Are You Running Tough?

1983 – the finish line of my marathon. My running partner: Donna, a fellow HR trainer at Northrop Aircraft. Anyone who has run a marathon knows just how tough it can be. And it’s not about how you start, but how you finish. And it’s not even about HOW you finish, it’s just about finishing! It’s about the training — the discipline and commitment over time. “Just do it”— whether it’s through scorching sun or driving rain. You may see the rain clouds up ahead, or you start to feel your legs getting heavy, and you keep going. The little voice in the back of your head may say, “Uh-oh—this looks bad—this is gonna be tough—you can turn back, ya know.” And you thank the little voice for sharing . . .and keep running, right?

That was my one and only marathon. One year later, I started my own business. Coincidence? I think not! Completing the marathon gave me the courage to break away from my everyday job and run my own business. Training for a marathon requires vision, determination, and a plan. You don’t just skip out of the house and run 26.2 miles without preparation. And you don’t just walk away from a steady job without preparation. When you commit to a business, you commit to running tough, no matter what. We find ways to motivate ourselves. We set goals. We commit to action plans to get those goals accomplished—with a program and a schedule. And it’s hard, and sometimes, not fun. But do we want it? Did we choose the running? Yes! And turning back is not an option, is it?

Back in ’83, that last half mile was the hardest. My running partner’s husband (a veteran of 100-mile runs) yelled from the sidelines, “You guys! The woman in front of you is 65 years old! She’s beating you! Dig down—get your final burst of energy and go for it!” I remember meeting Donna’s eyes, and we almost laughed. That WAS our final burst. We HAD already dug down, and as the song in Chorus Line goes, “there was nothing.” We finished behind the 65-year-old, but we did finish. And THAT was the important part.

Are you running tough? Let me help. Let’s find your words that light you up, and motivate you to run tough. Please contact me to schedule a 30-minute complimentary clarity call. I will email you my Calendly link.