
I get what I want. But I know what to want. I want freedom, solitude, spontaneity, physical fitness. I find that through outdoor adventures. The impact that getting outside and moving has on my well-being is so weighty that I had to stop thinking of it as a luxury. It matters even if society doesn’t think so. It matters even if I could make more money spending my time differently. It matters even if I could be of more service to others doing other things. It matters because it matters to me.

Other things that matter to me include: walking my daughter to school in the mornings (and singing “Slipping through my Fingers” by ABBA as she crosses the crosswalk to enter the building!), engaging with my kids, preparing meals at home (this doesn’t always mean “cooking.” We eat a lot of raw vegetables.), going to bed between 9-10:30pm, getting up between 5:30-7am, jogging the dog, and morning hugs.
Knowing that these are important, the onus is on me to structure ways and time. I am a gifted writer. But the time I spent writing books took away from getting out and doing what I love. I’m probably not going to write any more books. I personal train clients to help people and to financially support my family. I charge top tier professional personal trainer rates for 45-minute sessions. I have a wait list. (Before pulling from my wait list, I’d add an additional corporate wellness client. It’s a contract that enables me to impact the health of individuals and group communities~ life coaching, group exercise, nutrition~ the whole gamut.) My house isn’t as clean as I’d like it to be. My friends don’t see me as often as we’d like. I ghost meetings that should be an email. I quit presenting at fitness conferences years ago. I don’t have the Facebook app on my phone. I am very selective about what gets my time– because it comes at an opportunity cost.
Justifying what I want is unnecessary. It matters to me. That’s enough. I tell you this in case you feel like you need to explain why you want what you want. You don’t, but you do need to know what it is. Otherwise, you’ll be chasing everything. What do you want? Get what you want.
