PODCAST: Race day! Lessons from a 5k race.
In this podcast episode, we're going to explain why life is like a race.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE:
At the start of the race there is obviously a lot of excitement and anticipation. Once the starter gun goes off, there's a lot of bustling, shoving and a sharp injection of adrenaline.
At this point, there's a lot of optimism - you start to overtake a few people and get a kick out of it - spurring you on to overtake a few more, all the while thinking 'I've got this, who's next?'
Then, the race levels out a bit. Everything is a little quieter, as people begin to take it seriously. You remember 'why' you're running and focus kicks in. You notice that it's starting to effect your body.
About 3/4 of the way through it starts hard. The self-doubt starts to creep in. You start to think 'what on earth am I doing here' and 'I could easily be at home watching Netflix in my pyjamas eating ice cream'. When things start to get hard in business and in life, we start doubting our 'why' and get tempted into giving up.
Suddenly out of nowhere you might get refreshed, whether in the race someone hands you some water or an energy drink - or you see someone you know cheering you on along on the route. Now your motivation is back, and even more so when you start to see the finishing line.
Even if you're exhausted at this point, you get an extra bolt of energy to truly 'go for it'.
The race is now over, but the energy remains. Everyone's hi-5ing and hugging each other. You've forgotten about the dark places your mind was wandering during the race - where everything levelled off for a bit - you just remember that feeling at the end of the race.
Life is exactly the same when we take up new challenges. You might achieve a milestone and get an injection of optimism, but after a while the inspiration and motivation wears off as the adrenaline dies down in the race.
This servers as a reminder that sometimes we need to refresh ourselves, like in a race with a glass of water. In business and life that can be done through securing new mentors and sourcing new forms of inspiration. You need to find what inspires and refreshes you so that you can repeatedly finish your races.
So remember, if life is a race, you just gotta make sure you enjoy it.