While I’ve been on this weight-loss journey, I’m also going through another transformation: I started taking an immersive 10-week course to become a designer.

So far it’s been a ball. I love meeting new people and learning new things that make me feel super smart, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t one of the most stressful times of my life.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that socializing in itself has become work. With that said, being thrown into an immersive class with 20 other very dynamic personalities has its downfalls.

My days are filled with stand-up meetings, running around town interviewing clients, dealing with multiple projects that all entail the necessity of skills I’ve only recently learned, and doing work at my job that I actually get paid to do. The amount of people and personalities I have to connect with on a daily basis had gone from three to 30 in a matter of days. The only time I can get a quiet moment is on my commute and in showers… of which the length have become longer and longer.

I’d never thought I’d be one to say this, but I now find some of those seldom moments of peace in my workouts.

It’s one of the only times where I can concentrate on myself, reflect on my goals and put all the meetings and flowcharts and other junk away for a few minutes. There are days that are so rough that by the time I get to the gym I look like this:

But the nice thing is that I’ve turned something that I hated into something that I now need in order to feel happy and whole.

I’m trying to work this into other parts of my life with healthy eating, though, I hit some rough patches with pizza last week. Why is it SO HARD to resist pizza?!

But regardless, this journey made me realize that it doesn’t have to be about the end goal at all. I can take pride and joy from each work out. And if I can do that with my weight, surely I can take care of myself in other ways and enjoy that process as well.

I went to the store and bought several products to take care of my skin because I’ve been neglecting it for years. If you looked at my elbows, you would have thought I just army-crawled out of a chimney.

Working out and taking care of our bodies has become secondary to productivity at work, and that needs to change. But in the mean time, I’m pushing myself to prioritize my health and happiness over work. It’s not easy, but I have to start somewhere.

So, my unsolicited advice to you is to put the laptop, mobile, tablet down and go do something that makes you happy for at least one hour a day. The work will always be there when you get back!