When running a sprint, you need both an initial burst of power and sustained speed. You can blow out with everything you’ve got, and pour it on all the way. But if you try to do that with a marathon, you’ll burn up everything you have in the first hour and will be left without the juice to make it to the finish line.
So it is with life. More of a marathon than a sprint, right?
You’re in it to finish, with a bit of glory, a narrative of flourishing, and your trophy (re: legacy) at the end. A legacy of love – accomplishment – purpose. So it’s time to leave behind the mentality of sprinters, and embrace the mindset of a marathoner.
You don’t go straight from 0-50, from the couch to the race. Preparing for a marathon is to think of your goals as a kind of graceful step ladder– you put your foot on the first step, and find the second, and move at a thoughtful pace — feel comfortable, then move on. Prepare, warm up, practice, measure — it’s a gradual process. Do you expect yourself to be perfect straight out of the gate? To be able to ‘do it all’ immediately?
To continue the metaphor, let’s consider the strategies that marathoners use..
Link with others who will encourage you when the going gets tough.
Pace yourself.
Be aware of your limits and plan accordingly.
Practice gradually upping your tempo to increase your capacity, slowly over time.
Make sure you take time to Rest and Recover.
I think our expectations of ourselves is to push, pour it on, and go at life like it is a sprint. When the reality is, that kind of tactic will cost you the race.
Change your outlook, and you can cross the finish line with your resilient spirit flying high.