Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win
Even at my lowest point this last week I never once considered throwing in the towel – but I did let it slip from my grip on occasion.
Picture: notsogoodphotography-
When life starts to make extra demands on my time or throws in unexpected issues for me to contend with, the simple act of getting fit becomes much less simple.
My troubles started last week when I felt the first symptoms of a cold brewing. Since the first warning signs, the cold has become a little worse and leaves me feeling dog tired.
This general fatigue led to my waking time moving from 4am to 5am.
Failing to get up early enough meant that exercising then cut into time I’d set aside for other important tasks and I found myself becoming anxious because I was losing ground.
I don’t know whether that’s connected with what happened next but I woke up with a stiff shoulder which then progressed to my neck. I found it difficult to sleep with a painful neck and slept in even longer until 6.30am.
The next night I decided to go to bed earlier to get more sleep, but that was the night my children woke me TEN times in total. My alarm went off at 4am and I didn’t even waste my time reaching for the snooze button, I just turned the damn thing off and woke at seven.
With my cold progressing nicely and my senses dulled by poor quality sleep, we made a trip to visit family for a birthday party. I was tired, hungry and fed up but I enjoyed the party food. My brother in law did the decent thing and took me to the pub for a couple of beers.
After passing up a slice of birthday cake we spent an hour and a half getting home, we put the kids to bed and I nipped out to get some hot food. Not the best idea but I couldn’t face cooking, I couldn’t face rabbit food and I couldn’t face being hungry.
The next day I was up late again and didn’t run, firstly because I didn’t get up in time and secondly because my neck was still sore.
When my wife then decided that she wanted to paint the living room I was tasked with looking after the children. Not being a school day I had to entertain them upstairs because they couldn’t be trusted to roam free with the freshly painted walls just aching for dirty hand prints.
Later, we did the outdoor thing for a while but then it got to lunchtime and home wasn’t a good option so I opted for…. McDonald’s! Yay! Superb decision making!
Actually I don’t mind this bit because it was a spontaneous bit of fun for the family. My children get to eat Happy Meals about twice a year, so a third time wasn’t going to hurt.
I enjoyed what I ate and I don’t regret it – we had a great time.
That same evening we took the kids to a Pantomime at the local theatre. It was a production of Aladdin and it was fantastic – but it involved eating ice cream during the intermission. Okay, this one I regret as I could have easily abstained.
It was half way through the performance that I felt a pinching sensation halfway down my spine. It got worse and I knew I’d trapped a nerve – doing nothing!
Cold, stiff neck, trapped nerve. Great.
To compound my woes I also came face to face with the prospect of having to return to work. It’s come as something of a blow as it’s not at all what I want. Of all the directions I saw my life taking, a backwards step was not amongst them. My return is not scheduled until the end of March so I have three more months of being a Stay At Home Dad.
I don’t know how many of you know about my former employment status, but I’ll be returning to my role as a Police Officer.
It’s a job that’s difficult enough but leaving myself open to the ridicule of having my fat photos reproduced in the local newspapers is not my idea of fun. I’m sad to say that I’m going to end my crazy routine of posting pictures of me in my boxers and I’ll be taking down the existing pictures.
So it’s been a tough week but I’m not quitting. On the contrary I’m even more determined to succeed.
I’m not a quitter.
I’m a winner.
The difference?
I believe the difference is a state of mind.
What techniques do you employ to keep a winning mindset?
I hope your answers will help me maintain mine.
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11 Responses to “Winners Never Quit, Quitters Never Win”
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Just getting through tough a tough week is a definite victory!
Dave, we’re here for you – whether you are at home or on the police force, posting regularly or not, eating ice cream when you “shouldn’t” or not. I’m sure when your old cronies on the force see you all fit and in shape in March, they’ll be wishing they could take a sabbatical too.
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David Fowler Reply:
December 18th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Thanks Avlor, it’s been a pretty sucky week. But hey, that’s life sometimes.
Thanks for sticking with me and my utter madness. You’re a gem, you have been from the start.
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You didn’t have the most fun of weeks, but it’ll get better. To answer your question, I believe as you. Keeping a winning mindset is a matter of state of mind. And you sure sound determined!
I might add that if it’s hard to switch from pessimism to optimism, I just suck in a huge breath, know I’m doing all I can (if I really am), find some confidence, and then have another run at whatever it is I’m trying to do.
Julie’s last blog post..Our World in a Christmas Tree
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David Fowler Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Thanks Julie. It’s getting better already. The back pain is easing and I’m an a better frame of mind.
BTW. I smiled at someone yesterday who scowled at me. As they walked away they continued to scowl and I continued to smile. See. Better already.
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Julie Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
OH! I’m so GLAD!!! You’re the best, Dave! Thanks so much for telling me! You just made my day.
You really did. What a gift… Now I’m all warm and fuzzy and happy.
Julie’s last blog post..Our World in a Christmas Tree
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Wow! Okay, I want to curl up under a blankie and not come out until I’m good and ready, and it wasn’t even my bad week! Good on you for hanging tight.
What do I do to stay motivated? Well, nothing really. If it’s something that never rang true in the first place, I don’t go back to it. If it is something that rings true, then I have a little wallow and simply get back at it.
I think it’s knowing deep down in your gut (in this case, your ‘getting smaller’ gut) that it’s the right thing for you at this moment in time. And you just do it.
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Growing up golfing
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David Fowler Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Panther, you’re (or even ‘your’) approach sounds similar to my own. I miss my blankie
I like what you say about things ‘ringng true’. I’d like to see if I can make that work for myself.
I also love the idea of my smaller gut. I’ve just got to make it happen now. LOL.
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I thought about you first thing this morning because I felt awful about not asking about your pinched nerve and how that recovery was going. Sometimes I can be very thoughtless – sorry, but I did keep your recovery in my meditations yesterday.
Very hard week, and then not to feel good either, so hard to stick to you plans and keep at it. This morning we are still rather snowed in with more snow on the way, so there was no 5 am workouts to attend – the gym is not even opening until 8am and then the shower head broke off the wall and there are no plumbers available and by this weekend 7 people will be wanting of showers over the next week – what’s a mother/parent to do? Laugh out loud? and get back to doing the best you can at the time…
Last year the hot water heater gave out and ruined all the wood flooring in the bedrooms…the fellow said he would have all new flooring down by the 19th of December – nope and as we all made do in the living room we were surrounded by rather “crude” workers laying the floor and not showing up on time then telling us about how they don’t celebrate Christmas anymore because it is just a materialistic overblown event….didn’t notice my honey was lighting Hanukkah candles…and mocked our singing of prayers…
I fired them in mid January and sent them away and we found someone else to finish the job..
I truly feel that life happens and it is all part of the context of our decisions to be healthy and happy….if I didn’t I think this I might feel like a train wreck…all of the time…
come on now…this is how you are going to live your life – in health…and joy?
I wish my brother in law would take me for a couple of brews! nope they don’t even care that I exist…their loss…
When you really get down…think of me….the sicko trying to get healthy for the first time in my life….and then look at those wonderful children and rejoice in the care you are giving them and the lessons you are teaching…life is a journey not just the end – which is death…
Feel better and thank you for all your support of me…I just love check in with you guys daily…and I nearly write a book here everyday! Sorry for being so wordy..
Your world needs a fit healthy Police Officer…with a freshly painted living room and a quick trip to MacDonald s that made a nice connection…how lucky are you..?
Patricia’s last blog post..Anatomy of a Fat Cell
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David Fowler Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Patricia, don’t feel bad, in fact think nothing of it. I have a way of making trivial ailments seem like life threatening conditons. Apparently it’s because I’m a man!
Getting family together at this time of year can be a major operation. It certainly doesn’t help if you’re snowed in!!
We’ve got wooden floors too and the bare wood is lovely but we suffered in a similar way when we were flooded a couple of years back. As for the crude workmen, it sounds like they deserved to be sacked!!
Patricia, you go ahead and write your book here. LOL. It’s fine by us and we love the way you participate.
To answer your final question…. I’m very lucky indeed. I have much more than I properly appreciate.
Thank you Patricia.
David Fowler’s last blog post..A Fresh Blanket Of Snow
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Damn Dave, sorry about having to go back to the force. Is there other work you could consider?
Hey its not to weird that I already saved those pictures of you in your underwear is it?
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David Fowler Reply:
December 19th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Turf Dad, Going back to the Police is the mot realistic option – and the most sensible given all of the circumstanses. It’s not the greatest outcome, but I am lucky to have a job I can just walk back into.
If you ever want more pictures, just let me know. Put in some advanced requests for different outfits and I’ll see what I can do. Hahahahahahaha.
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