I participated in cross country in my senior year of high school, and one piece of advice from my coach I will remember forever involved how to best tackle a hill when running. He taught us to see past the top of the hill, its most daunting feature, and to continue “running through” its peak. Only once we were past the highest point should we ease up, and at that point we could enjoy the run downhill. This was our challenge back to the hill; we went at it with full determination and speed to keep it from slowing us down.
I'm not a professional runner, and neither did our team score so well that I can claim this to be expert advice, but it is something that has stuck with me, and I have grown to apply the principle he taught to other challenges in my life.
I have been pondering two distinct challenges I encountered today. I see the connections between how I approached these challenges and this principle of uphill running.
One challenge tonight was related to willpower, specifically resisting food. I fought to satisfy my craving for chocolate this evening with a small amount, rather than giving into temptation to eat all of the sugary goodness with an equally unhealthy amount of pretzels. Yes, I gave in here a little and ate some chocolate (no regrets – so tasty), and I was just about to convince myself to eat more when I pushed myself harder. I focused on how well I’ve been eating, and that I wasn’t ready to break that streak. I thought about how I didn’t want to wake up in the morning disappointed in my decisions from the previous evening. I got up and brushed my teeth. The craving died down, and I am happy with my ability to resist the temptation to abandon all restrictions after a minor indulgence.
Another challenge today was more physical. I decided to enjoy the beautiful spring sunshine and go for a run this morning, and while I appreciated the warmth on my face and bright skies, the icy sidewalks make my workout somewhat treacherous. I wanted to use the half-icy half-snowpacked sidewalks as an excuse not to run, but I focused on how amazing I feel after I run and how badly I wanted to feel like that again. I pressed “Record Workout” on my phone’s app, and that convinced me to get going.
For both of these examples, I focused on the consequences of my actions to help me conquer challenges. I knew I would feel bad if I ate more chocolate, and I knew I would feel amazing if I went for a run, so I used those facts to stand up to my challenges. I think that focusing on passing the peak of the hill is a specific example of concentrating on possible outcomes of your actions when faced with challenges.
Have you encountered any notable challenges lately? How did you challenge them right back?
Best,
Adriane