Comments on Cranky Fitness: Ready, Set,... Ah Hell.

I don't plan ahead for everything in life but I do...

2009-11-02T19:15:02.479-05:00

I don't plan ahead for everything in life but I do for some things. But I am definitely not zen when it comes to waiting or when transitions don't go as smoothly as I would like.

What drives me crazy is when I go to Pilates fro 6-7PM and then try to get in 45 minutes on the elliptical thinking I'll be out of the gym by 7:45. Yet, somehow, I only manage to get in 30 minutes on the elliptical and out of the gym by 7:45. So, where did those other 15 minutes go? Eaten up by transitions. Grrr.

Hi Crabby, Nice to have you back! I've been kind ...

2009-11-02T17:13:41.228-05:00

Hi Crabby,

Nice to have you back! I've been kind of silent in the cybersphere of late, but have, of course, been following the crabbiness.

Since I'm not a naturally prepared "girl-scout" type myself, something that helps me is to actually do away with as many transitions as I can.

So, if I run to work, let's say, and at least do a French shower (or whatev--you know, towel and big sink), then I've eliminated gym, and commute. Some transition is still needed, but a lot less.

Some people call that slacking, but I call it minimalism ;-)

I notice that on the days when I really try to get...

2009-11-02T17:10:13.608-05:00

I notice that on the days when I really try to get an early start on something, so many things happen that usually put me at my destination around the same time as if would've procrastinated.

1) I think I'm more toward the "Prepare Ahead" sid...

2009-11-02T14:22:13.312-05:00

1) I think I'm more toward the "Prepare Ahead" side of the spectrum; however, I can improvise with the rest of them. Oddly enough, I plan the next day ahead of time, but when it comes to posting/updating my blog, I usually do it first thing in the morning without knowing exactly what I'm going to write about that day.

2) I don't get frantic, I get even. Wait, that's not right. But, I don't get frantic. I get impatient when driving, but never frantic. I can't live like that; I'm too OCD.

-Joshua

I'm pretty good with the gym bag... it usually has...

2009-11-02T14:03:11.996-05:00

I'm pretty good with the gym bag... it usually has my essentials in it, I just need to remember things like putting my swimsuit and cap in, or a change of clothes.

I'm not always so good with other stuff though. Like housecleaning. Though I keep my food prep surfaces clean at all times. Kitchen floor, not so clean.

But when I end up in lines, sometimes I fret, sometimes I work on balance exercises, sometimes I boogie. Once I was in San Francisco, stuck in traffic and I got all my friends in the car singing loudly and we had fun in that hour long traffic jam. After we rolled down the car windows, we got some other people doing it. We were all stuck in a tunnel, so things resounded beautifully.

So maybe my stresses are balanced by my Zen times. I hope so. My meals are kind of grab and go... not much planning there.

The main time-suck is the computer.

Ok so maybe I'm a minority but I'm one of those Pr...

2009-11-02T13:54:00.923-05:00

Ok so maybe I'm a minority but I'm one of those Prepared and Zen people.

That was not always the case for me though. It took taking a good look at my life and making the choice to become more scheduled and prepared for things because the stress I was experiencing was out of control. It started with little changes like getting up a little earlier and prepping the night before. Now I have a schedule that I follow every morning before work that takes care of all the prep items for the day. Once I started to truly make me a priority those changes became much easier to implement.

Some of us are genetically predisposed to being fo...

2009-11-02T13:44:46.186-05:00

Some of us are genetically predisposed to being forever trapped in the transitional time void. I prepare for my mornings the night before (lay out workout clothes, set up the coffee maker, get the dog leash and coat by the door, etc.), yet I'm still racing with the clock and losing.

Ya know what gets me? When I plan ahead and pack ...

2009-11-02T12:07:18.190-05:00

Ya know what gets me? When I plan ahead and pack my bags and fix my lunch the night before. And then somehow its STILL 45 minutes since I got up and I haven't even managed to get dressed yet. (I blame it on the munchkin and the puppy.)

I am of the late, frantic, wild-haired crowd. But...

2009-11-02T09:30:15.981-05:00

I am of the late, frantic, wild-haired crowd. But I'm good with unanticipated events. My whole life is an unanticipated event.

This made me smile...I'm of the Zen variety, and m...

2009-11-02T09:05:55.864-05:00

This made me smile...I'm of the Zen variety, and my husband is the stresser. I've found that as much as I hate being adult and making lists and planning things, I get WAY more done. I make sure I plan things out before the day I need them and I am so much more sane. Little things like having my workout stuff in the same place ready to go all the time and certain things always beign wehre they need to be have helped. The biggest things was (don't laugh) putting things back when I was done with them.
Seriously. This was huge. I spent so much time looking for things. I have a vain hope that someday we'll be organized...and everything will ahve somewhere to go and...oh stop laughing :)
My husband is still figuring this out but I think eventually we'll get there...:)

Must confess to having a check-list just for walki...

2009-11-02T08:47:28.971-05:00

Must confess to having a check-list just for walking the dog: ipod, keys, sunglasses, gloves, leash, bag for poop (his). Hmmm...something's missing...oh yeah - the dog.

Pam and Peggy, the "SLOB Sisters," as they called ...

2009-11-02T08:37:21.899-05:00

Pam and Peggy, the "SLOB Sisters," as they called themselves, termed us either "Born Organized" or "SHEs" (Sidetracked Home Executives).

Sandra Felton, The Organizer Lady, has her "cleanies" vs. "messies".

Whatever terms you use, it boils down to the same fact. Those 7 habits that highly effective people have, they are born understanding how to do it. It comes naturally to them. The rest of us might be able to learn and catch some of it with lots of training and practice.

The two sides have brains that work differently, and neither really understands how the other half lives or thinks that way.

At least, that is how it appears to me.

OMG, that pic of the guys on the bus, too much! A...

2009-11-02T08:35:27.951-05:00

OMG, that pic of the guys on the bus, too much!

And I think I am a mixture although I get more stressed & definitely not Zen except for:I often invoke "Zen" principles without having any idea what Zen is about, liking the sound of it but being too lazy to educate myself.

I liked that! BUT, I do get my gym bag ready the night before & I TRY to make lists because my memory is so bad in my old age & sometimes I do & sometimes not.. lots of times I make the list on the cell phone note pad so it is with me for sure!

BUT, I tend to always find things I forgot because I tell myself I will remember. :-)

LOVED this post!

I want to be Zen, but mostly I stress myself out b...

2009-11-02T08:31:22.650-05:00

I want to be Zen, but mostly I stress myself out by thinking of all the things that I don't have time to get done and then I get cranky. Yup, Cranky Acolyte, that's me.

Yeah, there definitely are a lot of "time-sucks" t...

2009-11-02T08:27:19.181-05:00

Yeah, there definitely are a lot of "time-sucks" that we have to navigate every day!

"Does anyone else find that a really huge and anno...

2009-11-02T08:27:17.777-05:00

"Does anyone else find that a really huge and annoying percentage of the day seems to take place not actually doing things, but getting ready to do things and tidying back up after the things have been done?" Hahahah! It's like you are staring in the windows of my house!! You just described life with my children. Perfectly.

Even when I prepare for something beforehand the t...

2009-11-02T07:45:20.896-05:00

Even when I prepare for something beforehand the time gets away from me. Sigh.

That was me; I'm not anonymous!

2009-11-02T07:28:17.017-05:00

That was me; I'm not anonymous!

I keep telling myself that if I prepared for and o...

2009-11-02T07:27:08.366-05:00

I keep telling myself that if I prepared for and organized my whole life the way I do for my workouts, my house would be spotless and I'd be a millionaire from some thriving home business.

Yes, I am totally prepared for the gym the night before. Clothing and props on the table, and food prepared for pre- and post-workout.

The rest of my life? Let's just say you wouldn't want to eat off of my floors.

I struggle with transitions and change in general....

2009-11-02T06:29:14.348-05:00

I struggle with transitions and change in general...unless it's my idea, of course.

There's moments when I prepare (I do have a certain place for keys, now), but I have many more moments where several things seem to be a priority ... and......I......just......can't......hurry......things.....along.

Exercise does take the edge off, a bit.

{Word Verification is "ershese" which sounds very much like Hershey's...darn! Can't get the Halloween candy out of my head!}