I started running the 5kms local Park Run a year or so ago and have also run in a couple of other runs of 9kms, 10kms and 11kms. I enjoy the community aspect of it but still don’t enjoy running, although enjoy the countryside whilst running.
Whilst I’ve always used the gym most of my adult life, I’ve always hated the treadmill and feel there’s nothing more monotonous than running aimlessly on one spot.
Every park run morning I force myself to get out of bed to run, telling myself it will do me good and being fit and keeping active will keep me healthy.
I manage to ‘make’ myself do things I really don’t want to do by using mind over matter. We all know it means we work hard at building our own willpower to work towards being able to use our mind over matter.
There are things we must do each day we don’t like. In business, some clients say they hate doing anything admin, finance or budget orientated and so avoid these jobs like the plague.
We can’t avoid some things as they just don’t go away, and then the small job we hate and avoided now just became a big job which is now very overdue and causing us problems in some way or another.
We can we develop tools or strategies to help us:
Here’s what I do when running:
- Meditation – I sit quietly the night before and first thing in the morning to clear my mind of any negative thoughts
- Visualise – I then visualise myself getting ready for the run, running and finishing the run as well as the great feeling of completing the task
- Focus – I break the run down into small sections, 1/2kms and 1kms until I’m halfway round and then the numbers count down
- Talking to myself – I constantly tell myself I LOVE running, it’s doing me good, it’s ONLY 5kms and that it’s just one step in front of the other and one more step is one less step I need to run
- Listen to positive e-books or music – I either listen to inspiring and motivational e-books or listen to music which I love and know will keep me going and feeling positive
- Personal Positive Affirmations – I have a few affirmations I use all the time for certain tasks which help keep me focused
- Keep focused – For me the key thing is ONLY focusing on me doing the task and imaging myself doing it, every single detail and dwelling on the feeling of accomplishment afterwards
I believe mind over matter or the use of willpower to overcome physical or other problems or activities we don’t want to do is something we can all do if we put out mind to it – try it and see..
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