Backstory: This nudge came from the list I made of things I loved doing when I was a kid. What makes the timing perfect is I am completely bored by my exercise options. Great opportunity to mix things up!
If jumping rope is not your thing, pick an activity you loved doing as a kid that you haven’t done in a while (coloring, baking cookies, playing dress-up) or pull out that box of old sports gear and get outside to play!
As soon as I heard Chris’s story about how she stepped out of (or into?) her comfort zone, I asked if I could share it with the 52Nudges community. Read on for some “powerful” inspiration. — Kathleen
I am not a risk-taker. Nope nope nope. I stay in my lane, do what I’m told (well, mostly), and am definitely not breaking any laws. But when I was laid-off last fall from my job of 28 years, I decided it was time to light up my inner badass and try some new things. After all, if I was going to have to find a new job, I’d better get used to things that were new, different, and scary.
So I signed up for boxing lessons.
Now, I am not a particularly aggressive person. As the only girl in a family of four boys, I spent much of my childhood watching my brothers pile on each other (thank you, Three Stooges) while I just kept to the side, trying not to get hurt. But as I found through years of playing softball, I realized that I enjoyed the physical feeling of power – throwing the ball in from the outfield, crushing that ball for an extra-base hit. Seeing my body able to do what my personality didn’t always allow gave me a special kind of confidence that I have missed as an adult.
My gym is not a boxing-only gym, where Burgess Meredith would be simultaneously smoking and yelling at me from the corner. Instead it is cozy, well lit, and smells pretty good as far as gyms go. And the class is mostly women! This was a huge relief for me, as I am self-conscious trying new things. Most of the time women welcome and support each other and, sure enough, gym rat Julie welcomed me and helped me feel comfortable and ready to hit.
Photo by walking photographer
The actual boxing is fun! While I work on my technique and footwork, I hit the heavy bag and imagine my frustrations and anxieties crumbling under my gloves – my fear of finding the right job (or, honestly, any job), that annoying thing my husband or kids said the night before, my inability to keep to my diet and lose some of that weight. As Coach Vince gently corrects my feet or my weight distribution, I remind myself that since I can do this, I can tackle other hard things too, and deliver a solid combination that can knock out those things I’m scared of.
It is one helluva workout, and I emerge sweaty, invigorated, and ready to charge into whatever the day puts in front of me.
Turns out that the power doesn’t come from the gloves, it comes from what I put behind it. That knockout punch comes from ME.
Backstory: This is really the result of a bigger Nudge. A while back I played with what forms of exercise might get me…well…moving. Do I want to get into an organized team sport, like softball or soccer? (No.) Do I want to give running another try? (My 53-year-old knees say no.) Yoga? (Ugh.)
Maybe there is something I loved doing as a child that I’d like to revisit. Jumping rope is on the list, as is bocce ball. I will continue with long walks, on my own and as excuses for catching up with friends, but the exercise that my body seemed to most respond to has always been Pilates.
I can come up with any number of excuses for why I haven’t been to a class in over a year. None of those excuses are good. So this week, I’m going to pull out my calendar, make a commitment, and just do it.
What good-for-you activity have you been putting off? If you can’t fit it in this week, at least get it inked on the calendar for soon.
What Happened: Wasted no time on this one. Got online, re-upped my account, and booked a class for next week.
Then I skipped ahead to the next week and booked two more.
Gulp. 🙂
The Ah-Hahs: I won’t be able to report back this week on how the class went , but I can confirm that this Nudge has been completed and I’m nervous…no, I’m excited…about getting back on track with regular exercise that I’ve loved doing in the past.
Meanwhile, this week I’m going to practice getting up at 5:15 am so it won’t be quite so painful next week to make it out the door for a 6:00 am class. Step by step, bit by bit, squat by squat. 🙂
Backstory: This is really the result of a bigger Nudge. A while back I played with what forms of exercise might get me…well…moving. Do I want to get into an organized team sport, like softball or soccer? (No.) Do I want to give running another try? (My 53-year-old knees say no.) Yoga? (Ugh.)
Maybe there is something I loved doing as a child that I’d like to revisit. Jumping rope is on the list, as is bocce ball. I will continue with long walks, on my own and as excuses for catching up with friends, but the exercise that my body seemed to most respond to has always been Pilates.
I can come up with any number of excuses for why I haven’t been to a class in over a year. None of those excuses are good. So this week, I’m going to pull out my calendar, make a commitment, and just do it.
What good-for-you activity have you been putting off? If you can’t fit it in this week, at least get it inked on the calendar for soon.
Backstory: This Nudge is about more than just amping up my exercise routine. It’s about getting OUT. It’s about resting my brain. It’s about taking deeper breaths and taking in breathtaking scenery. It’s about moving forward, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
I’m not sure yet whether I’ll use this Nudge to meet up with a friend for a catching-up session, or go on a quiet, meditational walk by myself.
Maybe I’ll do both.
Backstory: I’d forgotten about this one—how fun! I think the idea for this Nudge may have come to me when I checked out a new-to-me bookstore several months ago, when I ended up in a new-to-me neighborhood. Even though I live in a smallish city (San Francisco is roughly 47 square miles; for comparison, Los Angeles is 302 square miles), there is so much here I have yet to explore. Weather permitting, here is my chance to do just that.
What Happened: My city is home to several really cool staircases. Some are elaborately painted. Some offer incredible views or glimpses into “secret” gardens. For this adventure, I chose something closer to home: a staircase that I’ve driven past probably once a week for the last 10 years.
Early one morning this week, I and my loyal sidekick Louie hopped in the car and drove five short minutes to the base. We huffed and puffed up the steps, then recuperated by wandering one of the side streets. Back down, then right back up, followed by a trip down a different street, where we checked out gardens and got glimpses into interesting home decors. Down again, with a break through a different street and oohs and ahhs over interesting architectural details. Then one final climb and descent before we got back in the car and headed home.
As I look at this photo, the angle doesn’t look all that intense. But I’m here to tell ya, our butts were sore! 🙂
The Ah-Hahs: I often think “I don’t have time” to do things like this. But I do. Re-read that line about “five short minutes” away from home. Geez. And not only did I get a great workout, I changed up my usual gym routine, I got some fresh air, I got in the dog’s exercise (which is typically a separate workout from my own), and it felt a bit like going to a museum (checking out the different homes and gardens and getting inspired about what I might do with my own).
What did you discover this week?
Backstory: Upon pulling this week’s Nudge, my first thought was, “Well, that’s dumb. Who came up with this gem?” I mean, really. How life-changing can this really be?
But if there’s one big lesson I’ve learned on this 52Nudge’s journey so far, it’s that even the smallest steps can make a big impact. Maybe, just by wandering to a different section of my gym, I’ll meet someone new. Maybe this person has an interesting story or works in a field that interests me or becomes one of my favorite gym-rat pals. Or maybe instead of the same loop Louie the dog and I walk every week, we try a new path or street or park and discover a garden that takes my breath away. Hmmm…. I’m eager to see what this Nudge reveals.