Fill in the blank.
My goal is ________!
Great!
You know what you want. But will you get there?
Here’s what separates desire from achievement.
Are you interested or committed?
Interested?
That means you will do it if the stars align, you are in the right mood,
or you happen to feel up to it.
Committed?
You will just do it, no matter what.
Those are two of my favorite mottos.
Just do it. (Thank you, Nike ✔️)
No matter what. (Probably me)
I do a talk called A Marathon Mindset.
Now don’t stop reading because you are not a runner.
Just follow my analogy.
In my early days of running, I was training for a marathon. It was my third. The first one or two don’t require much more than excitement and adrenaline. After that, you need to get serious and keep the negative, lazy thoughts locked away.
I remember one unusually cold and rainy morning that I had a 14-mile training run planned.
Picture buckets of freezing rain on the grayest day of winter.
That was this day.
I SO wanted to skip and wait for better weather.
Luckily, (notice I do not say, unfortunately) my running partner Laurie, was a just-do-it no-matter-what type of gal.
Laurie lived three miles from me, and that morning she ran in that yucky weather, from her doorstep to mine, soaking wet and ready to run 14 more miles with me.
She stood there, water dripping off her hat, with a big smile on her face. It was my sign not to wimp out.
Off we went. Every step of those first few miles sucked, and poor Laurie had to listen to my complaining. But once I got in the groove, the complaining stopped, and I focused on the run.
Many miles ago and hundreds of hot showers later, this is what I learned that day.
I can do anything.
The conditions did not have to be perfect. They seldom ever are.
I did not lack the training or skills.
It was my mindset that needed a little more gym time.
So if I jump back to the top of the page and fill in the blank with:
My goal is to run a marathon!
I had better be committed and not merely interested, or I’m never going to get that medal.
No matter what my goal may be, having the right mindset always tops the list. And here are my four best tips to keep fueling that mindset.
- Link arms with an accountability partner. Some days you’ll be the anchor and they will be the buoy. And other days, vice versa. Do not underestimate the power of a partner. We are far more likely to break promises to ourselves than let someone else down. Think of your partner like training wheels on a bike. Eventually, you will not have to rely on them, but meanwhile, they will keep you moving in the right direction.
- Baby steps! How do you run a marathon? One step at a time! Work on repetition and habits. Do not focus on the end goal; just keep going for the small wins along the way. They will add up and before you know it you will be crossing the finish line!
- Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Hey, you have to break down your muscles to force them to grow, and it hurts! In the same way, when you accomplish something that challenges you, it makes you mentally stronger too.
- No excuses. Excuses are roadblocks we put in our own way. We think we’ve found a good hiding spot when we throw excuses around, but everyone recognizes dodging and procrastinating when they see it. Loop-back to Step One and let your accountability partner hold a mirror to your face. If you take one thing away from this message, let it be to lose the excuses. Today.
Cheers to the right mindset!
