Grit

I went out for a quick jog yesterday and it was tough, to say the least. I didn’t do anything new, or go farther, or faster, it was just a tough run. There was a lot of mental talk to myself to “keep going”, “finish strong”, and “for goodness sakes Kelley you can do this”. I refuse to let getting older be an excuse for doing less or having to do something different. This mindset is good, but still needs to be kept in check.  When I feel like my workout is a challenge on some days, I know I need to do it. I know I am accomplishing even more when it is just so hard. When I power through it, and I tell my kids how hard that run was for mom today, I am showing them that mommy isn’t going to give up when the going gets tough. After reading an article by Katya Andresen my husband sent me recently, I knew I needed to be more of an example of using grit. She says grit is stamina and sticking with hard things over time. Kids probably watch us and think everything comes so easy for mom, because we don’t always communicate how tough some things are. Many times I am fitting in a workout really quick before baseball, right after dance, while I am cooking dinner or when I just have 15 minutes. I know this, but they don’t. I want them to know that just because it is hard to find the time, I am going to fit some exercise in.

Work is tough, school is tough, relationships can be tough, exercise can be tough and sometimes we just have tough days. This is all ok, but we need to get through it and face it head on, because that is how we make it. Let them see you do this. It is ok to tell them it is tough and let them watch you finish something hard every day. Vulnerability is good. We can all relate and it helps to know that we are not the only one struggling. I am not saying to complain. Keep your head up for them, dig deep and finish strong. Then tell them you had to dig deep in order to finish.

It is easy to swoop in and help our kids out, especially when they are young and learning, and maybe sometimes it is necessary. As they grow, we are what they are watching, and teaching them to stick with hard things and not give up is such a gift to them. Not just with exercise, but with life itself. I would love to hear your mantra or what keeps you going.

Find a mantra and use it for you and your family, such as…

[blockquote size=”full” align=”left” byline=”Glennon Melton” rating=”0″]We Can Do Hard Things[/blockquote]
[blockquote size=”full” align=”left” byline=”anonymous” rating=”0″]Keep Calm and Carry On[/blockquote]
[blockquote size=”full” align=”left” byline=”Brene’ Brown” rating=”0″]Dig Deep[/blockquote]

I know there are so many more and I would love to hear them.

Dig deep today, use your grit and finish strong.

Kelley