In and Out of Hot Water: Staying Consistent with T-Tapp
The shower was not quite hot, but hot water tends to run out when eight or more people are sharing two small bathrooms so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. By the end of the morning we realized that the hot water heater wasn’t working. There had been a storm in the night so we figured the pilot light had blown out because of high winds. No worries, easy to fix. Wrong again. We received news that the a new hot water heater would be installed….in four days.
So now what? Heating water in a stock pot on the stove to wash dishes, feeling like a pioneer. Holding your breath and washing your face in the sink. Steeling your nerves and rinsing off in an icy shower. Loading everyone up with towels and clean clothes to wash hair at someone’s apartment.
We tend to take simple conveniences for granted until they are gone.
The sudden loss of an everyday utility caused a lot of adjustments and extra work. There are parallels between this situation and what happens when we are faced with unexpected obstacles in our T-Tapp consistency.
At the discovery of the loss of hot water we didn’t crumple to the floor and bemoan our circumstances. We didn’t give up on staying clean or keeping up with the dishes. We worked around the reality and kept going, as best we could.
When you find that the workout you planned for the day isn’t going to happen, you don’t have to berate yourself. Adapting and doing 10 minutes’ worth and calling it good beats….nothing.
Like heating water to wash dishes, look around and see what you can do to put a bandaid on the situation—can you change your workout time or multi-task? A friend and I know we will be sitting at a community children’s theater audition for an hour this week. She’s bringing her laptop and a T-Tapp DVD and we’re going to do a quick form tweak session in an empty room. If you’re going to be visiting with friends at a park while your children play, how about a mini T-Tapp workout together? Sounds like fun and gets the job done.
Taking a cold shower isn’t on my list of favorite things to do, but it was the quickest road to a result. Maybe you need to just get ‘er done and do that workout without fanfare or too much self-conversation. Lace up your shoes and push play.
Perhaps you’re finding that your Grand T-Tapp Plan isn’t working out—you know, the plan for three Total Workouts and Step Away the Inches on off-days every week. Work around reality and keep going, as best you can. Three or four Basic Workouts in a week sure beats…nothing.
Finally, find the good in the situation. I actually enjoyed hand-washing dishes to catch up while I listened to a training audio on my iPod. You may find that you really enjoy the portion of a workout that you did and decide to make it a regular habit. You may discover that it’s really fun to do T-Tapp in odd places with friends and decide to schedule it on purpose.
If there’s one thing you can expect, it’s that the unexpected will happen. Plan B can yield surprisingly good results, especially as compared to quitting completely.
I vote for staying consistent with washing the dishes these four days rather than letting them pile up because we don’t have hot water. In the same way, staying consistent with what you CAN do with your workouts will prevent a pile-up of fat. Be glad for the seasons of time when staying consistent with your workout schedule is a little easier. Adapt and push through when it’s not so convenient.
At this writing we’re two days away from a hot water heater. I assure you, there will be a celebration when the new one is installed. Work through your Plan B (or C) for T-Tapp and you’ll celebrate the end results, too!