As many of you may know, Marathon Books was named so in honor of our founder, Eric Wallor, an experienced and talented marathon runner. I have known Eric since he was 11-years-old and I was 8. At that time, he was the kid who ran just about everywhere simply because he loved it. I used to watch him sprint from his garage to the one across the street over and over again trying to pick up speed with each attempt. I would wave to him from my yard or from a coffee shop in town because he ran so much and such distances that you never knew where he would pop up on any give day. His efforts were rewarded. Eric got faster year after year. With what seemed like a blink, the kid I used to watch run around without much purpose other than a spark in his heart turned into competitor I know today. Most recently, he finished 4th in the Illinois Marathon.
A few years ago, Eric found his second passion, books, and wasted no time in deciding whether or not to dedicate his career to them. That is when I saw the fervor of the 11-year-old boy I used to know flourish all over again. With the endurance and dedication he developed from his running, he applied those same traits to creating his own book-selling business which you know of today.
In truth, creating goals and a vision and pairing those up with impenetrable motivation is not as effortless as Eric makes it look. You have to know what you love and love what you do. This blog post is in honor of Eric’s most recent victory and about finding what you love and just going for it!
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Figure Out What You Want. It seems obvious enough, but in reality, it is not. So often life becomes a matter of simply going through the motions. Take some time to sit down and ask yourself, “What do I love about my life already? What would make it better?” Whether it is replacing your TV or Facebook time with reading for thirty minutes a day or bigger changes like deciding it is time to find a new job, the first step is recognizing what it is you hope to achieve. I also recommend waiting until your head is clear and you feel ready to sort all this out. Nothing productive comes from a tired or foggy head.
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Figure Out What You Really Want. From that list of goals, there are probably things that you want to achieve and things you wish to achieve. For example, I wish I knew how to knit. I have no passion in actually learning how to knit when it comes down to it, so I removed that goal from my list. It is one of those “wouldn’t it be nice” things. Take those off your list and revisit them later when you think your heart is actually in it. Do not bog yourself down with fillers and things you “might get to.”
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Write It Down. Put everything on paper that you want to change and do. In my opinion, it is never too early to make a bucket list. Jotting down your plans can be as organized or creative as you want it to be depending on if you are a Type A or Type B personality. For the Type As, consider getting a spiral notebook for your goal planning. You can divide it into short term and long term goals and write your plan on how to get there. For the Type Bs, unearth a container or get a new jar or vase and every time you get an idea for something that you want to do, write it down and place it in the container. You can color coordinate the paper depending on the goal. For fun things you want to do like going for a hike or trying geocaching, make them blue. Small goals that require motivation like losing 2 pounds this week or going to yoga class make yellow. Vacations you want to take which require saving money make white. Heck, at that point grab an orange sheet and write down how much money you want to put away every week!
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Don’t Do Too Much At One Time. Focus on picking out a few goals at one time, maybe one major and two minor. You can always choose more goals once you accomplish those. Prioritize your goals and do not overload yourself. Remember that the road to achieving your goals should be a pleasurable one, which brings me to my next point.
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Ease The Pain. Please sir, may I have another? It tends to be the American ideal that accomplishing goals has to be both difficult and painful. Find ways to love the route you take to achieving your goal despite mainstream belief. Take time to reflect on how to make accomplishing tasks more enjoyable. In a previous blog post, I wrote on how I listen to audiobooks to relax and to make my trip to work less draining. This alone has lifted my mood from day to day. If your goal is to cook more but you hate the cleanup, compile a playlist of your favorite songs and only play them during the cleanup. If your goal is to fall asleep earlier, research proper sleep hygiene and try a couple of the suggestions that sound appealing to you, perhaps deep breathing or soft classical music.
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Execute. Just do it! When it comes to running, I have heard that the hardest step is the first one out the door, and I believe this is true for many goals. If the idea of starting a goal is stressing you out, then you are not going about it correctly. Ask yourself why you are stressed out and eliminate the cause or improve the situation as much as possible. I have been taking my grandpa to radiation treatments for prostate cancer every day, and while he is having treatments I walk around the outside of the hospital twice which is approximately one mile. It is a way for me to achieve my goal of incorporating more physical activity into my daily routine, and I feel much better than I would sitting in a waiting room for 30 minutes. Another trick is to make your goal foolproof for yourself. If you want to take a vitamin or medication every day, put the bottle next to your toothbrush. If you want to eat healthier, add your favorite vegetables to dishes you already make like pasta. Start simple if a complete overhaul will only hold you back in the end.
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Assess and Reassess. What did you do right? What could you improve? If the big picture feels overwhelming, break it down for yourself. Take everything one step at a time. Are you trying to do too much? Are the goals too hard or too stressful? What can you do to make achieving your goal fun instead of taxing? These are the questions to ask yourself, and ones that only you can answer although you do have a couple lifelines and are welcome to phone-a-friend. J
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Be Positive. No one likes a Debbie Downer. You probably do not even like yourself when you are being negative, so cheer up! We all have our slips, but the important thing is to recognize that we are being toxic to ourselves and to turn it around. Good things happen to those who love themselves. There is always something in life to be grateful for and there are always, always improvements that can be made. This is true for everyone. Embrace positive change, and do not be afraid to relax and enjoy the ride!
Remember,
YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO SET ANOTHER GOAL OR TO DREAM A NEW DREAM.
-C.S. LEWIS
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Nicole Steineke
Head Blogger
MarathonBooks.net
