There was a time when I thought a fulfilling life had to be busy to be meaningful. Now, I think differently. At this stage of my life, I have come to appreciate something far more valuable than a packed calendar: a rhythm that feels good to live. A rhythm built around gratitude, health, love, work, movement, family, friendship, and, of course, a little champagne and date-night glamour along the way.
My weekdays don’t begin with an alarm screaming at me to get out of bed. They begin at 10 a.m. And before my feet even touch the floor, I have a little ritual that reminds me just how fortunate I am.
I pray.
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My first thoughts of the day are words of gratitude—to God and to the universe—for the greatest gifts I could ask for: good health, another day, and the people I love. I thank God for my husband, for my unico hijo William, and for my six amazing girlfriends who make up my sisterhood tribe—six women I know I can count on for life. There is something powerful about beginning the day by acknowledging what you already have before thinking about everything you still want.
After my prayer, I ease into the day with an hour of stretching and yoga poses. There is no frantic rushing, no jumping out of bed in a panic. I stretch, breathe and move my body. It is my way of saying good morning to myself.
Then I get ready for work.
By 1 p.m., my husband and I are at the gym.
My husband and I run our business, Ron Zalko Fitness and Yoga, and although we have been doing this for years, every day still has its own rhythm and its own challenges. Our day officially gets underway with our daily 30-minute staff meeting. We talk about the business, what needs to be done, what happened the day before and what we want to accomplish that day.
And then, at 2 p.m., the real action begins.
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My first appointment arrives—a prospective gym member. I give them a tour, introduce them to the facility, answer their questions and talk to them about their fitness goals. And yes, I will try to close the sale. Because running a fitness business isn’t simply about loving fitness. It is also about sales, relationships, persistence and knowing how to connect with people.
At 3 p.m., I take my half-hour lunch and dinner break.
Yes, you read that correctly.
My husband and I generally eat one meal a day. My meals are fairly simple. I gravitate toward salads, soup, grilled chicken breast or wild salmon. I also drink three 750-millilitre bottles of sparkling water throughout the day and coffee without sugar or milk. Nothing particularly complicated. I have learned that eating well doesn’t have to mean making life miserable. For me, simplicity works.
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By 4 p.m., I’m back to work—and back on the phone. I spend an hour making sales calls and following up with prospective members. I also make sure I am filling my appointment book for the coming days.
Then come the busiest hours of my workday. From 5 to 7 p.m., I meet with prospective members, one appointment after another. The routine is familiar but never exactly the same: greet, listen, tour, answer questions, explain the membership and, hopefully, close the sale. Two hours can disappear very quickly when you’re talking to people and trying to help them make a decision about their health and fitness.
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From 8 to 9 p.m., I move into closing mode. I review the day’s sales, take care of administrative work, make additional sales calls and tie up loose ends. And finally, at 9 p.m., we close the gym.
But our day isn’t quite finished. My husband and I usually stay for another 30 minutes to work out. Fifteen minutes of cardio. Fifteen minutes of strength training. On other days, I might simply do more stretching and yoga poses. I love that our work and our lifestyle naturally overlap. We don’t have to drive somewhere else to exercise. The gym is literally right there.
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By around 10 p.m., we’re home. Then comes my favourite part of the evening: the transition from work to home. A hot shower or bath. The news. A little quiet. And eventually, sleep. On an ordinary weekday, I’m usually asleep by midnight.
Friday arrives, and we follow the usual work routine from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. We avoid eating during the day so we can save our meal for dinner during our Friday date nights.
Friday has a completely different energy. We close the gym at 8 p.m., go home, shower and get dressed—and suddenly, the workweek is officially over. At 9 p.m., my husband and I are out on our date night. After all these years together, we still believe in dating each other. Maybe especially because we’ve been together for years.
We go out, enjoy dinner, conversation and each other’s company. I love to dress up. Our weekend date nights are simply about being together. Friday night always feels like a little celebration for us.
We’re usually home around 11 p.m., where we take a hot shower or bath, watch the late-night news and settle in for a movie.
Bedtime?
One or two in the morning.
Because apparently, Friday night has its own rules.
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Saturday: Slow Is the New Luxury, More Date Nights, or Sisterhood Tribe Get Togethers
Saturday mornings are even slower.
I’m usually awake around noon.
And honestly, I love it.
There is something luxurious about waking up naturally without an alarm and knowing you don’t have to rush anywhere.
My husband and I do about 30 minutes of stretching and yoga poses before getting ready for our weekend walk. Around 2 p.m., we head out for our one-hour walk around the neighbourhood. Rain or shine. We walk, talk and enjoy the simple pleasure of being outside together. Eventually, coffee and green tea become part of the ritual.
By 4 p.m., we’re at the club.
I spend an hour making sales calls and lining up appointments for the following week. Even on the weekend, there is always a little business to attend to.
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At 5 p.m., I usually have my hair appointment. Because if you’re going to run a business, maintain your health, nurture a marriage and keep up with life, you might as well have good hair while doing it. Around 5:45 p.m., I help with closing the gym and take care of some administrative work.
By 7:30 p.m., we’re done. It’s date-night time again. We head out and enjoy another evening together, usually getting home around 9:30 p.m. We enjoy visiting either our preferred restaurants or exploring newly opened ones. On Saturdays, typically once or twice a month, we arrange our regular gatherings with my Sisterhood Tribe and our husbands.
Then it’s the familiar after date night weekend combination: late night news, a movie and eventually bed.
Sunday: Family and Breathing Room
Sunday looks much like Saturday, but with one very important difference.
It’s our day off. And on our day off, we make time for ourselves. We still wake slowly around noon and just take our time getting ready for the day. And, of course, there is always time for coffee and green tea. And then comes one of my favourite little luxuries: our mani and pedi every third Sunday usually at 1:30pm.
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Then Sunday officially becomes family time. At around 3:00pm, my son William pops over to our place and watches an episode or two of whatever TV series we are all bingeing on. We have light snacks such as cheese and crackers or popcorn.
By 4:45 p.m., we make our way to the gym—not to work the full day, but simply to help close it at 5 p.m. Lucky for us, we just live a stone’s throw away from the gym so we’re there in less than 5 minutes.
Around 6 or 7 p.m., we have our Sunday family dinner. This is when I get to catch up with William, my unico hijo, and hear about his week. We talk about our adventures, what happened during the week, what we’re looking forward to and all the little things that make family conversations special. Sometimes, after dinner, we go to the cinema and watch a movie together as a family. Other Sundays, we simply go home — my son to his own crib and us to ours. By around 9 p.m., we’re home, and the pace slows down again. By 11 p.m. or midnight, we’re in bed. And just like that, another week comes to an end.
Looking at my life from the outside, someone might say my days are very structured. They are. But I don’t experience that structure as a restriction. I experience it as freedom. Because knowing what matters to me allows me to make room for it. There is room for work and ambition. Room for movement and health. Room for my marriage. Room for my son. Room for my girlfriends. Room for beauty and self-care. Room for date nights, movies, coffee walks, sparkling water, yoga poses, hair appointments and the occasional indulgence.
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Most importantly, there is room for gratitude.
I have learned that a beautiful life isn’t necessarily one filled with extraordinary events. Sometimes, it’s simply a life where you wake up grateful, move your body, do meaningful work, eat food that makes you feel good, laugh with people you love, nurture your relationships and end the day knowing you lived it intentionally.
My life isn’t perfect by all means. But it is mine. And these days, I don’t want to rush through it. I want to savour it.
One slow morning.
One yoga pose.
One appointment.
One sale.
One walk.
One date night.
One family dinner.
One movie.
One prayer of gratitude at a time.
Because perhaps the greatest luxury at this stage of life isn’t having more. It’s having enough—and being awake enough to appreciate it.
