Lackadaisical

My mum was right…. I can be lackadaisical sometimes.

When I was younger I distinctly remember this word being levelled at me (I think my mum would like it to be known that she pronounced it correctly, for the record) and at the time I always felt it was unjustified.

I did just want to watch five more minutes, Mum. 

I was going to tidy my room later.

I wasn’t just being a lazy swine and laying on the couch watching Back to the Future 2 for the 30th time. 

Looking back, my Mum’s accusation was – of course – completely justified.

But I like to think my laziness has subsided over the years, especially since becoming a father.

Lazy?

Not only is there too much to do now to be lazy, but the fact that there’s a little version of me relying on my lazy ass to go out to work and keep him fed, clothed and generally looked after, means laziness just isn’t an option.

However….when it comes to exercise, I still feel that lackadaisical-ness return; that urge to sit on the couch for five more minutes, or to look out of the window at the rain coming down and say “I’ll go out when it stops”, hoping it never, ever stops.

Worst of all, I’ve even used Marley as an excuse:

“I would love to do more exercise, but now we’ve got Marley I just don’t have any time”

At the end of last month, a good friend of mine challenged me to run 5k every day in December. For no reason at all, he just challenged me.

And I accepted.

Running

He must have caught me at a good time, because usually that is precisely the kind of thing I would use anything (Marley included) as an excuse not to do.

And tough as it has been at times, we’re almost two weeks into December and I’m still managing to get a 5k done every day, come rain or shine.

(Well, I haven’t actually been out in the rain, I’ve done most of the 5k’s on a treadmill. So, just come shine, really.)

But the point is, I’m getting it done. And I’ve been sharing my progress on Instagram to help motivate me, as it would be all the more disappointing (humiliating is the word) if I don’t manage to get it finished and everyone knows all about it. 

The reason I’m writing this post and sharing this progress is absolutely not to brag, by the way – I mean let’s face it, I’m hardly going to give Mo Farah a scare with my only-just-under-30 minute 5k times.

And nor is there a particular lesson or message I’m trying to get across by writing this.

I really just wanted to admit to the world that I can be a lazy swine at times, and that my Mum was right. But that I really appreciate that a friend challenged me not to be, and I accepted.  If that happens to encourage anyone else who, like me, is used to making excuses not to do something then that would be excellent too.

In the meantime, wish me luck…..and don’t forget to subscribe up on the top right so you get updates whenever I post this stuff!