Why am I doing this again?

This thought crosses my mind every once and a while.  By day I'm a tax accountant, which means that right about now I'm working 55-60 hour weeks.  On top of that I have yet to pass the CPA exam, so that keeps me pretty busy.  Most importantly I have a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters.  With all of this going on, why do I try to make time?

I often run through the reasons in my head, but it always comes down to a select few:

1. I think better when I've exercised.  My mind is more alert and ready for new challenges.  Work seems a bit easier to get through, and what I've studied sticks around a bit longer.

2. I was getting incredibly out of shape, and had to turn that around.  I feel healthy again.  No more sluggish days spent yawning away the poor sleep.  I've got more energy and I am generally happier than I have been.

3. What I consider the best reason, is that I hope my kids can see what I do and get excited about exercising and taking care of themselves.  I don't care what sport they do.  I don't even care if they don't like sports.  If they stay active and eat right I'll be happy.

I read a post recently from a blog I follow called Diary of an amateur triathlete.  Her 6-year-old son just ran a 1-mile race.  It was fun to read how they trained together and are planning for their next race.  My 3-year-old always asks me if I've ridden my bike or run today.  Then she starts mimicking my running (I hope I really don't look like that when I run) as she zooms around the house.

There are a lot of things in this world that can take up our time.  My hope is that I can make sure I spend my time on worthwhile endeavours