This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

I had a number of reasons why I didn’t start running. Those reasons were negated, and I continued making excuses for a couple of months. Finally, my wife told me to just go do it. “You can’t write about not making excuses if you’re going to keep doing it yourself.” So a-running I went.

Once I began it wasn’t so bad. One foot in front of the other. Now that I have some running behind me, I really wish I had started sooner, so I could be better now. Time I wasted with excuses.

No matter what, the conditions will almost never be perfect. You won’t have enough money, enough time, enough support, the right clothes, the perfect location, cooperative weather, or corporate backing. You have to make do with what you have, make necessary changes as you go along, and in the end you’ll arrive.

You already know what you want to do, so get out there and start doing it!

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

Without a running partner, I find it easier to give in to my excuses and not run when I know I should. Not only that, but when I don’t have a partner, I don’t have someone who really understands my small victories and the challenges I face. There is no one to talk to during the boring sections or to share the beautiful views with.

Like running, life is better when shared. Good times are doubled when shared, bad times are lessened through support. Accountability partners help you pus on and meet your goals. Watching those ahead of you helps motivate you because if they can do it, so can you.

Sunsets are just more beautiful when you share them with others!

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

After I start walking during a run, it’s hard to get back up to speed. I just want to keep walking. Inertia can be annoying! I have to make myself begin running, and those first few steps are hard.

Like running, life is the same. I’m sure you have experienced the mental sticky-ness at work after a vacation, or how hard it is to get up on Monday morning after sleeping in over the weekend.

You make yourself do it because you have to, then you get back into the swing of things and life flows again.

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

In the last post in this series, I stated that Sometimes You Need a Break. This is not always true.

The major hill on my route stumped me when I first started running. I couldn’t seem to make it up the whole thing without walking. It didn’t matter if I walked to the foot of it to rest, ran to the foot of it for a running start, or any other approach I could think of.

As I continued training, I managed to get a little closer each time. Finally, I pushed through the desire to walk and made it up the hill. Talk about excited! (And in need of a break!) I knew that I could make it, and just had to push myself to get there.

Like running, it’s easy to stop or walk when the going gets hard. Sure, you’ll still get there eventually, but you’ll lose valuable time. Without pushing yourself you may not improve and it will always be hard. Later on, as you have built up the endurance, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish with ease.

That hill won’t be easy for me for some time yet, but psychologically I have triumphed and that is the edge I needed to really improve my running.

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

I only run three days a week, which gives me plenty of time to recover.

Likewise, I have to take breaks and vacations between projects (or during long ones) so that I don’t get burnt out.

It’s easy to keep rushing from one project to the next. There is always more to do, another item on the todo list, or some emergency to take care of. The key is to realize that you can’t always do everything, and that you need to be well-rested to stay focused. Choose which projects/tasks are most useful to your overall goals (perhaps the ones on your Life List or your Action Plan) and drop the ones that do not help move you toward those goals.

This freeing up of time will allow you take necessary breaks. You need to recover, to re-energize, and to be able to focus. Take the time to do what you need to in order to work at your greatest potential.

Time is the great equalizer; no matter who you are or how much money you have, you have 24 hours in a day. Sometimes the best use of them is for a break!

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

I have a tendency to start out too fast, whether it’s running or my new pet project. I expend all of my energy quickly, wearing myself out too soon.

When running, I have to sing to myself (or find some properly paced music) and match my step to the beat. Though it feels too slow at first, it quickly begins to feel right (and then becomes too fast on the hills!)

Like running, I have to create a “pace” in life. Most often I do this in the form of entries in my todo list/planner. While one setp forward (task) a day can seem slow at first, it also helps me to push through on the days when I don’t feel like doing anything. One step a day quickly builds momentum; after a month you can look back and see what all you have accomplished.

After some practice, the habit is built and I get better at setting tasks that fit in the time I have available.

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

I don’t know about you, but I have to have a goal when I run. It makes no difference whether I’m running to a destination, or during a time-frame. Without that set goal I will come up with lots of excuses and you’ll find me on the couch instead of the sidewalk.

It’s easy to coast through life, reacting to events instead of proactively planning. By doing so you end up wherever life tosses you. By setting your own goals, you determine where you will end up and take control of your life.

In life or running, if you aren’t working towards goals, you’re just spinning your wheels.

This is a part of the series of posts that tie back to the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

I’ve run a half-marathon in a size-too-small shoes. Fortunately, I was able to walk the next day.

You need good quality tools that get the job done as efficiently and effectively as possible, but no more. It’s easy to over-do and over-think the tools that you use. Just like a pair of good, well-fitted shoes to run in, a quality notebook and pen helps me get my writing done. While my laptop may hbe more features, it also has more ways for me to distract myself. I am in a continual process of simplyfing my systems and tools to have the best ones for how I work.

Life doesn’t require the fanciest or newest tools to get the job done. Focus on quality over quantity.

This is the first in a series of posts that expand on each of the 11 Life Lessons I Learned From Running.

Running is simple. You get out there and put one foot in front of the other till you’re done. Many people obsess about the details and make it into a chore.

In life, many people get caught up in the details and over-complicate their lives. They feel like they need the newest gadgets, the fanciest homes, and the snazziest job titles. They try to keep up with the Joneses. This desire for more and better ends up stressing them out, making it so they can’t enjoy the stuff that they purchased to make them happy.

Life is already complicated, don’t make it more than it needs to be.

Running can give you time to clear your mind, to think about important things or nothing at all. It occurred to me that a lot of the lessons I’ve learned from running apply to life as well.

1. It’s easy to over-complicate.
2. You need proper equipment.
3. It’s easier with a goal.
4. Pace yourself.
5. Sometimes you need a break.
6. Conversely, sometimes you have to push through.
7. It’s hard to get going again once you slow down.
8. It’s harder by yourself.
9. There’s no time like the present to get started.
10. You get better with practice.
11. Look around and enjoy the view.

I have expanded each of these lessons into a post of their own and have linked to them above. None of them are overly long, you can read the whole list in a fairly short time. I’m sure you will find something valuable for your own life.