Get to the Pool

I haven’t attended a Tower 26 5:45 a.m. morning swim since July. Between things at Insomniac Games heating up in that time frame, Ayla’s pregnancy, and the height of Good Wolf racing season, I was busy.

These were convenient excuses. I bought into them. Sleep rewarded me. I grew soft.

A healthy splash of cold #Accountability water courtesy of author and all-around superhero badass David Goggins woke up me up recently.

I was being a wuss, to put it politely. I was letting excuses dictate my existence. No more.

This morning, knowing full well that Tower 26 Pacific Palsides-based swim might be canceled due to the fires, I woke up at 5 and drove the 20 minutes to the pool. The funny part is that I almost wanted the pool to be closed — but not for the reason you might think though.

See, I knew I had already won the day. The hardest part of changing your schedule, or your life, is getting out of bed to do it. Good habits start with a good decision. And I knew that even with a potentially canceled swim, I had already changed course in my life.

The swim was not canceled. There were 35 other crazies at Pali High with me. And ya know what? I forgot how lovely the drive back home is as the sun has just risen over the Pacific Ocean and Santa Monica Pier.

Even though we’re just talking about one pool swim early in the morning, that sunrise was earned, not given.

Now, I have momentum. Tomorrow, the plan is to wake up early again and swim at my local pool. Forming good habits again, one workout at a time. All while remaining balanced and focused at home — so back in the door to help Audra get ready for school before 7 a.m.

What is your metaphorical early morning swim? What are you not committing to that’s simply one wake-up away? How can you break up your hesitation into baby steps that set you on a better path?