Slow Down

I spent more than a year gunning it at full speed in the wrong direction. A life of excess that just morphed into something uncontrollable. By the time I stopped the damage, it had been done: I gained so much weight, dug myself into a $25,000 credit card debt hole, and my mental state was just shot.

Thankfully, in October 2019 I finally began turning it around:

A balanced and healthy outlook on eating and exercise. Overeaters Anonymous (although, not so anonymous now, I guess). Sticking to a budget. Throwing chunks of money toward paying off debts. Doctor visits. Weekly therapy. Psychiatrist visits (and the weeks dedicated to finding the right medication and the right dosage, which led to some tough body adjustments) ...and all of this while working full-time, going to school part-time, and bringing you the journey on Tiger on the Loose.

Aren’t you just exhausted reading that, because I’m exhausted typing it all out.

So, after several months of this, I realized I was attempting to move just as fast in the positive direction as I was previously moving in the wrong direction.

And I noticed the same symptoms creeping up: burn out, anxiety, stress, nervousness -- even though the progress I was making was good.

It was my therapist who helped me make this epiphany moment with the big takeaway that the focus should be on less -- not more.

And that advice is spot on.

You, tiger, should savor the process. Enjoy the ride. While there will be some bumps along the leveling-up journey, I still want to wake up every morning with a smile on my face because of my successes -- but more importantly, hungry, ready to keep pushing.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, anxious, or stressed as you enhance your life then it may be a good time to pause, reevaluate, and react to what you are feeling. Make the appropriate adjustments.

And it’s tough, right?

Because you’re on the prowl and you want to seize everything at once -- or at least chip away at everything, every day.

But don’t worry. You have enough time. Trust me.

Continuously making adjustments to yourself and your routine is expected. Every day you become a little more familiar with yourself and your healthy limits.

So what did I do? I was calculated, I was prepared, and I was aware -- ahhhh, remember that from Chapter 1?!

• Instead of being so focused to log every meal in my diet diary, I was aware of the situation and prepared to make a deal with myself: When I go out to eat, make good choices (to quote Jamie Lee Curtis in Freaky Friday), savor the occasion, and sure, document the meal itself -- but don’t waste time searching for each individual item. You know what you’re eating. You might say, I went halfway for this situation (Chapter 2 cheap plug)
• When it’s time to rest, it’s time to rest. I know I’m super productive throughout the week. And when my body’s telling me it’s a rest day, it’s a rest day. Be aware of what your body is saying. A day laying low, pantsless at home, cooking bacon, and watching The Office does fucking wonders for recharging your batteries. Just don’t do it every day (you’ve watched every episode 17 times already).
• I say “no” a lot more. I am prepared to say no -- I don’t fight it. Can I fit another project into my schedule? Do I really have the time, energy, and money to commit to an event or a trip or even a dinner? Your energy is priceless. Expend it wisely.

As is the case with every chapter of the Tiger journey, this call to slow down in your physical, daily life is a microcosm of a bigger picture that we’ll dive into very soon: like, doing away with the excess and doing away with instantaneous gratification -- even if you’re moving in the right direction. And we’ll also dive into the act of not just physically slowing down, but slowing down and taking a breath spiritually, even deeper mentally, and from within. Meditation, mindfulness, and awareness.

I can’t wait to share these deeper dives with you.

What you’re absorbing today is just a taste to get the ball rolling.

So take more than a moment and get to know yourself and your grind.

Odds are, if you’re as hungry and active in the pursuit like I am, you can probably find a few areas to slow down.

LFGS.

Let’s fucking go… slower.