Okay, in the last couple of posts, I went through the 6 mirrors (Initiative, Responsibility, Determination, Adaptability, Integrity, and Person-ability) and graded myself on a scale from 1 to 10 in running and each of the five life stories. The next step is to look at running and the life stories and compare your Real Self to your Ideal Self. I did this with running and I'll share that in this post. This is my comparison of the two for running:
I'm not really surprised that my real running self and my ideal running self are so close together since I've dedicated this year to running. As you can see, I need to work on bringing the real and ideal closer together the most for the last 3 mirrors. I'm sure you also noticed that I want a 10 in Determination and Person-ability. Maybe that's not a realistic goal because no one is perfect but I would like to be the best Lisa possible in those 2 areas most of all.
So...I'll do this for each of the five life stories and then the next step is to pick one area/characteristic to work on each week. They suggest picking 3 things that are really important to you and work on those in the next few weeks. When those are done, you can continue to work on something each week until you've reached your ideal. The 3 things I want to work on in the next few weeks for running are:
1. Try to find a way to run with others. I do 99% of my running alone and I think it would benefit me to run with other people at least once a week. I've looked for running groups near me and there aren't any so maybe I need to start one! (Person-ability)
2. Be more supportive/involved with the on-line running community. I think my shyness gets in the way there. Also, the fact that I still consider myself a newb so I'm not sure if I can contribute meaningfully gets in the way. I need to trust myself and what I've learned more and share that. (Person-ability/Integrity)
3. Become more versatile as a runner. I need to get on the trails more! And not just fire roads but more single track. I need to become more balanced and I think going off road will help. It might also make me less of a slave to my Garmin! (Adaptability).
I think these 3 things will keep me plenty busy in the next few weeks. You have my permission to call me out on any of them if you don't see any progress. :)
Finally, Adam & Tim ask you to share your results and goals with those around you. By declaring them publicly, you are holding yourself accountable to them. Your friends and family can also help nudge you along on your journey if they see you stuck. And of course, it may spark one of them to start a similar journey. Luckily, I've done just that by sharing my journey on my blog.
I really enjoyed reading Running The Edge by Tim Catalano and Adam Goucher (who just ran an Olympic Trials qualifying Half Marathon yesterday! Woo!). I enjoyed the personal stories they each shared throughout the book and the contributions from other runners as well. Adam's stories are even more inspiring considering the journey he's been on with running. I had no idea he was planning a comeback and it was so amazing to follow him this weekend. I haven't read Running with the Buffaloes but this book made me want to. Truly inspiring!
More personally, Running The Edge made me look at myself and think about where I am and where I want to be. While it wasn't always pleasant to look at myself closely, it was also kind of fun. I'll leave you with my favorite quote (which is on my GoSport ID!) for now which fits perfectly with this book...
"It's never to late to be what you might have been." ~George Eliot
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