Nick Bare

things to do in a routine allows me to stay on track.

Having a child definitely disrupted my routine.

And what I've learned over time is that I have to, we have to place our responsibilities over our routines.

So some of my best fitness advice for new fathers, how to balance training and being a father in your new routine, it's to have a plan,

Always have a plan.

But you have to be okay with that plan getting disrupted and going out the window.

This is one of the reasons I wake up at 4.30 a.m.

every morning to either run or lift.

Most days, our kids don't wake up until 7 or 7.30 a.m.

Most days, but not every day.

There are days where I wake up at 4.30 a.m., I start getting ready to go for a run, and one of our kids is in a sleep regression and wakes up before I go out for that run or shortly after I start running, and I have to come back home or not run.

And this used to really hurt me and anger me and stress me out.

Because I had a plan.

It was part of my routine.

That plan and routine was disrupted.

And it sounds so selfish to say that, but it took me some time to have grace for myself and to realize that our life responsibilities, especially our family, our spouses, our kids are much more important than that five mile run that I was going to do.

I can find time later in the day.

And if I can't find time later in the day, maybe I'll do it at night.

And if that doesn't work, I'll do it the next day.

I'll get back on track.