My Recent Experience With Life Unbalance

Social Media = Highlight Reel

But is that authentic, when our lives are full of losses too? Here's one of my attempts to show more of a full picture:

Tomorrow at 2 am the alarm should ring.

Then getting some breakfast down, checking the gear one more time, suiting up, loading up the van and off we would go.

Down a little street in the Highlands and ready for my first-ever Triathlon.

Battling through cold sea water filled with jellyfish. Riding against a severe head-wind on a road right next to the sea and then running a half-marathon in the mountains.

But I am not in the Highlands.

There is no alarm set for 2 am.

And I will not cross that finish line tomorrow.

It has happened again.

Should I share it online?

Does it make me sound weak?

Am I a failure?

Well, I am trying to show a real picture of life as a busy family man, dedicated CEO and aspiring athlete here. And the losses are part of being authentic, so here we go.

After I called off my last ultra marathon in April, I shifted gears (pun intended) to triathlon prep. Miles and miles on the bike, lanes in the pool and local lakes as well as the usual running was going to get me ready for this event tomorrow.

But the truth is, I am not ready.

I could be going tomorrow morning and my training would help me make it to the end, but it wouldn't be to the standard I aspire to.

Why you might ask, the truth is, I've let work dictate my life for the past two months to an unhealthy degree. Now, as anyone in a similar position will know, this happens. Sometimes your business needs more of you. And since I am a provider for my family and steward of something truly special at work, I am ok with it.

But it is at the same time evidence that I did not stick to my boundaries. I failed. Myself.

And yes, that might be seen as weak, but I am sharing this to let you all know that life will sometimes demand more from us, which will unbalance you. The key is to notice it, review it and then make the necessary changes to charge forward.

For me, this means, accepting this failure and learning from it.

It means protecting this very important time for me: my training. Why do I hold it in such high regard? Because without creating a bit of time just for myself every day, without continuing to improve myself, and challenge myself, I lose myself in the process of serving everyone around me.

I am with and around people from 6.30 am until I go to bed, and these people need and deserve me at my best.

So I will take this learning and create the boundaries that are necessary for me to forge who I aspire to be.

The next race is already booked! And this time, I will toe the start line!

And I would love to hear from you, how do you deal with times when your life gets out of balance?

(this post was orginially published in my free weekly newsletter, follow the link in my bio if you want to try it out)