“Do one thing every day that scares you” (Originally Posted on July 30, 2024)
As I look back on my journey, one of the biggest keys to its success thus far is overcoming fear. Fear of trying, fear of failing, and even fear of succeeding.
Legally Fit at One Year — Win the Day 201
When I recently told a friend that tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of when I launched Legally Fit, she said, “Wow, that went by fast!” My response, “Not for me, it didn’t!” This is my 45th post of the year – far more than I ever imagined when I set out to do this. It added a whole new layer to my life – all while working my day job as a lawyer, maintaining a very active fitness routine, and living life to the fullest. And as I reflect back to where it all began, it so appropriately started with my Win the Day post.
Of all that I’ve shared over the past year, there’s no method, concept, or mantra that I find more important to the success of my journey than winning the day. I really do ask myself every day what it takes to win it. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. But focusing on what winning the day means each day is more about being in the frame of mind for success than it is about the actual wins or losses. I win more days because I define it at the beginning of the day than I would if I simply looked back afterwards and only then thought for the first time about what winning meant.
Work and wellbeing
There’s deep meaning in the name of this blog – Legally Fit. The big picture is that it felt like a name that defines my journey – one of a lawyer who managed to change his life from sedentary to active all in the context of a busy work schedule. At its core, this is a fitness blog where I share all that I have learned on my path to a heathy lifestyle. But the lessons in here speak to much more than advice on working out and eating. They come from years of struggling with balance between work and life. And that is why the very first word in the name is about work. Everything I’ve accomplished or failed at in this fitness journey is in the context of managing my career as a lawyer.
Learning from our parents doesn’t always mean listening to them
If we’re lucky, we get to a point in life where we watch our parents age. Mine, like many, can’t move the way they did when they were younger. In fact, lately it’s clear they can’t move like they did five years ago, or even one year ago. Some of this is due to medical issues beyond their control that would set anyone back. What I’ve learned from this is that things will happen as I get older that might weaken or limit my abilities, but the fitter I am going into it, the better I will be coming out of it.
Legally Fit — Finding My Passion Project
Full disclosure . . . Legally Fit did not begin because I wanted to share my story. In fact, I never wanted to do that. Looking back on where I let my body get to was not something I enjoyed thinking about, and I rarely if ever spent time reflecting on it. Those were not my happiest times, and even now as I write about my story here each week, reliving many of those moments brings back memories of embarrassment and shame.
The blog began simply because of my passion for fitness. That’s what I wanted to share. Over the past 11 years on this journey, I’ve learned so much while taking on many new activities and challenges, and I love everything about it. But given that I am not a certified personal trainer or a professional athlete, I realized that the perspective I bring is one that must involve my story. I am a lawyer who has learned the value of incorporating fitness into my busy schedule, and my life was forever changed by that lesson.