Focus on Today
Cara Chill
In an effort to
maintain a healthy lifestyle and accomplish a personal goal of mine, I have
decided to start training for my first 5k.
Working out and going for walks or jogs has always been a great way for
me to cope with stress while having a moment to myself. I have always wanted to take jogging to the
next level and run a 5k but have never had the courage to register. The fear of coming in last was always
something that deterred me from pursuing this dream of mine. However, several weeks ago, I had a
realization that encouraged me to register.
Something inside me believed that I was capable of running a 5k. It took
me a very long time to relinquish my anxiety and my “what if” thinking, but now;
I am focusing on the present, and understand that worrying about something in
the future will not help me in the present. I then began browsing the internet
and came across a quote that I found most fitting to my situation. “Worrying
does not empty tomorrow if its troubles, it empties today of its strengths,”
Corrie Ten Boom. I have always been the type of person who worries about things
in the distance instead of focusing on the here and now. As difficult as it was to change this type of
thinking, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities when I maintain focused
on the present. What I can do is try to focus on the present and try to not
worry about things that are out of my control.
In order for me to be successful at my first 5k, I can practice, eat
right, and sleep well. This way of
thinking can be taken into many different contexts. People tend to worry about many aspects of
their daily lives such as school, work, family, etc. From my recent experience, my advice would be
to focus more on whatever your current situation is and less on worrying about
things off into the distance. I know
this may be easier said than done but I am trying to use this approach as much
as I can. I am beginning with something
simple like running my first 5k and hopefully will use this to become more
present the different aspects of my life.
Posts
I remember how anxious I would get before a race but as get into it, the anxiety almost melts away. The best part is the finish, knowing that you pushed yourself, had fun or made the decision to undergo the 5K. If you know people who are new or old runners, the support is a great motivator too! I'm curious which 5K you're running. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMost readers know only too well how fear of failure holds them back in life. Focusing on what you can do to achieve your goal and not on "What if!" is a great plan. And even if you come in last, you will have finished your first 5K!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm also doing some prep for 5k, and recently posted Corrie Ten Boom's quote on my FB wall. Every time before I jog, I get incredibly fearful. However, every time I face that fear, I feel tremendous pride in myself that I try to jog imperfectly.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you've ever read Corrie's book "The Hiding Place", but it is the story of her family's decision to hide Jews during the Holocaust. They were caught, and then sent to concentration camps. She survived Dachau, although her sister did not.