Welcome!Today is a new start. There are no expectations, no key performance indicators, no risk of failure. Only opportunity, growth, and endless potential to evolve and achieve. Whether it’s a 5K, a half marathon, a promotion, or personal aspiration, this guide is designed to drive accountability, commitment, consistency, and a greater understanding of your purpose. I’m honored to be along for the ride. Let’s hit the pavement.
First.
Eye on the prize. Set your sights on a goal and identify your why.
The first step in anything is identifying what you want. Why running? Running is a cardiovascular exercise that may lead to increased longevity, weight loss, mental clarity, decreased stress, and improved health metrics. And that may be enough to justify the commitment. Most people don’t start running because they want to run - they have bigger and deeper motivations.
Why do you want that promotion? Will it lead to greater career opportunities? Allow you to access or afford things in life that provide fulfillment? Introduce a skillset or challenge that you aspire to master? Is it your ego?
Having a strong sense of your why allows you to have a foundation of commitment that can be sustained through the ups and downs. New initiatives, just like teams, follow a process known as storming, norming, and performing. We get a surge of energy with a new beginning; then we normalize our routine and actions back into status quo; and then as we grow and apply new learning, we ultimately perform at a higher level.
Let’s find your why. Identify what you wish to accomplish, and ask yourself the question “WHY” five times.
Example: “I want to run.” Why? “I want to be healthier.” Why? “I want to live a long life.” Why? “I want to spend more time with my family.” Why? “Because family is the most important thing in my life. There’s your purpose.
Next.
Break it down. What do you already know, and where are the gaps?
We get excited to do new things, but we often forget that we need to learn how to do them properly. Even with something as simple as running! Remember - it’s a gift to be a beginner.
You must be willing to learn. When it comes to running, most people don’t know how to do it correctly and safely. Check your ego and assumptions at the door, and open your mind to the exciting outcomes ahead! Exhaust your resources. Whether it’s a 5k run or a $5k raise, there are digital, print, and community resources all around you that can inform your process.
What do you already know or possess that will drive this process? what don’t you know that is vital to your success?
Block time on your calendar to read, research, or seek out the answers to the unknown questions. Treat this like an unbreakable date with yourself that cannot be skipped or cancelled. Start with something attainable - 30 minutes to an hour once a week. Identify individuals who model the behavior or have achieved a similar goal as pillars of inspiration. This is your new motto: try, learn, repeat.
then.
The saying goes… if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Learn to love the work — this is essential. Sometimes it requires a little innovation and creativity to keep things interesting and fresh, hence why continuous learning can help drive the loving it piece. Reflect back on your why. Attaching purpose and meaning to challenges we face enhances our commitment and motivation.
Instead of focusing on the feeling many of us experience in willing ourselves to hit the pavement, focus on the feeling of accomplishment when you take that final step. Play with your approach - run for distance one day and for time another. Explore new routes accessible to you to keep the scenery fresh.
can you do this for the rest of your life? we claim to want routine, but we have to keep it interesting! how can you turn this new effort into something that allows you to get lost in space and time because you’re enjoying it that much?
Is it meticulously tracking your progress day by day? Is it the breadth of music, podcasts, or audiobooks with which you stimulate your mind throughout the process? Is it finding special moments or indulgences to have in celebration of small wins along the way? Is it sharing your work with your close friends, family, and community through conversation, social media, or journaling?
finally.
When fighting an uphill battle, focus on you, not the hill.
Nothing worthwhile comes free and easy. Have a game plan for the unexpected. Anticipate roadblocks and establish a plan to overcome them.
Most would agree that the worst part about running is getting up a hill. But that’s because we are too focused on the hill and how hard it is to scale it - rather than what we can do to get there. Well, isn’t this the ultimate metaphor for… everything.
When you’re narrowed in on the obstacle itself, you stray from your ability to scale it, and instead are focused on how far or difficult it is to get to the top. Your mind is likely activating ‘survival mode’, silently commanding you to stop hurting yourself, insisting you cannot do it, and that you’ll likely exist in this state of suffering forever, actively inviting doubt into your mind.
The way to run up a hill is to only look at and focus on your feet, it’s the only thing you can control. Take it literally one step at a time, placing one foot in front of the other, and celebrate each step as a small win on the road to success. You know you are on a hill - there is no need to stare at it. You’ll know you’ve reached the top when you get there – the grade changes, a sense of relief overcomes your mind and body, and suddenly the view has completely changed.
You may be surrounded by others fighting against the climb. Remember, they are irrelevant to your ability to reach the top. Some may be running faster, some slower, to which our mind may say, ‘look how much better or worse they are doing than you.’ Someone else’s success will never dim the light of your own – this is your climb. Own it.
change and challenge tend to be distractions. think through your challenges that have been nagging you to date. what is the one thing you can do today to push one of those ‘to-dos’ forward?
Whether it’s the top of a steep hill, or the impressive new title in your email signature, it’s human nature to get tunnel vision around the end goal. Our mind categorizes this as the one, only, and most significant feat in our quest for achievement and change. Here’s the thing, this tactic leads to failure more often than not due to feelings of discouragement, self-doubt, and lack of endurance. Try identifying small milestones along the way. Write them down. Establish timeline goals, and check them off as if they each represent a necessary achievement on the road to success.