My secret to running a marathon or doing anything (almost) my mind comes up with
In 2018 I decided that I will run a marathon. And in 2019 I did it. How did I go from an idea to the result and one more check mark in my GOALS BOOK? And maybe more importantly — why did I do that?
I need to emphasize, that I am a goal addict. I am more of a human doing than a human being. It is not ideal, but for now, this is how it is and of course, I am working on it :) To run a marathon was not only about goals, but as any goal is considered, it is what we get when we achieve that goal.
For me, it was more about proving to myself that I can do it, that I am strong enough, that I am ambitious, that I am disciplined, and that I am good enough. Do not we all at some level question ourselves — AM I GOOD ENOUGH?
To be brutally honest, many of the goals I set for myself are because of a deep-rooted belief, that by doing difficult things, reaching higher levels, and by achieving more, I will be great. And partially it is true. My confidence grew with every goal I achieved. Not because of the medals I got or certificates I received, but because of the person I became while training and working to achieve those goals. I imprinted discipline by running almost every day for a year. I increased my confidence by running faster and becoming stronger, by beating my own records. I became stronger in my body and mind. So the strongest why and motivation behind my goals, if it is reading a book per week, running a marathon, or cycling to Paris, is to become my favorite person (and I use many tools to do that) and fulfill my highest potential by enjoying the possibilities of one beautiful life.
Now that you know my why or whys, let me tell you about my secret. HOW did I do it?
There is no secret! There is one simple thing, that I do, to achieve many of my goals: I SIGN UP. By signing up, I make a commitment and I cannot let myself down (commitment is one of my core values). So you see, when I decided to run a marathon my first step was to find the event and sign up when I am in an upbeat mood and with a can-do attitude mind. Of course, I have to be realistic so I picked up a date in 8 months’ time, so I have time to prepare.
Similarly to my other goal of cycling to Paris from Denmark in 7 days. I bought a bike before I even was accepted into the team. Now that I had a 1500 euros bike, I better use it!
The same with wanting to grow as a person, I bought Tony Robbins UPW tickets to commit to personal growth.
So you see, the secret is simple, do something that will make you stick to your goal. Maybe for you, it is not signing up or paying money for something (for me it works, as once I commit, there is no way back as then I will be going against my core values). So what is your core value and how can they benefit you from reaching your goals and your highest potential?
Will you try my technique or maybe share what works for you?
P.S. I started running like 10 years before my first (and last:)) marathon. I ran 5 km for a couple of years, then increased it to 10km and did a few half marathons before I went for the big adventure. I am ambitious, but not crazy :D (some might disagree with that fact:).
If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a starting writer, consider signing up to become a member of the Medium community. It’s only 5 euros/dollars per month, giving you unlimited access to all the stories here, along with helping me earn a very small commission. If you sign up using my link, I’ll receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
Join Medium with my referral link.
If you want to chat with me, ask me questions or just send me a nice encouraging message, you can do it here or by mail connect@irmavalantinaite.com
