Enjoy the journey!

One of my "motivating mantras" is NO EXCUSES ... but sorry ... I'm going to start with one. I'm so sorry for taking so long to write another blog, but I've been busy/tired/exhausted. You see I'm in the final stretch of training for my figure competition ... 3 weeks and 2 days to be exact. And there's no room for cutting corners/cheating/slacking off. Weights ... and lots o' cardio! It's balls to the wall! (I know that's a guy saying and kind of gross ... but I like it!). But last week I had to remind myself of something. I had to remind myself to enjoy the journey. You see, during my entire contest prep I was so focus on just working out ... I was living in the now ... loving the journey! Throughout the day, in my head I would go over what body parts I was going to work that day. Then figure out what gym I was going to meet the Unknown Trainer. And as soon as work was over I was off to the gym ... excited to train! Every week there was progress ... and that got me pumped! And there was always lots of time to get ready for the show. Well, when the 4-week mark came along, I started to get a little anxious/nervous/freaking out. You see the Unknown Trainer has very high expectations of me. Plus, I'm very hard on myself. So that combination made me start to panic about whether I'd be ready ... whether I'd be able to live up to the expectations ... mine and the Unknown Trainer's. It doesn't help that my last year of competing was horrible. I wasn't ready and shouldn't have competed at all ... but everything happens for a reason. Anyway, it was at Easter Sunday dinner that got me back on track. A friend invited me to have dinner with her and her family ... I said yes but I told her I was bringing my own food. She was cool with that. So of course discussion about what I eat during contest prep came up. And of course everyone says the same thing "I couldn't do what you do. The diet would be the hardest part". Then my friend said "But you actually LIKE working out though." And I said "YES! Yes I do!". I realized that working out is my stress relief, my meditation ... it brings me joy! It brings me happiness! At that moment, It was like a light went on ... a light that reminded me to ENJOY THE JOURNEY!