Most of us will never attempt a marathon.
Even if we like to run.
Because 26 miles is REALLY LONG.
And it’s like a part-time job to train for one.
But what if I told you that it is possible to complete a marathon
Without any training at all.
Doesn’t that sound amazing?
Here’s how:
Sign up for a marathon.
Show up at the starting line.
Start.
Go until you see the finish line.
Cross the finish line.
That’s literally all of the steps.
You may be asking,
But what about chafing?
And energy gel?
And hydration schedules?
And PR’s?
And insoles?
And proper running technique?
And strategies?
Where will the aid stations be?
And what will I wear??????
This is how our human brain reacts whenever we set out to do something new
Something we’ve never done
Something out of our comfort zone.
Our brain wants to protect us from all of the things that could possibly go wrong.
It interprets all of the unknowns as danger.
But if you think about it,
Anyone who has completed a marathon has done the same 5 things:
They sign up, show up, start, keep going, and finish.
That is the math of a marathon.
ALL OF THE rest is just brain drama.
The key to completing a marathon,
Or any other endeavor is first to start,
And keep going til you finish.
You don’t have to run.
Even if everyone else is.
You don’t even have to walk.
You can literally crawl
Or baby step
Or meander
Or be pushed in a wheelchair.
Succeeding at anything we try
Simply requires us to keep going
Until we get the results we want.
I call it MASSIVE ACTION.
It means taking action until we reach our goals.
Imagine anyone who has been successful at doing something new.
Edison and the lightbulb,
the Founding Fathers and our country,
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton:)
If at mile 2 they were like:
This is hard
and I can’t even see the finish line yet.
I’m out.
We wouldn’t have lightbulbs,
Or America,
Or HAMILTON.
Tragic.
So….
The lesson is this.
You only fail, if you quit.
Otherwise,
Keep on shuffling to the finish.
You’re going to be a marathoner before you know it.
It all begins with a thought.
