Nutrition by Dawn - Blog

Let me be honest with you: I messed up.

Not in a catastrophic way, but in that sneaky, gradual way that catches so many of us off guard. And this morning, I realized I needed to hit the reset button on my work-life balance.

The Irony of Success! 

Here's what happened: I've been recovering from knee replacement surgery, and for weeks, I was absolutely crushing my recovery routine. Every morning started with exercises on the treadmill and Peloton. I had a structured set of flexibility and range of motion exercises that I wouldn't let myself skip - literally wouldn't get out of bed or into the shower until they were done.

The results? Phenomenal. More flexibility, greater range of motion, and increased strength. I was further from surgery and feeling better every day.

And that's exactly when things started to slip.

The Complacency Trap

Because I was seeing such great results, I started making compromises. Those mid-day movement breaks I had been so diligent about? They quietly disappeared. I found myself sitting at my desk for longer and longer periods, telling myself it was fine because I was "recovered enough."

I let other commitments creep into my sacred morning workout time, convincing myself I'd "do it later in the day."

How many times does "later" actually happen? We all know the answer to that.

The Wake-Up Call This morning, I had to face the truth: I had let complacency win. The very success I had worked so hard to achieve had become the excuse for abandoning the habits that got me there.

How often does this happen in our lives and in our clients' lives? Things go well, we see progress, and then we ease up on the very practices that created that progress.

My Recovery Plan (Feel Free to Steal It)

I'm sharing this because I know I'm not alone in this pattern. So here's what I'm doing to get back into balance:

1. Making Morning Workout Time Sacred Again: No more letting other things get scheduled over this time. No more "I'll do it later." Morning time is now guarded territory. Period.
    

2. Scheduling Break Times Into My Calendar: If it's not in my calendar, my day will fill up with other things. So I'm actively blocking out times throughout the day to get up, move, and take breaks. Otherwise, my calendar will fill up with everything except what I actually need.
    

The Hard Truth About Priorities

You might be thinking, "But Dawn, my schedule is packed. I have so many things I have to do."

I get it. I really do. But I want you to take a step back and ask yourself:

What's more important than your health? What's more important than your client's health? What's more important than building the business and life you want? Only you know where your priorities truly lie.

But if you're going to wake up tomorrow saying "I wish I had" or "I should have" or "I didn't do what I said I was going to do," then it's time to reflect on how you can do things differently.

Progress Over Perfection

As I always say: Rome wasn't built in a day. You don't have to get all the way there right away.

But we do have to take a couple of steps forward each time so we're moving toward our goals, not away from them.

Let's Talk

What are you struggling with right now? Where has complacency crept into your routine?

I'd love to brainstorm with you. I have single coaching sessions available if you want to get on a call and work through some of the challenges in your business and wellness journey.

Because here's what I hope for you: that you live a life you love without giving up the things that bring you joy.

Dawn McGee is a wellness strategist and nutrition evangelist dedicated to helping professionals achieve sustainable work-life balance.