Making it work!

My kung fu day started very early, 4:45 am, with some kicks, push ups (10 beauties) and some sit ups, a few weights (to strengthen my arms and shoulders) and a little Tai Chi. Even though I woke up with a headache, I continued on and completed my routine. I am totally loving this routine! I worked from 7 to 3:15 today so there was no possibility to attend classes or open training, just work. I really love my job, I have been lucky enough to figure out what I love to do and been blessed to have found a place to do it for nearly 21 years. The only thing I don't really like and never have really is the shift work. I used to really fight it and try to create the type of routine that people who work Mon. to Fri. have, it didn't work. I work evenings, weekends, six days in a row each week, not possible to be like what I thought was normal. When I wanted to grade for my black belt I knew that routine was going to be the key to my success but at first, I wasn't sure how to get there. I discovered that each shift that I worked needed to have it's own routine. For example, evening shift doesn't start until 2:45, so there is room for working out in the morning and other stuff that I take care of if I stay on schedule. I accomplished that by getting up at the same time every day and creating a routine. I have changed my day shift routine this year so that I have some time for me, it needs to happen before I do anything else, this occurs at 4:45 am, but I really like it. I get up 15 minutes earlier, have more energy and don't spend my day wondering how I am going to fit it all in. When I am on days off, I really like to spend part of my day relaxing with some reading (usually blogs) and a nice cup of tea. I have discovered that if I complete my morning workout first then I have a much more relaxing time.
When I started writing this today, I was going to whine about how much I missed being at the kwoon today and how disengaged I was feeling. As I was writing, I realized that I am in a good place, I have created some good habits with my routine and I am more engaged in my training because of it.

Sifu Robyn Kichko
http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/