STRONG Idea: Journey Toward Your Goal
By Emily Stapleton on September 23, 2013 from Strong Ideas
Yesterday I ran 14 miles. To some that sounds like a long way to run. To others, it’s not so impressive. For me, it was a big step on the way to a personal goal.
Running is a metaphor for life. My personal goal of completing a marathon is a metaphor for all goals. I’m not trying to convince to run a marathon (though if you want to, I totally think you can). I’m trying to convince you to determine what you want and figure out how to get there. Your personal goal may relate to fitness, nutrition, work, relationships, parenting…anything that will enhance your life.
Here’s how I determined my goal. I’ve run a few marathons in the past. The last one I ran was 7 years and 2 babies ago. I’m ready to take on the distance again, but I’m not the same person I was then. This time around, my time is much more limited and my energy more diverted. So, my journey toward the marathon reflects who I am now and my plan reflects the time and energy available to put toward this goal. Looking at the goal of running 26.2 miles is overwhelming to me, but looking at the small steps I can take in the journey makes the whole plan seem much more manageable. Could I go out yesterday and run 26.2 miles? Probably not, but I could run 14. So I did.
Here’s how my goal breaks down:
The Big Goal: Complete the Huntington Marathonon November 10
The break down: Complete a long run each weekend (14 mile run…check)
The weekly plan: Follow my plan to complete 3 specific runs each week
The daily plan: Wake up each day with a plan to move closer to the Big Goal
Within the journey, some of the milestones are bigger than others. Yesterday’s 14 mile run was big for me because it’s a little longer than a half marathon, which is a distance I complete often. The next big milestone will be my 20 mile long run. I’m not sure why, but I think most distance runners will agree, 20 miles is just hard…maybe even harder than the 26.2 mile distance on marathon day.
Set a goal, figure out the breakdown, and enjoy the journey. What will be your important milestones in your quest to reach your own personal goal?
Until Next Week,
Emily Stapleton
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