With this week marking the completion of my 33rd trip around the sun, I would like to share with you my thoughts on life and what changes I have made over the past year.
Having kids is a beautiful thing
Imogene and Frank will be turning 6 and 4, respectively, in a few months! It’s hard to believe that. We are now entering a stage of endless energy and countless questions and I find myself playing like a kid again. I cherish these moments as I know they’ll be gone before I know it, but my goodness do I feel exhausted by the end of each day! I have found that I need to set up a proper work/life balance so that when I’m home, I’m home. This keeps me focused on getting tasks done in an efficient manner and allows me to be as goofy and fun as possible for the little ones.
Prioritizing my fitness around life’s obstacles
Branching off the above topic, I have changed up my workout routine to fit this lifestyle. I still get in my heavy strength training days 2-3x a week, but I can tell you this- those rest days in between are much needed! I have now merged my recovery days into playtime- wrestling and rolling around on the floor with the kids, going for walks and hikes, and of course mixing in some speed and agility with games of tag, knee hockey, and playing hide and seek. I still get all my days in, it just looks different, and I have more fun with it.
Becoming more aware of nutrition and overall health
This one makes me a bit sad. If you know me well enough, you know that Sundays are my cheat days. There are no rules, I eat whatever the heck I want, when I want it. Now that the calendar turns to 33 I have definitely noticed there are a few foods that stick with me a little longer and also don’t exactly agree with me as well as they used to. I love pizza. I love beer. I love candy. All three of those things I have had to learn to enjoy in moderation. As my mother likes to tell me, “You’re finally growing up Nick!”. I just don’t want to, that’s another reason I have upped my playtime.
Enjoy the little things
A quote from one of my childhood favorite movies really starts to hit home in the present.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it.”- Ferris Bueller
With everything Tom and I do to keep ourselves busy and continue to grow this amazing gym culture we have here at OPFC, I tend to get lost in the minutia. The same goes for home life. Balancing schedules, getting the kids ready to go for their activities, and keeping the house in order can feel overwhelming at times, but I am thankful to have a loving and supportive wife who always helps me enjoy the little things. Justine made a jar we keep in our kitchen that is filling up with little notes that we write each week about something memorable we experienced. Taking a breath, allowing life to flow through me, and looking around to see how many amazing people are in my life keeps me going each and every day.
I am very happy with where I am at the age of 33, and I cannot wait to see what the next 33 years will bring me.
Cheers,
Nick
