You know I am one for challenges, well it’s on! Part of this blog has always been about finding balance and happiness. I talk a lot about finding career success, but I think it is really important that I share how I am trying to achieve balance and health as well and not only how I am trying to get ahead in my career.

I have found that I have more energy when I work out and actually do better on this blog and at work when I am feeling healthier. It all goes back to confidence – if you feel like you look great, you will do better at interviews and presentations, etc.

So I thought twice about posting something to do with my health and exercise because this is a career blog, until I realized that your health really affects your job performance and energy. It is also so important to have everything in balance to really achieve health and happiness. So, that is why I am talking about my health today and encouraging you to take control of your health as well so that you can find success and happiness in other areas of your life.

What I Have Learned During My Health Challenge

In our careers, we have a tendency to focus 100% on our work and forget about the other areas of life.  I know I have been there. Working late hours, forgetting to take lunch breaks, and not eating a healthy breakfast, we rush out the door with a coffee cup in hand. We also don’t make sure we get enough water, fruits, and vegetables throughout the day. In the last few months, I have been searching for a way to take back my health and life.

My 60-Day Insanity Challenge

It all started a few months ago when my husband got the insanity workouts. They say that the Insanity workout might just be the hardest fitness program ever put on DVD and I have to believe it.  The workout is crazy and I thought my husband was absolutely crazy jumping around the living room but I still tried it.

After the first workout, I couldn’t walk for a week and had the worst back pain that I have ever felt in my whole life. I took a break and then one day went back and tried my hardest to do the 60-day challenge. I also started researching more about the food I was eating and how it was affecting my health.  I watched Forks over Knives and read The Veganist by Kathy Freston and it changed how I viewed my food and health. Doing Insanity and having a vegan diet made me feel so much better and I had so much energy and felt good about what I was doing to my body. Everything was great!

But then I had to take a break because of health issues and I basically didn’t do anything for two months because I wasn’t feeling well. So, now I am feeling much better and ready to get back to trying to find a healthy balance again! I am doing another 60-day Insanity challenge which includes waking up at 5 am to work out and blog BEFORE work.

I know I am crazy which is why I am blogging about it so I will actually do it. It’s written down now so I have to! And I have already done it for a week and am actually in the second week and still doing it, so I think I am safe to say that I will complete the challenge. Waking up early is actually easy once you do it for a few days.  If you want to ready my tips to wake up early, make sure you check out this article about how to wake up early and enjoy your morning.

My Reasons Why I DON’T Want To Do This Challenge

But, there are many reasons why I don’t want to do this right now.  I am sure that you have reasons too but I know how good I feel when I get into a workout routine:

1. I haven’t worked out in two months and it is going to suck getting back into a workout routine.

2. The next two months are going to be the busiest two months of my life at work and I know I will have tendency to throw myself into work and not workout one day. I have no idea right now when I will find the time to workout every day for 60 days, I just know that I need to.

3. Eating a vegan or vegetarian diet takes a little more planning ahead than normal which I will need to find time for. Also, eating out is a lot harder to do.

4. I am gearing up for a networking challenge in October, and I know I will be busy planning the challenge and forget to workout.

5. The most important reason of all: The Olympics are on and I would so much rather watch someone else workout than make myself do it.

So those are my excuses of why I absolutely do not want to workout or do this crazy insanity challenge.  But, I am still doing it because I know the benefits in my body, my work life balance, and my energy. So I am doing it!

Why not join me in challenging yourself to exercise and eat healthier for the next 60 days!  Who’s in?