The White Hat Journal

For those of you following my Instagram, you may have noticed I’ve been posting more and more frequently about my progression where running is concerned. I’ve set a big, audacious goal. There’s no doubt in my mind that I can do it, but I also won’t necessarily share what that goal is, until after I’ve conquered it, or at least not until I’m a few milestones closer.

While many find they can only hold themselves accountable when sharing every landmark on their map with all who will listen, others get lost on the path of comparison. I on the other hand find that I am most challenged when I compete with myself internally. I don’t get swept up in the opinions of others. Their advice while sometimes loving, can often be selfish or biased, and tends to either discourage me, or worse, taint my relationship with them. It all detracts from the positive work I’m doing.

Here’s the other thing I’ve learned about setting and achieving goals: the biggest moves require time. In this world filled with 30 second clips of footage and 10 second sound bites, many don’t have the patience for something that takes more than a couple weeks to achieve, especially when they’re not the one putting in the work! We want results now! So when others lose interest, when that positive feedback stops, sometimes we push ourselves to get out of our comfort zones in unhealthy ways. We push those boundaries just a little too far. (Hello knee injury of 2013!) So for some of the big stuff, I don’t want a cheerleader other than myself.

Now, don’t misunderstand, I know for many things it’s important to have people on your team, aware of where you’re headed. Accountability partners are especially important where things like your business and growing healthy relationships are concerned. It’s also important to know yourself, and what makes you tick. For me, when setting my eye on a goal that’s personal, a goal just for me, I am successful when I work hard and in silence. There are so many ways to reach for a goal, and what works for you may be different. However, this is the way I’ve achieved a handful of things that are important for my particular growth journey. The praise of accomplishment wasn’t the reward, knowing I was strong enough to conquer it on my own was the biggest part of the prize.

So for now I’ll say this, I love running. It pushes me. It’s peaceful. I can work through so many things when I run. It’s hard. It’s challenging. It makes me feel accomplished. It makes me feel like a beast. It makes me feel enough. I’m here to share part of that destination with you. Perhaps it’ll give you a little motivation of your own, or at the very least a few tips. My destination though, this journey I’m on? It’s all mine.