It’s not easy for me to ask for help. It’s not easy to admit that I need help. If my husband is reading this, he is nodding his head violently. But-the good news is that I knew that I needed help with my fitness overhaul. I enlisted some family and friends.
First, I shared my “aha” moment with my husband Dan. He didn’t say, “Again?” He took me seriously. I picked his brain for ideas. Thankfully I happened to be married to a pretty knowledgeable guy on the subject. Dan has taught me a lot over the years, many times with me kicking and whining my way through it! This time I was ready to listen. Dan was committed to my plan as well and ready to support me. That meant he was carving out time for me to go to the gym (and many nights got stuck with supper clean-up when I headed out!). Ok, support system foundation, check!
Next, I moved on to family. I called my brother and sister-in-law and asked specifically if they could support me and pray for me. I am really close to my family, and they knew some of my struggles. I felt sort of guilty asking for something for myself, but I knew that their encouraging words would help me and would also keep me accountable. I think telling people made it like I had to do it. Over the next months I would give my parents and my siblings updates, and they would be encouraging just like I suspected. Another layer of support, check!
Finally, I am blessed with a great group of girlfriends that I really trust. We are all about the same age, give or take a few years, and we are in the same stage of life. We’ve had many of the same successes and struggles. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like many of us had had our own “aha” moments, and this became another area to share. We began talking about planks and trainers and healthy snacks. We even unconsciously cut out chocolate from our monthly get-togethers! Oh my! Something really was brewing!! A mountain climber demonstration may have even broken out a time or two! We jokingly said that we would kick 40’s butt and that we wouldn’t go into our forties lightly. To have my family behind me was extremely important, but to know that these women who I love like sisters were going through the same thing and supporting me was such a bonus. Friend support, check!
So, yes, this girl did get a little help. It wasn’t like I sat down and wrote out a formal plan of action. I didn’t create a spreadsheet or document it in my iphone. I just communicated with the people that are in my life, and I got help. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
Now if I could just do the same for the laundry . . .
