Ready Set Go!!!
I’m training for a half-marathon right now. It’s my first one. I’m no stranger to endurance races having done 4 triathlons. So, I actually don’t have any anxiety about this. What I do find myself having is thoughts like “Ugh. I don’t want to go for that run today”. And that kind of thinking doesn’t serve me because it creates feelings that drive actions that give me results I don’t want.
What’s funny is that I do actually want to do the half-marathon. Well, to be more specific I want to have done it. But there isn’t a way to have it done without doing it. So, I need to do it. But actions done from a place of “YOU NEED TO DO THIS” are never well received. Plus, it really isn’t fun feeling like you’re beating yourself or shaming yourself all the time.
On my training schedule I have a 3 mile run to do today. And I am fighting feeling tired and all of that “Ugh” thinking. And that is using up energy. So, if I want to accomplish my goal of the half-marathon (at a reasonable pace without injury) how do I enjoy it? I no longer do things that don’t delight me. I want to feel joy and delight when thinking about it. Which, it turns out, is super easy to feel because I get to choose how I want to feel!
What is motivating to me? What makes me feel like I want to move? What gives me so many options to have amazing thoughts that lead to me feeling good, fun, excitement, joy, and all other wonderful feelings? Music. I remembered that I love music! A great playlist fixes everything! And look that that, just thinking those to thoughts (“I love music!” and “A great playlist fixes everything!”) have me feeling excited and ready to move.
This excitement leads me to making a playlist. How fun is that?!?? And thinking about making a kickass playlist is another thing that creates fun feelings. And now, here I am listening to the half-marathon training playlist I just made and I CANNOT WAIT FOR MY RUN TONIGHT!!!
How amazing is that? How amazing are our brains? I went from sitting at my desk thinking about how I have no energy and really don’t want to run tonight to sitting at my desk thinking about how I have this excitement and how I can’t wait to run tonight. Not one thing in my life or in this circumstance changed. Except my thinking. That is some kickass, badass, magical power we all have. Right there in our heads. It alone can fuel us to run a half-marathon (or more if that is where you want to go!). I gave myself permission to start thinking fun thoughts. I gave myself permission to make a delightful playlist. I gave myself permission to want what I want. I gave myself permission to want delight and joy. I gave myself permission to think that I can do whatever I want to do.
That thinking “I give myself permission to…” feels freeing. And feeling free can do nothing but lead to more amazingness.
And I had the most enjoyable run with quite a delightful soundtrack playing.
