March 25, 2005
Today while I was running…I was thinking: it’s 45 Minutes in…I’m getting tired, and my legs are about to fall off. (I’ve been training a lot lately) And then I realize, that it’s when you reach that level 9 (on a scale from 1-10) when you’ve really got to push it…that’s when you start running harder, longer…that’s when you get focused. Strength comes from doing something you felt you couldn’t do. Many people go to they gym, and lift weight they know they can handle, or take the same group classes etc.
My rule of thumb when it comes to achieving is: “Get comfortable with being Uncomfortable. In order to grow you must be challenged. There is no other way.” This way of thinking is very different from what our human bodies would like us to do…as humans, we try to find a place of comfort. We enjoy sitting versus running, living at home versus in a foreign country, getting a steady paycheck versus an unpredictable paycheck: as humans we like stability and predictability. But the flipside is that as humans, we also like to be challenged.
We like progressing and feeling like we take part in a larger process; which is why we tend to desire things we don’t have. While I’ve competed and achieved many personal goals in my lifetime, I was scared every time I committed myself to a new endeavor. I knew that the long-term goal was out of reach, but in order to build my confidence, I created an action plan that included a set of short term goals that was achievable. When I finished a hard workout, or completed an article, or networked with new friends…I knew that while my goals wasn’t yet realized…my actions were bringing me two steps closer to realizing them. I was on the right track!
Me running today proves that things you thought you couldn’t do can be done. I have always hated running. But I do it because I hate it. While you should excel in areas you are strong, you should also build on areas where you are weak. Understanding yourself: your strengths, weaknesses, dreams and passions is what creates true life champions.