Part 1 of 4
Ever been stuck? Just not able to move forward? I have, and I’ve found more often than not, it’s related to a number of things.
i) Clarity
ii) Limiting beliefs
iii) Implementation until a habit formsiv) Priorities
What is it you really, really want and why? When you gain clarity and take responsibility for what you do want with an inspired action, it’s easier to stop this SOS.
I’ve found that it doesn’t work to sit around and wait for someone else to do it. It just doesn’t happen that way. What works for me is writing out what I want and looking at where there is a lack of clarity. Sometimes I see huge gaps, sometimes I need another perspective to fill them in. Frequently, other steps need to be taken before I can move forward in something.
In my mid-40’s I wanted to do something in my workouts to shake things up. So I decided to run a half-marathon. I had never considered myself a distance runner but wanted to do something different. It was on my bucket list, and I decided it would be a great goal, so I penciled it onto my schedule and picked the Toronto half as my first target. To keep myself accountable I began telling people I’d run it and began training with a log book and heart rate monitor in hand. Where I live, running has options. I can run wooded trails, roads, hills or flats from my front door. I joined a running group but didn’t last long with them. Group running wasn’t my thing. I preferred solo, mostly for convenience of my location and schedule, plus the Zen experience I was gaining by running in nature through the woods.
I learned to be diligent in changing up my routines for training but adaptable enough to accommodate how I felt each day.
What I found is that with the commitment to the goal, which was clear in my mind, my day changed. I got up earlier to run in the cooler mornings, ate a better breakfast, and my skin felt like it was cleaner – glowing after a good sweat. There was an aliveness that was carried throughout the day and I slept really well at night.
Race day came in October – cold with a light drizzle and I’d never experienced anything like it. Thousands of people of every shape and size running for so many reasons with the goal of doing their best. My goal for the race was to be present in the experience, have fun and finish. What I hadn’t expected was the emotional turmoil I felt before the race began with an inexplicable overwhelming wave of emotions. Feelings of being part of something while knowing no one. Seeing people help others who had remarkable challenges. Feeling proud and accomplished to see a goal come to fruition.
While in the race, I enjoyed being with this group of common purpose. I was smiling, chatting and introspective. At the end, it seemed to go by so fast. My mind went immediately to “when’s the next one?” The next one became the Ottawa half the following spring with a similar experience.
What were my limiting beliefs? Click here to see them in my next blog
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