As I may have mentioned before, I like to work out. (I know, I know. I sound like a total gym bro and I'm insufferable about this, but real talk, folks. I love to work out.) Right now, I pay for eight sessions a month with my trainer up front, and then, if we go over that, I have to pay for each session individually. Most months, we get our eight in and that's that—there are inevitably days each month where either he or I can't make our scheduled times. But sometimes, we are both more available than usual and I use up all my pre-paid sessions.
September was one of those months, so the last Sunday of the month, I got a text from Teddy (my trainer) saying that if I wanted to see him Monday and Wednesday, like usual, I'd have to pay for those sessions individually. Now, I'm a on a ridiculously tight budget. Starting a business isn't cheap and the money I am making doing consulting work is going right back into the company. I have plenty of savings, but I'm loathe to use it—I grew up without money, so I'm always convinced it's gonna run out—so I'm very careful about "extra" expenses in the monthly budget.
As usual in these situations, I asked Brian what he thought I should do. His answer, of course, was to go to the gym. He reminded me how good it makes me feel, and how important it is to my mental health. And how insignificant, in the long run, $35 is. (That's what an extra session with Teddy costs.) So I texted Teddy back and told him I'd be there.
Monday rolled around, and, as usual, I hadn't slept well Sunday night. I was tired, frustrated, grumpy, and the last thing I wanted to do was change clothes, drive to the gym, work out and then come back to the office and change clothes again. But, I'd paid extra for this session, and did I mention I'm on a tight budget? So I put on my workout clothes and went, expecting to grind my way through a dumb workout, feeling old and fluffy and useless.
It was amazing. It was honestly the best workout I've had in months. I felt energetic, I felt strong, and I got to do dragon flags, which always make me feel like a total badass. I finished my workout with a huge smile on my face, and felt awesome the rest of the day. The $35 I spent to see Teddy gave me way more benefit than an average dinner or drinks after work, which would normally cost that much. And it was a strong reminder that I need to work out, especially on days when I don't feel like it.