I don’t like to run. Over the course of 17 weeks of intense training, losing close to 40 pounds, and running a full 26.2 mile marathon, I’ve grown to respect and appreciate it massively. I knew that this would be an undertaking for me and push me to my limits. That is exactly why I wanted so badly to do it. The biggest takeaway from the entire experience is that you truly are in the driver’s seat of your life. Mindset barriers and most physical ailments can be overcome with pushing yourself to the limit physically and mentally. I emerged on the other side of the 17 week program a different person and a better man physically, financially, emotionally, and everything in between.
I hate running
All of my life, I was someone who enjoyed lifting weights at the gym, not taking my diet too seriously, and letting myself gain mass under the guise of “bulking”. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and the weight I was at made its effects far worse. I had extreme difficulty getting a restful night’s sleep and it affected everything throughout my day. My productivity was affected as well as my alertness and ability to process and enjoy life to the fullest because I was so foggy all the time. One of the outcomes of doing what I did was the mitigation of this ailment to the point where I get a restful night’s sleep every single night. I wake up each day feeling alert and energized, and this has shown massive benefits in every other area of my life as well. My productivity and alertness have gone up and as a result I’ve seen more success in every area of life than ever before! The person I was before I did what I did would’ve dismissed running due to my hatred of it because of its difficulty. Hindsight has given me an enormous respect for running. It has allowed me to take greater control over my life and live it to my fullest of capabilities.
Hard is the price you need to pay
Living at your peak takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice. It means getting on a routine with your sleep, exercise, and diet schedules while sticking to them. It means discipline and the filtering of negative people and influences in your life to focus on your mission. Running a marathon was extremely hard, but the impact it has had on my life was worth the difficulty. Good things don’t come by luck, they come from doing extremely difficult things behind closed doors and reaping the benefits of it. If you want to be in control of your destiny and take your life into your hands, hard is the price you need to pay. Without struggle and difficulty, we can’t grow. Struggle creates growth because in order to get through adversity, you need to find ways to break through your comfort zone. Challenging yourself to pay this type of price will allow you to reap the rewards so few of us take advantage of.
Continuing to challenge ourselves
Since my marathon, I have been at a standstill as to what to do next. My body is still recovering from the months of training I put it through, but my next challenge awaits. I am in the process of setting time aside to figure out how I can expand my comfort zone even further than I already have to stimulate further growth. This is a practice you should utilize in all facets of your life where challenge breeds growth. You completed your goal, great, what’s next for you? How can you reach out of your comfort zone again and go even further? These are the questions that need to be asked after a huge goal is checked off.
Taking time to process
Every giant goal completed such as my marathon leaves us with a lot to process after the fact. Reflecting on our experience before, during, and after, can reveal lessons that you need to analyze and develop further. Use a journal and write down your experience and your biggest takeaways from it. Seeing your brain put words onto paper allows you to process in a much more efficient way. Go to a quiet place you find peaceful, bring a journal, and take a few hours to process. This activity may feel unproductive and unnatural at first, but after you experience it and what comes from it, you’ll learn that it is one of the most productive experiences you can put yourself through. Allowing yourself to learn from your experiences in a detailed and meticulous way can be absolutely life changing if you let it be. Challenge yourself to do hard things, learn from them, and grow into the person you want to become!