Remember to keep an eye on the big picture!

I have a tendency to be a "I wish I was...." kind of person. What does that mean? I wish I was as fit as her; I wish I was as strong as her; I wish I was as organized as them; I wish I could run as fast as so and so......the list could go on and on. I found myself doing this with my Insanity workouts. Boy do I wish I was better at my push-ups: I wish I could go as fast as them; I wish I go do as many reps; I wish I could go as deep etc.

This is a very dangerous trap to get into. We can only be the best WE can be. As long as you are doing your best you should be proud. I tell my kids this all the time yet I don't follow it myself??? Interesting! That was one of the things about P90X that I loved the most - "Do Your Best And Forget The Rest!" It is a wonderful philosophy.

That brings me to the title of this post. I was reading a post on Facebook that talked about missing the lifting component of our workouts. Insanity is wonderful but it is fun to push those dumbbells around and I agreed with her when she said she was excited to get back to it. That post got me thinking about the different workouts and how I struggled with some of them...namely the push-ups in the chest workouts. I did a lot of the push-ups on my knees and it was a good workout. However, I got to thinking about how I would be able to do this time around. So, I got out that Chest/Back workout and tried it. My push-ups have improved immensely!!! There is one type of push-up called a Dive-Bomber which I really couldn't do very well at all. I did the modified version but even that wasn't with perfect form. Today, I did 4 perfectly and could have done more!!!

What does all this have to do with the title?!?!?!??!? I was so focused on the small picture: my day to day struggles that I wasn't looking at how much I had improved! I had lost sight of the Big Picture! I am in better shape than I was 60 days ago, I am more fit than I was 60 days ago, I am stronger than I was 60 days ago and I am WAY more healthy that I was when I started with P90X back in June!

I think we do this often in our fitness journeys! That is why taking measurements and pictures is so important especially when we have a lot of weight to lose. Periodic fitness tests are another great way to look at the big picture. Insanity has a Fit Test that you do every 2 weeks and to see just how much improvement you can make in just 2 short weeks is absolutely inspiring.

It is important to do in all aspects of our lives as well. We can get so could up in the day to day running around with our kids (or whatever) that we don't take the time to look around and enjoy. We complain about having to run them to sports practices but don't take the time to get excited that our kids are building a healthy foundation in their lives. We complain because the kids have a dance recital but don't take the time to see how beautiful and graceful they are becoming. Pick your complaint and then try to find the positive! It's a healthier way to live! It's a happier way to live!

Keep an eye on the big picture! Be happy! Be healthy! Be a great role model to everyone around you!!