How do I fit in exercise?

Every week I get five glorious days to do as much work on my private practice as I want before I "have" to take a break and enjoy the weekend.  I know this may sound backwards (most people hurry to "get through" the work week so they can relax and enjoy their weekend), but this is how I've been living the past 2 months.  No joke.

After working a corporate travel job for nearly two years, I am super excited to be my own boss, set my own hours and make all the decisions.  What most people don't tell you about entrepreneurial ventures is that you end up working way harder for yourself than you would ever work for your employer.  The reason I work so much harder is because I am *passionate* about what I do and am truly excited to help my clients lead healthier, happier, more satisfying lives!

My poor boyfriend can attest to much time I've spent getting everything set up so I can start seeing clients.  I would probably be even more of a work-a-holic if he wasn't around to convince me to take a break and spend time with him on the weekends.  Below is a picture of what we did last weekend.

Using a Tyrolean Traverse to cross the river and get to the climbing area on the other side!

That being said, I think the the most challenging part of self-employment is making the time to feed my body three solid meals each day and exercise at least 3 days a week.  Here are the techniques I've been using to help me "fit in" exercise (I will discuss food another day).

• Set a schedule.  My boyfriend and I rock climb on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights (or at least 2 out of the 3).  This has been the default for so long that instead of calling to schedule a climbing session, we usually only touch base if we need to cancel.
• Friendly motivation and accountability.  Last weekend I woke up at 6:30am in order to drive 3 hours to Franklin, WV to rock climb outside with a group of friends.  I would have never done this on my own volition but, because three others were riding in my car, I rallied and sacrificed my sleep to make the adventure happen.
• Seize the moment.  Today is a gorgeously sunny day in the Washington DC metro area, the kind of day that just demands to be taken advantage of.  I haven't gotten outside for a run in what feels like forever so today I am treating myself with a mid-afternoon exercise break.
• Try something new.  In the past 2 months, I added acro yoga back into my repertoire of activities.  A good friend of mine introduced me to acro when we lived together back in 2010.  He now lives in California but, every time he's in town, we get together to "fly" and "base" -- which, of course, inspires me to share the love.   I got my boyfriend into acro and we usually play around with balance poses after our weekly yoga on Tuesday night.
• Find an activity you like and look forward to!

February 7 (Franklin, WV): south-facing crag = warm enough to climb shirtless!