I run 3 times a week at the Likas Sports Complex track to prepare myself for the half marathon (21 KM) in the Borneo International Marathon and to stay healthy.
The Likas track is flat and roughly oval in shape, with a man made lake in the middle. One round of the track is just short of 1 KM. It gets crowded towards the evening and the on Saturday evenings whole families come to walk, jog, play at the playground or feed the fish in the lake. Aside from the heat, it is a very pleasant and conducive place to exercise and get some fresh air.
It is also a great track to ponder life.
The way I see it, everyone on the track has a goal. Some are there to regain their fitness. Some are there to maintain their fitness. Some are there to socialize. Some are there for the fresh air. Some could be there because their Mommies and Daddies dragged them there.
Everyone on the track goes about achieving their goal in their own way. Most just walk. Some brisk walk. Some power walk. Some jog. Some run. Some formulate a training program to help them achieve their goals.
From their “gear” (clothes and shoes) , you can roughly gauge how much effort they are putting into achieving their goals and how seriously they are approaching it. For example, the better the shoes, the more serious and the more regular they are at working towards their goals. Besides shoes, there are those who walk or run on clothing made from breathable material. This too is an indication of their seriousness and the level of attention they are paying to achieving their goal.
Another sign of how serious a person is in achieving their goal, is their regularity at the track. At one time or another, we will not make it to the track to walk or rin because of our busy schedule, or maybe because of the late night we had, or maybe because we are feeling bloated from the 10 course seafood dinner we had last night. There are many distractions awaiting us.
Now, how does this apply to our life?
Well, all of us have goals in life too. Some of us want to be rich. Some of us want to be famous. Some of us want to be pretty. And some of us are just going through life with no clear goal in mind.
All of us go about achieving our goals in our own way. Most choose to work hard. Some seek out more knowledge to help them achieve their goal. Some choose to con others to get what they want. Some focus hard, work hard and really plan out how they are going to achieve their goal.
All of us have our “gear” to help us achieve our goals. It could be a university degree. An MBA. A company. A partner. A system. A technology. Again, the type of “gear” we acquire and utilize is a reflection of how serious we are to achieve our goals.
There are many distractions too. For example, our schedules. Are we too busy to achieve our goals? Our readiness. Are we ready to be rich? To be famous? Our preparedness.Have we done everything we can to achieve our goals?
Interestingly, regardless of whether you are on the track at Likas or on the track of Life, it seems that the way to achieve our goals is similar.
Firstly, you need Discipline. How mentally disciplined are you? Are you discplined enough to get up out of bed early in the morning to go walk or run at the track, 3 times a week, regardless of the heat or how comfortable your bed is? Are you able to silence the small voices in your head telling you, “You’ve done enough…you deserve a rest” and continue on for another round or two?
Secondly, you will need to Focus. Do you really know what you want? How many rounds of the track are you going to do today? How long will you stay on the track?
Thirdly, you need to be Patient. Work towards your goal. It will take time. I don’t run 21KM every time I go to the track. Sometimes I run for 6 km, sometimes 10 km. On Sundays I run for longer distances. These distances help me build up my strength and stamina to run the 21km later.
Three times a week, i go to the track after sending my children to school, without fail. I focus on finishing the distance for that day. I try to silence the ever present small voices in my head that are trying to distract me from completing my run. Some days, i go to the gym to cross train. This is to make me stronger so that i can run faster. I haven’t been able to run more than 10 KM comfortably as yet. However, i know that as long as i continue to be at the track 3 times a week, complete the distances i am supposed to complete and do some cross training, I will be able to cover that distance easily. I have signed up for the 21KM run, the half marathon. I know my distance. I know the route. I am focused on completing the run under 3 hours.
Similarly, in Life, we need to be disciplined, focused and patient in order to achieve our goals. Through discipline, we can mentally overcome any hurdles and motivate our body to achieve our goal. We need to be focused on our goal, all the time, otherwise our schedules, the late nights and the heavy dinners will sidetrack us from our real goal. We need to be patient. Believe that, so long as we are disciplined and focused and are working towards our goal, we will attain it.
My goal in life is to make money. I focus on getting it and making it. Although I think that I am somewhat disciplined in trying to achieve my goal, sometimes the small voices do win. “Don’t be greedy” they say, “Money does not grow on trees” they say, “You deserve a break…in Hawaii” they say.
I am patient. I know that as long as i am working towards achieving my goal, I will get it. The “gear” i use is Positive Thinking and the Law of Attraction. Distraction are a constant threat. Sometimes i get distracted. Fortunately, the majority of my time is spent moving towards my goal.
By 9 AM on the 2nd of May, i will know if I have managed to achieve my goal of finishing the Borneo Half Marathon under 3 hours. For my life goal, I know it won’t be long either before I achieve it. As long as I am Disciplined, Focused and Patient.
