Happiness inspires Happiness: Getting my mojo back through exercise and healthy eating

I have often said that being a mother is literally the hardest job in the entire world, and though it is also the most rewarding one, it often strips us mums of our identity and our mojo for life.

The hardest thing is often to admit this and to find the time and the energy to rectify the situation. At the start of 2011 I decided that enough was enough and to be a better Mum, a better wife, a better friend and a better person I had to be a bit selfish and take the time to focus on myself and get my mojo back.


The main area's I wanted to focus on were weight loss and increased fitness. Initially I joined weight watchers as I had had success with that program previously. I really think this is only effective though if you attend the meetings - have to stand in front of someone every week and be accountable not just to yourself is the key. Another thing that I did which I know is often available, is I became a MTM or Meeting Team Member, this means I was the person weighing everyone in, and it also meant that I got my membership for free, so this was a great way to stay on track and save some money (and earn a little bit too).

I also heard about the 12 Week Body Transformation through some friends and thought it sounded like a great program (with Michelle Bridges at the helm, how could you go wrong?), and this really kicked in the exercise component for me. While on my journey I tried lots of different forms of exercise, because for me it needs to be something that I enjoy otherwise it becomes a chore and then I usually loose motivation to continue. For me I love Zumba and I love group fitness classes at the gym and now that I have learnt to run I also love running. I also have a very love/hate relationship with Bikram Yoga!
But by having the variety of fitness it has kept everything interesting for me.

By changing my eating and learning to love keeping fit I have turned my life around and now I do feel like I am a more effective Mum/Wife/Friend and person and my mojo for life is back. I am confident, I am happier, I enjoy dressing up again now and going clothes shopping, I have more energy for my kids and have a much happier social life.

But one of the most satisfying benefits from taking this journey for myself is that I have inspired others to also make this a priority in their lives. People that I didn't even know where watching have randomly told me that they are changing their lives because they have seen what I have done in mine. This to me is the biggest compliment and has really made my journey worthwhile.

This post was sponsored by Kids Business as part of their Happiness Inspires Happiness series. 

Back to reality

School holidays are over and I have to say it couldn't have come sooner. I really do love my kids don't get me wrong, but wow do they get in the way! I know that Motherhood is the life I have chosen and that at least for the next 14 odd years they all need to be my number one priority, but really can I not just have a small amount of time to myself, or to get things achieved that I want to achieve?
I think at the moment I am just spreading myself way to thin, and I need to plan better and be so totally more organised. I have been trying to write lists lately and it has been keeping me more on-task but I still need to get rid of all the time-wasting activities I have in my day and become far more productive.
It is just that a lot of those time-wasting things are the only time that I have to do something mindless or to escape reality for a few minutes. It is just so hard to come to the realisation that my life does revolve around being a mother 24/7. There are so many things that I want to work on, but I just don't know how I can do it all, especially while I still have young children. I look at other people (I know, I know I should never look at other people) and get bogged down in their successes or the way they can fit so much in their days and it makes me even less productive. What I need to do is remember that they may be older than me, or their children are older than mine, or they have more surplus cash than we have, or have simply worked harder than I have to get where they are. I really need to do less comparing and more doing, even if my doing is only in small amounts. Surely any doing is better than no doing.

So,  I am going to really nut out my days, prioritise my time, stay on task and eliminate the wasteful hours in my day. I know I can do this, and I know I can be more effective in all aspects of my life. A better mum, a better wife, a better housekeeper, a better eater, a better exerciser, a better business partner, a better blogger, a better crafter and a better me. In the last 12 or so months I have come so far and I really need to pick up the slack again and get back on track. All in all, there is so much truth in what they say about being a Mum - it really is the hardest job.