Serious athletes know
they must
warm up,
do the work,
cool down,
and
rest.
Every day, they push
just hard enough
to move toward their goal,
but not so hard
that they cannot show up
tomorrow.
Every day, they rest
so the work they’ve done
can settle in.
What if this were a model for
our work and life,
not only our exercise routine?
What if you woke,
began your warm-up
with
journaling,
meditation,
prayer,
walking,
reading,
anything that put everything
in perspective?
Then, when you arrive
for your work,
your mind and body
are
warm,
awake,
ready,
for the workout.
In this warmed up state,
you can apply yourself
wholly,
completely,
to what must be done
pushing just hard enough
to move toward the goal,
but not so hard that you
don’t want to come back
tomorrow.
At the end of the working day
there is the cooldown,
time to process
what you have done
and let it go.
Finally, rest ...
allowing yourself to
rejuvenate,
and
recharge
in order to make the most
of tomorrow.
Preparing your day
to perform at your best
is not only for
athletes.