Monday, October 9, 2017

Changing your life is a Marathon not a Sprint

I read this quote one morning about treating life as it was a marathon and not a sprint. These words got me thinking and so I decided to write about it. When we focus on bringing about a change in our life to make it better, we often start with great enthusiasm and somewhere in between we lose our zeal. Have you ever wondered why this happens every time we try to bring some positive change in our lives? This happens because we treat our lives as if it was a sprint where we have to run fast to win and we are so focused on not losing that we forget to enjoy the race. But if we treat our lives as a marathon and appreciate the scenery and things around us while we slowly yet consistently move towards the finish life, then it would be far easier to achieve our goals.

Every day many of us feel bored and demotivated when we are working towards our goals or towards making a positive change in our lives. It can be frustrating not to see immediate results and that often leads to a feeling of monotony and boredom. However, if we are consistent and patient during  our journey to reach our goals, then we will automatically reach the finish line of the race without further ado.

Life is a journey to be enjoyed and thus we must not be overly fixated at the end result as much as on our journey. It is the lessons that we learn and the moments that we cherish during this journey which makes the race interesting. At the end of the race there is only one winner yet all others who participated are not losers if they enjoyed the process of completing the race. The feeling of accomplishment does not come by winning a race rather it comes from knowing that you went all out and completed the race. I am not suggesting that one should not be competitive. All I am saying is that one must not be so focused on the goals that he/she forgets to enjoy the journey that he/she goes through to reach the final destination.


When we have fitness goals, we are usually focused on the amount of weight that we lost and if we don’t lose quickly we often feel frustrated. Rather one must focus on the changes that the body is going through internally (apart from the obvious external changes) during the weight loss journey rather than the pounds that are lost or gained. Notice the change in your stamina, the number of stairs you are able to climb without feeling breathless, the improvement in your moods, etc. Don’t focus on the weight as that is just a number rather focus on the positive effects of exercise and food in your body, mind and spirit. When you do this, you will surely reach your goals without feeling burnt out and dejected.

“It’s important to remember that each footstrike carries you forward and not backward. And every time you put on your running shoes you are different in some way than you were the day before” (a quote on Pinterest). Enjoy the journey and the results will follow. Always remember it’s your journey and your goals so stop worrying about others perception and focus on your path. 



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