Valuable Lessons We Can Learn from Running

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In running, it is not all about our physical condition, endurance, regular exercising, breathing, etc. We can learn much about ourselves from running and apply these valuable lessons not only on our life, but also in our business. It is especially true if we are struggling to establish running as a new habit. Every time we begin something new, we will encounter similar challenges. The truth is, nobody feels comfortable when begin a new project. Although we can experience the burst of enthusiasm at first, we can occasionally find ourselves at our lowest level of energy, and even consider giving up. In this way, the most valuable lesson to learn is that the beginnings are not easy; they are hard. If we acquire compassionate approach toward ourselves, then it can help. We will expect the down phase to come and will let ourselves take a rest for a while. After we replenish our energy, we will easier continue with a new activity. Our body regenerates, motivation goes up, and we can start again. But, this is only a beginning. To make a new habit, we need more other lessons to learn. The excerpt from the article “5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Running” gives us another few lessons that can appear on our way.

You Have to Walk Before You Can Run
The same holds true for life and business as well. Just because you have a great idea doesn’t mean that you can just jump right in and start doing it right away. There are far too many variables in play and you haven’t done enough research (a.k.a. walking) to understand how to navigate them all safely. If you’re starting a new business, changing careers, or just trying to get in shape like I was, you’ll be much better off in the long run if you spend some time learninghow to run before you actually try to do it.

You’ve Got to Have Patience
No matter what your goal, setting realistic expectations is key to ultimately achieving success. Are there people who drop a ton of weight in six months or guys who make millions off of their first business venture? Sure! But just as the fine print on most weight loss supplements reads: These results are not typical. Pace yourself, and be patient.

You Don’t Have to Kill Yourself to See Results
You don’t have to kill yourself 24/7 to see results from anything. You just have to set a goal, put milestones in place, and then meet those milestones one at a time. As long as you’re hitting those milestones, you’re in great shape. No need to work any longer or harder than that.

It’s Okay to Let Others Run Ahead of You
I also learned that it’s okay to let people pass you by. When you’re in a race like that, everyone goes at their own pace, and that’s okay. Set a goal for yourself (for me it was to be under 2hrs and 10min) and stick to that goal. Going faster than that can hurt you. You know your capabilities, so just stay within them and forget everyone else.

You Need to Enjoy Victory and Accept Defeat
As is the case in running, you’re going to win and lose several times in life. The key here is to know how to handle success and failure alike.

No matter how slow or how fast we progress, the important thing is to listen our body and keep our own pace. If we remind ourselves on our motives, we will immediately change our focus from unrealistic expectations to positive inspiration. In this way, we will see our new activity as a pleasurable one, rather then something we are obliged to do. This attitude will not only decrease our efforts and drama around it, but it will boost our enthusiasm again. Thus, from time to time, we need to recollect why we begin this activity at all. Throughout the process of establishing a new habit, we can find ourselves to remind ourselves again and again, untill we perfect our new skill.