An Exercise in Futility….

About two years ago, I decided to learn how to knit. I bought a kit at a big-box chain store and a book off the internet. After several frustrating evenings, I almost gave up. I happened to mention to a friend that I wanted to learn and she offered to teach me. Surprise, surprise! She knit in addition to making jewelry, running a business, and still working full time. She taught me and here I am.

Except that the journey from there to here hasn’t been that simple. I remember reading knitting blogs and getting frustrated because I didn’t understand the terminology. I remember going to a chain craft store and getting frustrated because I didn’t understand the difference between different widths of yarn, much less different fiber content. I remember thinking that certain patterns were so hard and I would never be able to do that.

Little by little, I had light-bulb moments. I still have those moments with knitting and even more so with spinning now that I do [a little bit of] that too.

Now it is an odd day when I don’t pick up the needles (or spindle). My world feels out of balance if I don’t.

Husband feels that way about going to the gym.

In March 2006, husband had kidney stones. I’ve never seen him in so much pain- which is saying a lot since we played rugby in college. When that ordeal was over, he was 10 pounds lighter and determined to get into shape. He was working a job that was not conducive to a healthy lifestyle, but he started eating better and making it to the gym when he could. He changed jobs in January 2007 and since then…WOW! He’s not gotten on a scale since he went out of town for work in April, but his waist size is 34” now and his shoulders, back, and arms are muscled. He goes to the gym almost every day and I’m amazed at the transformation. He feels better and healthier. Going to the gym also helps him work out his frustrations about life and he is generally much more optimistic.

I want going to the gym or exercising to become as much a part of my daily life as it is to my husband or as much as knitting already is to me.

What’s holding me back?

I struggle with feeling like I don’t have enough time to do all of the things I want to do every day. I read a great blog post the other day about scheduling the things that are important to you on your calendar and make them just as important as the other things in your life that you have to do—like work. I also struggle with the fact that I’m getting older and do not see results as quickly as I previously did.

Overcoming both of these things takes practice and perseverance.

I practiced knitting when it was new until it felt like habit. I didn’t quit when I got frustrated.

I’m not going to quit going to the gym.

If Jennifer Love Hewitt can lose 18 pounds in 10 weeks, I can go to the gym regularly and try to lose XX [gotta keep some things a secret. ;-) ] pounds by Thanksgiving.

I’ll keep you updated.