Make life changes like a 14 year old.

Making positive changes in your life are hard to start and stick with as you get older. I have struggled with exercise and eating right my entire life. It is not hard to understand why, donuts taste better than celery and MARVEL® movies are more fun than a treadmill. So why are some people so good at it and others, like me, are not? 

My daughter started high school this year. Just writing that makes me feel so old. Over the past two and a half years, we made the decision to keep her home after the COVID-19 shutdowns. We were not afraid of the virus, but the flexibility was ideal for extracurricular activities. She is a competitive dancer and virtual school opened a door for her to train and gain more flexibility in her schedule. There were many benefits related to virtual school; work at her own pace, start new classes when she finished early, take more dance classes during "school hours," volunteer, and help in our family's retail store. 

We had multiple discussions about whether to stay virtual or go back to in-person for high school. She was adamant that she missed the social aspect and wanted the high school experience. Unfortunately for her, she really enjoyed sleeping in and where we live, high school starts at 6:55am. She was not a morning person and became accustomed to working when she wanted, that could have been a 11pm on Tuesday or a Saturday afternoon. She loved the flexibility and flourished. She hated the thought of getting up early, until there was a reason to be up. 

I guess that is it, the reason...she had a reason to get up in the morning. Now, I get up each day wondering who this kid is. She is up at 5am, self-imposed bedtimes are strictly adhered to, and preparations are made to make her daily routine easier. The best part, we don't get her up in the mornings. It is all done by her because she wants to be the best at being a freshman in high school. Frankly, I am a bit jealous. At 14, she found something that made it worth the routine and lifestyle sacrifices necessary to be happy. Her "something" is her friends, being a cheerleader, her math class and teacher, and dance. 

At least in the mind of this proud papa, the answer is to find what gets you excited and do whatever it takes to be amazing. It will happily get you up at 5am instead of 10am. Take it from a 14-year old who needed no parental help in changing her behaviors for what she wanted, you can do it too. Humans are not good at change unless it is something we want. That can be the hardest part of the journey, finding what you want. For now, she has found her "it" and taught her dad a lesson. Daddy will be hitting the gym after a lunch salad and some lean protein. 

Tim Hennessy spent 25 years in broadcast television, has been an advertising agency owner and a political campaign and grassroots community manager. Currently, the President at Hennessy Strategies. Founded in 2020, Hennessy Strategies is a full-service branding and advertising agency serving a diverse client base of innovative companies, candidate, elected officials, change-making nonprofits, and entrepreneurial start-ups from Southwest Florida.

Learn more about Hennessy Strategies at hennessystrategies.com.