Keep Running Until You See The Stop Sign

Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward- Victor Kiam

If you are living your life, than you will most likely be faced with difficult decisions, obstacles and challenging goals. Some challenges are self imposed and some challenges are thrust upon you. Either way, facing challenges and achieving goals require the same mindset.

I make an effort to challenge myself in all areas of my life. I recently decided to challenge myself to run a 5K in August, which is a challenge for me because I've never been a runner, or run a race. I've started training and I'm determined to not only finish, but finish within 38 minutes. I've had many challenges in my life and I suspect I'll have many more. I've realized that reaching this goal will require the same mindset and determination as anything else I've faced.

I started out with the thought of pushing myself to a different level in my fitness; running the race. I put a deadline on it as the race is in August. I researched the best way to train for a 5K so I've got a plan of action each week in order to meet my deadline. This all sounds great right? Well, there are a few things I've learned about training for this race, that when I think about it, are the things that keep me moving forward in life.

 

My dog Grace is training with me. She's become my accountability partner on this particular journey. Each time we go out we're looking to increase our speed and distance. Currently  we are in the run/walk phase of training. I have a love/hate relationship with the run/walk phase. As we walk Grace stops to smell ALL the roses which tends to slow us down. Don't get me wrong, it's important to stop and smell the roses, the question is when? This lack of focus on our goals is a lot like getting off track with other goals in our lives. Things like fear, negative thinking, wasteful time suckers and just plain unwillingness to push forward. These are the things that will stop us in our tracks. 

Reaching goals is always easier when you've got a buddy to cheer you on. That buddy is Grace. If I pay close attention to her she will keep me on purpose. One of the games I play to keep us going is to focus on something ahead of us like a stop sign, street lamp or fire hydrant. I talk to Grace along the way too. I say things like "Come on girl, we're just going to run to the next stop sign," or "Just to the next street Grace." She never answers back.

The remarkable thing about dogs is that even though they don't understand words so much, they do understand intention. When I point to the next marker and tell Grace we're going to run to it, she knows my intention and she runs purposefully with me keeping the pace. Several years ago while watching the Dog Whisperer I learned to be calm assertive while walking my dogs. This means you walk with purpose and intention so your dog will know what to do. So as I walk, I walk with purpose like Xena the Warrior Princess. This tells Grace we're on a mission and in turn, keeps me on track. 

There will be many markers in your life and many crossroads. Some you will celebrate, some will break your heart and some will shake your confidence. Always remember that you can go home, but you can never go back. Once you've reached a marker no matter what, the only way to go, is forward.

Whether your running a race or moving mountains, keep running until you reach the stop sign.

And then...point to the next destination!