Process and Persistence - Pt. 2

I run. I run for my fitness/health - both physical AND mental. I run to compete - with the field of runners that I'm with during a road race AND with myself every time that I lace up my running shoes.

I've always considered myself a goal oriented person. Dating back to high school, I've written down my goals, and checked them off as I've accomplished them.

In regards to running, I used to set goals with variables of time and distance. My thinking was that I would either be able to reduce my time OR increase my distance. No, my thinking was that I would have to either reduce my time OR increase my distance. However, I was forgetting a key variable. My age. As I’m getting older (this is not a pity party for me, I'm still far from old), I’m finding it harder and harder to reduce my times. My goals shift to maintaining. My goals shift to just keep running.

Maya Angelou wisely said, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

I used to think being goal oriented was of the utmost importance. I know think that being process oriented is far more valuable.
I’ve had previous conversations with my friend and mentor, Adam Welcome, about the idea of writing a book. This, writing a book, is a life goal of mine. Adam’s advice is always the same: before you even start to think about writing a book, you just need to write, write, write, and write some more. This makes sense; this is being process oriented.

End goals can be paralyzing. They can be overwhelming, they can prevent you from getting started, and they can cause you to quit prematurely. And this is why the process is paramount. Don’t get caught up in the end results. Instead, enjoy each moment; be thankful for the opportunity.

When you’re committed to (this is persistence) and in love with the process, the results take care of themselves.