In the pursuit of my multi-year goal to run a half marathon in every state, I just completed my second one, the Las Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll, running the strip at night under the bright neon lights and to the sound of local bands performing live along the route. It wasn’t just a race. It felt like a very large block party. I got to embrace my inner rock star as I was trying to summon my inner warrior to run through a throbbing toothache. I am grateful that the race endorphins kicked in and powered me forward. In every challenge we take on, there is a strong connection between mental and muscle power. The body will go where the mind takes it.
During the race, I repeatedly reminded myself that I can do hard things. I used the Marvin Phillips quote as my race mantra: “The difference between ‘try’ and ‘triumph’ is the umph”. I defined my umph and adopted it as my mental strategy:
Urge: my “what,” the thing I want to achieve.
Motivation: my “why,” the reason to do it.
Persistence: the way I want to show up for myself; continuing in spite of difficulty.
Humility: the way I want to show up for my life, putting things into perspective.
I fought hard for my goal to finish the half marathon. As a career coach I talk all the time about goals: short-term, long-term, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual. My “why” for running a half marathon in every state is to challenge myself to try and achieve a goal I am not sure I can indeed reach. I believe in dreaming big and taking small, consistent steps towards my goals. Going in, I knew this will require overwhelming efforts. I accepted I would use my innate stubbornness as my strength and strategic advantage to show up absolutely determined and resolute to do my very best and to not give up. Strength is developed through hardships and struggles. What motivates me in setting a lofty goal isn’t the bragging rights of the accomplishment but rather going through the experience and becoming a better person for it. That requires humility, the understanding that it’s good to aim high but only as long as I don’t lose sight of what is really important – the people in my life, the valuable knowledge and experience, the journey, the learning, and the personal growth.
Separating a goal from the outcome opens opportunities for joy and growth. Even if I finish slower than my target time, or fail to finish (get the dreaded DNF/” did not finish,”) I am better for it by challenging myself and having tried. Setting goals is setting a destination, but building the habits is the vehicle to keep moving forward. It is in making the effort to push beyond the comfort zone that we grow and prosper. However, working too hard when chasing after specific results, or putting too much focus on the accomplishment in and of itself, can lead to burn out. Setting goals and showing up with both persistence and humility allows us to find the optimal balance to be able to pursue goals with the dual qualities of striving (making maximum effort) and perspective (making the necessary adjustments.)
I did not finish the race like I wanted, in under two and a half hours. But I still feel I deserve that pat on the back. I gave it my all. The “work hard” mantra is true on the race course and in life: if you want it hard enough and work hard for it, you will triumph. There is no “secret sauce” nor shortcuts to the finish line. It’s really not about how fast you get to the destination. Goal success is when you establish a strong work ethic and build perseverance to face and conquer more challenges in the future.
Since March is Women’s History Month celebrating women’s contributions and achievements, I’d like to mention my running idol and inspiration – Sara Hall. She is a marathoner and a mother of four who has never made it to the Olympics, but not for lack of trying. She is a seven-time Olympic Trials qualifier. She became America’s second-fastest marathoner in December 2020, and she set a new American record in half marathon in Houston in January this year, at age 38. Despite her many career disappointments, she is the ultimate example that courage and tenacity are what matters in the quest to become the best versions of ourselves. It’s all relatable: a false start here, a fall there, an injury on a critical day. The pain is real when we work hard for our dreams to come true. Setbacks are par for the course. True winners are those who remain committed to the endeavor, to optimizing their efforts and to progressively improving their performance.
3 Things True Winners Do -
1. Create a line of sight: build a roadmap to the vision.
Clarify where you want to be, what you want to achieve, and what you would need to do to make it happen.
To-do: write your goal down to create your initial commitment. Specify your “why,” the reason to pursue this specific goal. Then hang it up where you’d see it often in your line of sight. To increase your motivation, add an inspirational quote.
2. Create a mental strategy: build a personal plan to foster resilience.
When you recognize you will encounter setbacks, you can plan for them. Even as you set a lofty goal, be flexible in how you define your success.
To-do: have an arsenal of motivational tools at your disposal. For example, when you feel like quitting, commit to keep going for 10 minutes. You can do anything for 10 minutes.
3. Create a pivot plan: build a DIY setback recovery plan.
We do not always achieve the success we work hard for. When things go wrong, be prepared to pause, analyze the situation, identify options, regroup, and try again.
To-do: Create a new game plan when things don’t go as planned. Write down the memorable moments and things you learned along the way to secure the wins still within reach.
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