Writing about Park Run yesterday got me thinking about links with other parts of life.

And there are some interesting connections.

Let’s dig in…

1. Other people can hold you accountable (even if they don’t know it)

One thing I have to watch out for is being a starter, not a finisher.

What do I mean by this?

Well, I much prefer kicking off a new project than seeing it all the way to the end.

For instance, I love coming up with business ideas…

I have tonnes of books I’ve started reading but never finished…

I even have a 40,000 word book written, just needing a final edit before it’s ready to release.

Now, a lot of this comes down to priorities…

And one thing I try to prioritise is fitness.

Which is why Park Run is so great.

I know if I go for a 5k on my own, I’ll often give up after 2k or 3k.

That’s just what I do.

But if I start a Park Run, I know I’m going to finish it.

Because there’s no way I’m dropping out of a run when I’m surrounded by a couple of hundred people.

So it’s a deliberate strategy. 

I know what can get in the way of my goals …

And I tailor my approach accordingly.

2. Little and often will take you far

Back when I did Park Run more often, I was regularly running below 24 mins.

Now this isn’t Mo Farah territory…

But it was a speed I felt good at.

Nowadays I’m running quite a bit slower…

28 minutes last weekend.

Which is frustrating.  Because I know I’m not at my best.

But I also know it's only a matter of time.

See, there’s a sure-fire way to get my time back down.

And that’s to keep showing up, week by week.

If do that, my time will reduce.  It’s almost guaranteed.

It's what happened last time I ran sub 24 mins.

I kept showing up and my time went down.  Little and often.

And it’s working again... 

Because my current time is already 2 mins better than it was a few weeks ago.

I think this applies to many parts of life.

Health and fitness is an obvious one…

But it’s equally applicable to learning a new skill…

Or honing an existing one.

Just turning up consistently and putting in the reps will take you far.

But there’s another thing which will supercharge this…

Which takes me on to number three…

3. Surround yourself with people who are a step or two ahead of you

Sometimes I’ll go to Park Run with my sister or a couple of buddies.

And sometimes I’ll go by myself.

Either way, there will always be people faster than me.

And having someone to do battle with is a great way to get better, quicker.

I’ll do my best to keep up with my buddy for as long as I can…

Or I’ll pick someone out and try to keep up with them.

Having some competition like this is healthy…

It adds an extra layer of motivation.

Not just that…

But after the run I’ll have a chat…

And I pick up some tips and tricks this way too.

It’s just like my business…

The people I learn from and study are one or two steps ahead of me.

There’s no-one better to choose.

They’ve been where I am now…

And they’re exactly where I want to be in 6 or 12 months.

So there you have it.

Three little nuggets for you…

I hope you got something out of this.

Have a great weekend.

- Tom

p.s. if you’d like some help or more direction why not set up a 45 minute call with me here?  The call is completely free.