I can’t believe I’m already writing this blog post! The 5 weeks flew by (at least for me!) and it just goes to show that your life will continue whether you workout or not!
Here is a video from last year that will talk more specifically into being Marathon Minded and more info on what I detail below! Click here if you can’t see the video.
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Some of you might be relieved and happy that this 5 week challenge is over.
Others of you may be sad and a little lost.
You’ve had this challenge to keep you focused. You’ve had someone giving you a spot to check-in and ask questions weekly. You’ve had a chance to win a rockin’ grand prize.
Now you are going back to life BEFORE the challenge. Life which was hard. Life that was…well…life.
We can’t live our lives in constant challenges. It is good for us to change things up a bit. Sometimes that means amping it up and sometimes that means taking a step back. I’m not sure where you are right now, but for those of you interested in staying in the game, here are my recommendations.
Assess
Did this challenge work for you? How didn’t it? Do you need to dial back on the days of the week you exercised or perhaps, add more? Is it time to try something new? What did God teach you through these past 5 weeks as we moved through our 5 key points? Is it time for you to come alongside someone else along their health journey?
Applaud
Listen….This may be the longest amount of time some of you have exercised. Others of you have never memorized scripture before so the fact that you did 3 is awesome. Each of us have our own things that we can be happy about and you know what? Celebrate those accomplishments! If you haven’t done this yet, take a chance to applaud what you’ve done! If you did it with a group of ladies, go out to dinner together. If you did it with yourself, purchase a cute workout top. It is ok to be happy with the accomplishments over the past 5 weeks. But remember this—thank your Heavenly Father. He is the source of everything good in our lives! He alone gives us the strength and perseverance to keep these wondrous bodies going! Never forget that in the midst of your hard work!
Act
Here are some suggestions I have for you to act…again! This should not be the end of your journey, but just the beginning!
1.) Start a new challenge!
Make up your own rules. Choose your own verses. Give yourself a new goal and deadline. Add some new friends. Come up with a fun name and if you do this, be sure to share it with us! The Facebook accountability group we had for the challenge is doing just this so if you are interested in continuing on, be sure to join the group!
2.) Find a new Bible Study or book to keep you focused on the spiritual aspect of the challenge.
3.) Give yourself a “theme” to focus on for the next 5 weeks.
Then find books, podcasts and more to help you out! (i.e. self-control, marriage, the life of David etc)
4.) Start a “healthy living” focused book club.
Meet once a week, or twice a month. Talk about your physical challenges and review the book.My suggestions? Try “Reshaping it all” by Candace Cameron Bure, “Made to Crave” by Lysa Terkherst, or “Every Body Matters” by Gary Thomas.
5.) Start (or keep) a facebook group to keep the accountability…or…
6.) Join an already made online group
7.) Take a break!
That’s right. If you’ve been going strong for all 5 weeks, then it’s ok to take a break for up to a week. Get refreshed and refocused and start again!
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Next week I’ll be back with testimonies and the grand prize winners but I want to leave you with this graphic that I think you should print off and/or save! This is the heartbeat of this challenge and a great reminder as we move forward with our spiritual and physical disciplines!
