Don’t look now, but it’s getting to be that time of year again.
No, not that time of year.
Well, it is getting to be that time of year, but that’s not what I’m talking about today.
For a lot of runners, goal races have come and gone and it’s time to do a little post-race debrief. Read more
The secret to success in running, and in most areas of life, really isn’t a secret.
Taking action is key.
Figuring out what to do usually isn’t very hard in this day and age.
Blogs. Podcasts. Books. AI. Coaches.
From one-size-fits-all to individual advice, knowing the steps to take is a figuroutable problem.
But doing the things? That should be simple as well, but for many of us it’s a real struggle.
If we know what we want to do, and we know what steps to take, why don’t we do what we need to do?
The short answer, I’d argue, is that we are human.
We get distracted. We get tired. Life happens.
None of these things are our fault, but all of them are hurdles we must overcome to do the things we know we should do.
So how do we stay on track?
There’s no silver bullet, but I’ve got a few suggestions that may help.
We are really good at doing things we enjoy.
But things we’d rather not do?
I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to run out of time to do unenjoyable tasks.
But when they are scheduled?
I’m a lot more likely to follow the schedule.
Whether you block out time on your schedule or have a reminder set at a certain time to nudge you in the right direction, having a defined time to do the things can be massively helpful.
No one knows you like you do.
And there are times when we know we are setting ourselves up for failure, yet we do it anyway.
Knowing yourself, and tweaking things to suit your strengths or preferences, will go a long way toward helping you staying on track.
If you know you’re not a morning person, then trying to force pre-dawn workouts may not be ideal for you.
So find a better time that suits your life/routine.
Lord knows it’s hard enough as it is to consistently do the things, no need to make it harder than it already is.
Sometimes the best way to turn intention into action is to introduce some cash to the situation.
Investing in yourself and in your success can be a huge motivator.
Maybe it’s joining a gym. Or hiring a coach. Or paying for an app subscription.
There is a massive difference in follow through when we pay for something vs when we have free access.
So pay the money if it’ll help you do the things.
No matter what little tips or tricks may work for you, a bit of discipline is necessary.
Is it easy? Especially when you don’t much want to?
No, not at all!
But it’s worth it.
You and your goals are worth it.
So keep working on showing up and doing the things to help you succeed in your goals, running or otherwise.
Because success doesn’t happen without consistently taking action.
You know what to do. So do it. And these tips can help you do the things. #runchat Share on X
Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.
Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.
Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.
Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.
There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like-minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This simply means that if you decide to make a purchase using one of the links, I get paid a small commission at no extra expense to you.
Would you class yourself as a perfectionist?
How is the expectation of perfection working out for you?
I think all of us would prefer that our training, races, and life outside of running would always go as planned.
However, here in the real world, perfection is much more of the exception than the rule.
These days, there is no shortage of information available to all of us.
If you want to learn something, options abound.
YouTube. Books. Blogs. Podcasts. Websites. Apps.
You have more information available to you in seconds than at any other point in the history of our species.
This is a good thing, right?
Yes-ish…
I’m not saying accumulating knowledge is worthless.
But I’m not not saying that, either.
One thing I’ve been guilty of, for at least the last handful of years, is too much learning.
Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that learning new things is a fool’s errand.
But the knowledge that we accumulate isn’t worth much until we put it into practice.
I do a pretty good job of learning new information and a pretty crap job of implementing.
Until I’m able to take action, it’s hard to say that my time spent learning is time well spent.
One thing I’ve been trying to do more of lately is taking action.
Even if the doing comes at the expense of more learning.
If you’re good at learning but struggle with implementation, I’d encourage you to do the same thing.
Once you’ve learned enough to get started, start.
Then as you start to make some progress, learn more. Then implement more.
When it’s all said and done, you might accumulate a bit less knowledge but you’ll make more progress.
And, near as I can tell, that’s what really matters (in every aspect of life, including your running).
Learning something new is good, but taking action based on new knowledge is key. #runchat Share on X
Check out the support page for ideas and suggestions of ways you can help me grow the show. And remember, not all support involves money. Some of the best ways you can show your support are 100% free.
Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system. iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here. Android users click here. SoundCloud users click here.
Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.
Every month, I’m giving away a FREE training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.
There’s always room for more members of the tribe! Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else. The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like-minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else. If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!
One thing that fuels a lot of runners to keep logging their miles is tangible proof that the work you are doing is paying off.
Seeing the mileage totals steadily climb every week/month keeps you going.
A little increase in pace per mile is a nice sign that you’re making progress as well.
When you’re seeing progress just about everywhere you look, you almost can’t wait for your next run.
But what happens when your progress seemingly grinds to a halt?