensive options out there. One of my fave outfits is from Marshalls or TJ Maxx and was about $10 per item… so… no excuses to not be dressed in a way that feels good!)
Step 4. GO to the gym! Do not wait to feel like going. I can guarantee right now that you will never feel like going. Do this the same way you brush your teeth or hair in the morning (i.e. not something you feel like doing, but always feel better afterwards, right?!). I have literally, never heard anyone say that they wish they had not worked out. Just GO. You will feel great. Period.
Make it easy to get there. If you are a stay at home parent, throw on your gym clothes first thing in the morning and then go to the gym directly from school drop-off, or take your kids to the gym’s child-care and enjoy your workout as your daily break. If you are a working parent, lunchtime or dinnertime or alternating night or morning workouts are great. If bringing your kids to the gym during meal times, just check to make sure the gym allows the kids to eat (i.e. UNC Meadowmont does, O2 does not). Go at the same time each day, so that it starts to feel natural to go, and unnatural not to go.
You and your entire family will benefit from you going to the gym. You will be happier, more resilient, more patient, have more energy to play with your kids, get tasks done more efficiently, be more clear headed. I could go on for days. You will feel better! I can 100% guarantee it!
Step 5. Recommit to your routine weekly, by reviewing/refining/refreshing it and building in lots of fun (play dates, date nights, time with friends, book personal care time, etc.)!
I hope that this 3R Approach to Personal Revolution assists in bringing about the change you have had in your heart, that you may have previously felt was out of reach. Make it happen by building an awesome routine that you truly enjoy. Commit to loving your routine and your life, and tweak what doesn’t feel great!
Upcoming Events 
