5 a.m.: the power hour. I’ve spent a good long while totally convinced that there was no way I could ever be a morning workout person. “It’s too early and I need lots of sleep to be productive during the day,” or “I don’t have the energy to get my best possible workout that early…I do better in the evenings,” and even “I won’t have enough time to get ready and to work on time if I work out in the morning.” I’d also convinced myself that I couldn’t physically handle back to back intense workouts, “My body needs ‘rest days’ between intense days…” Believe me, I was NOT, no way, no how ever going to be a morning workout person. It was settled.

But then, after months of paying for Camp Gladiator and only making it to camp twice a week, at best, or none at all at worst, and subsequently seeing no results, my friend Sarah and I decided our system just wasn’t working. Something had to change if we wanted to reach our weight loss and fitness goals.

And so we made a plan to do what I never thought was possible for me–we were going to Tuesday’s 5:30 a.m. camp. I had my doubts that we would actually make it. But then a funny thing happened. We made it to camp. And not only did we make it to camp, we felt great having gone and were more energetic throughout the morning, more productive at work and actually excited to work out. Somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m, something changed: my perspective.

Now, not only can I do it, I want to do it! I even caught myself saying to Sarah this morning, “Man we should’ve started Monday so we could make it all five days this week!” WHAT?! Crazy right? In just a one hour on a random Tuesday morning, my workout became something I no longer dread all day long before coming up with a reason I can’t make it, or felt guilty about having to miss because of a meeting or event in the evening. My workout is part of my morning routine. It’s just one more step I take before hopping in the shower and getting ready for work.

Plus, it’s positively affecting the rest of my day as well. I eat better the rest of the day because I don’t want to blow everything I got up early to do. Before, I would eat junk all day long with the thought that I would just work it off at camp that night. Again, it’s just a little shift in thinking that has big impact! I get far more done in the morning when I get to work, and when I get home in the evening, I can jump right into whatever I need to get done. It’s not 7 pm before I can start on something because I had to go workout in the evening. The evenings are mine and I’ve been making the most of them!

Now, all of this said, we are only three days into our new routine, but I truly believe there is no turning back. Sarah and I have already confirmed we will be out there again tomorrow morning (again, Friday workouts? A few days ago those just wouldn’t ever have happened.) I must confess I am very sore today and I’m more tired than I have been thus far BUT this was to be expected and it’s just the hump I have to get over while my body adjusts to the new schedule. And now I have the determination to push myself past this hump!

So, what have you dubbed “impossible” in your own life? Maybe it’s time you give it another try. Challenge the voice that tells you you can’t. Because maybe you can. And even if you can’t, you can’t just yet. Start working at it, believe that you can, and I bet pretty soon you’ll have achieved “the impossible.”  See you in the morning?!