Let this meme convey my current state of being
I’m very stressed.
Yesterday, while staring at my computer screen, some extreme self-doubt started pouring in. Training plans needed to be done, new members required follow-up, event plans were falling behind, and a laundry list of tasks just seemed to grow longer and longer in my mind.
My head was flooding with imposter syndrome. I started telling myself that I’m not the right person to run My First Finish. The enormity of working full time, building this company, and training myself was weighing heavily on me.
I kept thinking, “I don’t have to be doing this. Why would I continue to stress myself out?”
If I’m being honest, quitting seemed like a good next step.
Girlfriends are always right
Then in the midst of my pity party, my girlfriend called me over to the couch. Like the amazing partner she is, she began to talk me through the emotions I was feeling.
Amidst her reassuring and encouragement, she said something so profound that it immediately opened my eyes to a beautiful truth. She said, “This is just like running. Just when you think you can’t do it, you keep going, and end up doing it.”
Damn…
She was completely right. Her sagacious statement woke me up to the fact that facing challenges in real life has numerous parallels to running.
Parallels of Running and Life
Both start with a dream. In life, we imagine ourselves achieving immaculate things; landing a dream job, traveling the world, falling in love, or (in my case) starting a business. These are the “finish lines” we wish so badly to cross.
Then the journey begins. We start pursuing these dreams overfilled with excitement and motivation. We see our vision so clearly and feel completely confident in our ability to accomplish the goal. In running, these are the days where we get up before the alarm clock, spring out of bed, and stride with ease. We feel invincible.
But then...things get hard. Progress starts to slow. Despite trying harder, we find it hard to go anywhere. The romance and excitement of chasing the dream fades away. We get tired, which later forces us to look in the mirror and ask the question, “Why the hell am I doing this?”
For whatever reason though, we just keep going. We continue to put one foot in front of the other and refuse to quit. Day in and day out, we make a conscious choice to show up. We remind ourselves of why we started in the first place, and find the inspiration to just keep going. And you what happens? We cross the damn finish line. Every single time.
Getting back to the “why”
This analogy helped bring me back to why we started M1F in the first place and It has nothing to do with running either. Our mission is to help people do hard things. It is to shatter old perspectives and create a realization that we are capable of more than they think.
Doing hard things breeds stronger people, and I too want to do hard things. Running M1F isn’t an easy thing to manage, but it’s exactly what I need to do. I love this community and feel called to keep trying, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.
New to M1F?
My First Finish is an online running platform that helps people achieve their running goals. We provide fully customized training plans, daily accountability, and a supportive community of runners to help you unlock your fullest potential. If you have dreams of running a half / full marathon, or just want to make running a part of your life, you can signup for free.