Linkedin informed me and a lot of my friends that it is my one year anniversary of working at Koko FitClub. I can’t believe it’s been a year. When I think back to last August when I first started at Koko, and I look at myself one year later, I’m astounded.
One year ago I remember being so tired after my three hour shift I could barely drive home. There were weeks last September I was wondering if I would have the energy to work even a mere 15 hours a week and doubted whether or not I could keep this job. Do you know what I did today? I worked 11 hours, across two clubs, closed at 7:15, did TWO cardios and a full strength workout, and spent 20 minutes doing yoga stretches. I left the Dennis club at 8:40 and arrived home at 9:10. (This is due to losing a key person and for a few weeks we all need to pitch in until we can get some new hires up and running, so if I fall off the grid for a bit, you know why.) From where I was one year ago, this is an amazing feat.
I like anniversaries if they show progress. This anniversary definitely showed progress. One year later I have more stamina and energy than I had 20 years ago at 41. At 41 I was in bed by 8:30 pm. Now, even after an 11 hour day I’m watching the news and writing this post. I’d say that’s progress.
Never, ever, accept age as an excuse for slowing down and taking it easy. Find something that fuels your passion. Yesterday I was telling a friend how every July I was so anxious to get beck into my classroom that one sumner I climbed in the window because the hall floors were being waxed. She replied that was going above and beyond. Then she said something that struck me. This young girl, in her early 20’s, with her whole life stretching before her, remarked, “I hope someday I could love something that much.” Her remark struck a chord with me because I can’t ever remember a time in my life when I lived without passion like that for something. When I was nine it was building a fort in a tree or putting hand brakes on my regular bicycle. When I was 15 it was doing backflips and being a cheerleader. When I was 20 it was learning to teach children to read and write. And the rest of my decades were fueled not only by the teaching passion, but by the passion to be a good wife and mother. Looking back, it was all about the passion.
No matter what stage of life you are in, it is what you care about deeply that gives you your energy. Forget your age. Fuel your passion. Your energy will skyrocket and you will accomplish things you never dreamed were possible. Gravitate to what pulls you.
And so, as another day goes by, I’d better end this post and get to bed because tomorrow I have to open the Dennis club at 8 am, work until 12 and then head to Truro to meet with the author I’m illustrating the next book for. Passion, it’s where I get my energy, and…I have written.
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