On Saturday morning I woke up with a headache, and a back ache and a wah wah wah…get the picture? Just felt rubbish.
As much as I wanted to stay in bed my good friend Tobes was due at my place at 6.45 so we could go for a run. To start with, I slept through my alarm. Never a good thing.
Tobes waited patiently for me downstairs while I fumbled around like a miserable whiny biatch, looking for my runners and my heart rate monitor, secretly hoping she’d suggest going for walk instead. She didn’t (good lass!).
On the drive down to the Perth foreshore, I moaned and whined about how crapola I felt. I whinged that I could never run the whole distance blah blah blah….but guess what? We started running, I felt okay. We kept running, and I started to feel great. 30 mins in I DECIDED I was going to run the entire distance. Tobes was amped – she is a new runner and this was the furthest she’d even been.
58 minutes later we had knocked off the whole 10.5km circuit. And we both felt amazing.
What’s the lesson? Well there are two.
Firstly, mind over matter. Henry Ford famously said that whether you think you can do a thing, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right. The bible says that as a person thinks in their heart, so they are. Whatever you believe, whatever floats your boat, that grey matter between our ears is a pretty powerful tool when we treat it right. What does that mean in practical terms? I guess it’s about filling our minds with stuff that’s going to be productive. Read, watch and listen to things that will build your business, your confidence and your knowledge bank. Hang around people who are better than you are, who live bigger lives. Be a sponge for the good stuff.
Second lesson: When the pressure is on, stick to the decision you made when your mind was clear. I had promised Tobes that I would run with her on Saturday morning. I made that promise when I was feeling great. And I stuck to that decision when all I wanted to do was to stay in bed and eat muffins.
Sometimes in life and in business, riding the wave can be scary and circumstances don’t always do what we want them to. But NEVER ever doubt a good decision made in a place of strength and clarity because of emotions that rise up when we’re under pressure. I’ve been there and I know what it feels like. I’m speaking to myself here, trust me.
Having someone to keep you honest helps too. Thanks Tobes, see you on the track this week!
