Happy Monday.
I’m a little bummed because after two beautiful days here they are now calling for snow tomorrow. Oh winter why won’t you just go away?!
I did get in a pretty great 8 mile run yesterday.
I slept a little later than I had planned so I pretty much rolled out of bed and hit the road. It felt so nice to be able to run in a tank top and shorts again. I do not miss putting 8 layers on to go outside.
I am excited to see my final winter in Erie, Pennsylvania coming to an end. I will not miss them.
Since it’s Monday it’s time for a little motivation to kick the week off on the right foot.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what holds us back. Who holds us back. I think the answer 9 times out of 10 is ourselves. We all have a lot of goals in life. We want to change the way we run, workout, lose weight, eat better and do something we love.
There are so many areas of our life we often talk about making changes, but half the time nothing ends up happening.
I’ve been talking over the past few weeks about making a few changes in terms of my diet but each week starts and I stick to the same foods I’ve been eating. It’s easy, it’s convenient and at the end of the day my results are the same.
I’ve been researching a lot on proper fueling for runners and even emailed a few others who I look up too and to try to learn more. It’s not that my food choices have been bad, but I know I can make better choices that will in return make me a better runner.
The real point of it is I have to set my mind to it and do it. The more we think about things the less likely they are to happen. I didn’t really believe that until recently.
The same goes with running. My goal is such a long way off but one day after years and years of laughing at myself at even the thought of trying to quality for Boston I woke up and said I’m going to do it. I don’t care how long it takes me or how far I have to go, I will do this one day.
I started training and even though there have been a few bumps in the road I am still working towards that dream every day.
The more you think about things, talk about things, the more you are able to start the negative self talk and self doubt. This does nothing but bring us down and defeat us before we have even begun.
My message for this Monday: set your mind to your goals and JUST do it. Don’t think about it, don’t think of the reasons you can’t, just focus on taking one step at a time and start working towards what you want.
We are all capable of way more than we think. Stop talking about your dreams, wants, needs and go out there and make them happen! Start today. Seriously – do it!
What is a dream you’ve always had?
Do you ever find that you talk yourself out of things? Hopefully I am not the only one!
[Tweet “Stop Talking and Make it Happen via @LovingOnTheRun #run #monday #motivation”]
One of my dreams, like many marathoners have, is to BQ. I haven’t considered it a possibility until recently, but I believe I could totally do it. I am 23 right now, and my goal is to BQ by the time I’m 30!
I am right there with you – I want to get to Boston so bad! I am 28 and I would love to do it before 30 – so if I can do it YOU can do it 🙂
Completely agree. All the great things in my life currently I have had to actively make choices and do the work to make them happen. This goes for family, health, and running. I think my next goal is in the career department of my life and it’s been neglected due to other priorities. I would love to get into coaching and just signed up for a coaching certification course. This has nothing to do with my old pre-kid career but right now it’s what I want for myself! Setting and working toward goals is maybe the most satisfying part of life!
Awesome job!! I agree it is the most satisfying parts of life! It’s so fun to just make your dreams happen. Even when they feel so far away it is important to keep your eyes focused and keep working! The end result might not come today, or tomorrow, or a year from now but it will come! 🙂
I am right there with you! My opinion on the matter is that time is going to pass no matter if you go for your dreams or not, so why not go for them so that you can at least say you tried! I’ve always struggled with the concept of failure so I found myself sticking to the stuff I knew I could do and not aiming my sights higher. Now I am focusing on really discovering me and what I want to be able to say I did my life! Keep up your dreams!!! Work hard enough and you can make them happen!!
That is a great way to look at things Greta! That is how I am trying to approach things in my life now – so far so good!
Everybody has to start somewhere, but you’re never going to get anywhere else than where you are now unless you take the step to actually start. I think the idea of failing or not reaching our ideal keeps us from going after what we want; fear and expectations paralyze us. I wrestle with this and have found the best way to combat it is trying to be hyper-aware of my thoughts and self-talk and how that’s affecting my actions.
Completely agree Jaclyn! I spent too many years not doing things out of fear. We have to learn to move past that and take the risk. SO what if we fail – it at least means we tried 🙂
UH Ya we all talk ourselves out of things. We all claim to want to change/do certain things and then we don’t take action. What really helps me is to have a smaller achievable goal in sight. Like maybe I can’t race a marathon right now but I could do a 5k next month. And then if I want it bad enough I make things happen.
That is a great way to look at it. Smaller goals really help keep you on track and get you towards your goals – love that idea Hayley!
Such a good message. One of my dreams is to eventually run a full marathon, but in the process, continue to grow stronger and healthier. Eating healthier and working out both become easier with time. You have to dedicate yourself to dong it for a week or two or so and eventually it will become a habit. I think the first two months are the hardest, but once you get past that point, your body starts to “crave” the healthier things.
That is a GREAT goal! Being healthy and strong is vital to being a great runner. Yes, I have been eating well but I need to tweak my diet to improve my performance. Just doing a few simple swaps!
YES YES YES!!! Positive psychology!! My husband and I were literally just talking about our diets earlier this morning – we have GOT to work on it! Being positive is key, and we WILL make some good changes!
Yes my husband and I were as well! He has boston this weekend so has been really focusing hard on his diet and I finally got tired of talking about it and realized I just need to DO IT! Make the changes I need to do to become a stronger runner!
Love the “I’m possible” quote! This is a wonderful motivator.
Glad it helped! 🙂 Hope it motivates you for a GREAT week!
You are so right… it’s very easy to convince yourself that you can’t do something. You can absolutely qualify for Boston! I think mind-set is a very powerful tool… with a positive mindset you can accomplish amazing things! I had knee surgery in 2011 and I was told by a (horrible doctor in my opinion) that I could never run again… since then I have received different opinions and I am now doing my 3rd Marathon and an Ironman this summer. Oh and I talk myself out of things… all… the…time.
That is so awesome Kristin! It is so true sometimes we just have to set our mind to it – it doesn’t matter how long it takes just matters that we get there 🙂
GREAT motivation topic! we are usually the ones holding ourselves back– a liberating reality to come upon because it means we have the solution right there.
So true Eva!!
What a lovely post. I think half the time (maybe even more so), we do get in our own head and talk ourselves out of trying something we’re really capable of actually doing. Sometimes we need to get out of our own way. 🙂