How to win at work and home by taking care of your body.
One dad, when asked what his biggest challenge was, said:
“Motivation. It’s easy to just come home, sit on the couch and watch TV.”
I get it. It’s easy to disengage.
But, I believe God is calling us to something bigger. I think God seriously wants our motivations to be in proper order.
If we can address these physical matters, we can have enough energy to thrive at work and home.
Question: What’s your diet and exercise been like today?
We know the physical and spiritual are closely intertwined. But how? Well, as you know if you’ve read my last few posts, I’m nothing if not practical.
I want to know what works and what doesn’t. I don’t want someone to tell me my kids should be the most important part of my day, to point out the lies I hang onto, and then to leave me hanging without some practical tips of what to do to help.
I’ve promised NOT be the guy who leaves you hanging. This post is habit three of six. Six habits of what I think are the most practical habits we most often overlook.
The point is to give you practical habits you can implement in your life so you have the energy you need for both work and home.
The first habit was finding rest. We simply need to get more rest. I believe we can operate as we are called to by God if we get some of these practical steps in order with our physical lives.
The next habit was drinking enough water. We can’t operate at optimum performance if we aren’t properly hydrated—and most of us aren’t doing this well. Ask your doctor! So, next is…
Take care of your body with exercise and healthy eating
I had a rude awakening a couple years ago with one aspect of my health—my teeth. I went to the dentist for a check-up after what had been an embarrassingly long gap between visits.
I figured they would do their thing, remind me to come more frequently and lecture me about my lack of flossing. I was in for a surprise.
The dentist explained to me that I had five cavities including one that would require a root canal. There’s a reason people say things like, “It’s about as much fun as a root canal.”
As if that wasn’t enough, I was quickly informed that I’d now be paying a couple thousand dollars more than my free checkup I thought I would be getting.
This experience awakened me to a reality–I need this set of teeth to last me another forty or so years.
“You’ll never have the energy needed for work & home if you’re in poor physical shape.”
Our overall physical health is the same. If you’re going to fully address the biggest issues you face as dad, you need this body to last you through the rest of your parenting years.
In addition, you will never have the energy needed for work and home if you’re in poor physical shape. Get this part right so you can address the bigger issues of leadership, communication and discipline of your child.
The reality is you may be genuinely trying to be fully engaged and present with your family at night, but the physical drain of your day keeps you from it.
Look at both your diet and the amount of physical activity in your life. Both areas must be addressed to fully pursue health.
The dads Manhood Journey asked the question, “What’s your biggest challenge as a dad right now?” Many dads said things like this:
- Finding the time and energy to do activities with my boys
- Time and giving my all when I’m exhausted
- Energy to enjoy endless activities with my daughters.
I think there’s a couple of ways we go wrong when it comes to having enough energy to thrive for the day.
The eating problem
We don’t always realize how much the fast-food culture we live in truly impacts our diet. It takes work to plan and eat healthy meals. We tend to eat the wrong things and especially struggle with eating the wrong amounts.
The sin of gluttony is real and one we tend not to talk about. Oh, sure we’ll quote 1 Corinthians 10:13 when it comes to sexual temptation and thats good.
But, what about using this Scripture to combat overeating?
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. —1 Corinthians 10:13
Do you plan what you’ll eat for the week? If not, how are you being proactive in eating properly?
The exercise problem
Also, exercise doesn’t mean you must do an activity you hate. If you hate running, it’s probably not a great idea to take up jogging as your main form of exercise.
Find a fun activity or sport that you enjoy. The enjoyment level will be a motivator for you on its own.
What’s your go-to activity that you find enjoyable enough to do habitually?
Also, there are some easy ways to increase your physical activity without much additional time or effort.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park at the far end of the parking lot.
- Take a walk when you make phone calls.
A healthy plan for diet and exercise will help give you the energy you need for your kids. We’ll talk about habit #4 in the coming days. Until then, do your homework and read the previous posts!
Find the recap of the following posts
- Habit #1 from this series on Finding Rest
- Habit #2 on drinking enough water
Question: Have you exercised today? Have you eaten well? Tell us in the comments section below, tweet us @manhoodjourney or you can always email me.
