4:30 a.m. Thinking, August 27th, 2010
As some of you may know, I am very consciously working at regaining the level of fitness I enjoyed at age 28, when I was competing in events like 100 mile runs, 48-hour runs, Ironman, Double-Ironman, and various other adventures like the 1,000 mile qualifier for the bicycle Race Across America.
To achieve this is something very important to me, at least the running part, as I intend to run the Death Valley Ultra and a few of the other more extreme events in the next 7 years. To this end, I am meticulously tracking the things I eat, how my running is going every day, etc.
Out for my run this morning, I had a revelation. It shouldn’t have been a revelation, given my experience in training, my education in phys-ed, and my having trained for several years with some of Canada’s elite runners at all distance. But it was a revelation. Let me share it with you, and then you can take it away and think about how it applies to your work life.
When I run, my habit is to listen to educational things; this week I have been listening to ‘Think & Grow Rich For The 21st Century”. It’s a very interesting book, however, today I found myself 30 minutes into my run and tired of listening to it. I changed to listening to my playlist for when it is snowy and slushie and I work on the eliptical machine. This is stuff like C&C Music Factory, YMCA, Billy Idol – real pumped-up music. And a strange thing happened – my breathing settled into it’s rhythm, my pace picked up, my legs felt better, and I was ‘in the zone’.
Hmmm. I was no longer focusing on the great words of Napoleon Hill; rather, I was just listening and being moved by the music, my mind free to tune into the signals from my body, and free to focus on my 2010 goal of running 50 miles a week. Free to focus on the things that need to be focused on to get me to my destination. I have a written plan. I have a written promise. I have my action steps.
I promise that, by December 31st, 2010, I will be running 50 miles a week, or something better.
By doing this, I will be in great physical and mental condition, my body will be working properly, and I will be on track for my long term goal of completing the Death Valley Marathon.
So, take my revelation away, and think about it in relation to your work.