“Kids like to punch your plans right in thier unassuming faces” – The Dad Lift 

Plans.  We make them often and our kids like to punch those plans right in their unassuming faces. Just about the time we start to get into a routine, your child will find a way to shake it up. At least its keeps us on our toes. My ideal mornings involve a cup of coffee on the patio as I enjoy a good book and take in some quite time. This is followed by a workout. Whether be it a run, lifting or circuit training, this is then followed by a large breakfast; consisting of eggs, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, fruit etc. How many of these mornings have I had since being a father you ask? Its a number between 0-2. Plans change. Being able to adapt to what your life throws at you is what will keep your goals on track, especially your fitness goals. Here’s a look at my “plan” and what actually happened.

The Plan: I’ll hit the rack at around 10 pm,  get a solid 7 hours in, and wake up at 5 am. I just started reading Chris Moore’s “get change” book, so I’m looking forward to getting solid 30 minutes of Zen time before the kids start to wake up and DEFCON 1 officially begins. After my 30 minute moment of Zen, I plan to lift in the basement and finish just in time to see 4 year old, Lincoln, wake up, followed shortly by my one year old, Olliver. Awesome plan, its fool proof.

What actually happened: Today’s morning started out with the high pitched wails of Olliver, who has been suffering from a virus called “Hand, Foot, and Mouth” –  I am telling you right now, this virus sucks big time. The time is now 4:30 am, It’s my turn to console the little man. I stumble to his crib, pick him up and throw him in a new diaper. Walking down the stairs in darkness with toddler in hand, I find my way to the kitchen where I pour some milk for him. I nestle him in the couch and drive a good 5 oz of milk into the kid. After about 15-20 minutes he’s ready to hit the rack. I excitedly place him back in his crib and return to the kitchen… Yes! It’s only 4:50am, my plan can still work. I make my way over to the coffee maker and brew a fresh cup, mix in some milk and sugar, grab my book and make my way toward the door, I can just see the sun starting to crack over the horizon. Plenty of time to get totally Zen. As I walk past the stairs, almost free to my peaceful escape, I see a shadowy figure creeping down, blanket and teddy bear in hand… “Good morning Daddy!”…. Well, shit. My four year old is now awake and apparently looking to get his Zen time in also. This kid has the sleep ethic of a 80 year old factory worker. He makes his demands. Milk and cartoons. I fire up the TV and pour some milk for him. (Yes, we go through about 3 gallons a week of the stuff.) We make our way to the couch and I let him pick his show.  Zen time is officially cartoons and coffee with the boy.

With kids, plans change. When you look at the tasks you want to accomplish, you need to understand that on most days you won’t get what you want. And it won’t get done exactly the way you want it to. This happens to be the source of frustration for many fathers. You need the ability to adapt to the day. So, how did I manage to get my workout in this day? Lifting in the basement turned into push-ups, planks, and sit ups while the boys ran around me playing. I adapted, my Zen time by myself turned into Zen time with Lincoln and an episode of Star Wars Rebels followed by my workout. No, I didn’t get a chance to read, but the beauty of a book is that it will still have the same words written down, whenever it is that you pick it back up. Each day will be different and none seem to stay the same. Adapt and forget the plan.