Success stories don’t happen overnight. That’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. Success is a combination of the little victories you’re achieving everyday and it’s also the build of those achievements into one big, tangible, awe-inspiring victory. Success is possible. It takes time. It takes commitment. I’m a testament that not only is it possible to succeed, it’s also really, really fun too.
One Day at a Time
Everyday I see people at different stages of writing their success story. You’re writing your story right now. I was talking to Daniel last night about how much I love sharing my journey and learning about yours. We can inspire each other to greatness. We can encourage each other on to success. It’s about celebrating each victory, no matter how small, and moving forward to our end goal.
I’ve shared several successes with you recently, like completing my first half marathon, starting my own business and completing round 2 of the Whole30. It’s really, really FUN. I’m telling you the truth. It’s also really, really hard some days. The journey I went on to become a runner was really hard. I even told you that it sucked.
Create Your Own Path to Success
Despite the difficulty, I got there. I achieved success and now get to check a big booty goal off of my 2013 list. What’s the secret? Hard work and determination? Sure, that’s part of it. BUT an even bigger part of achieveing success for me was that I created my own path to success. Did I learn from those around me who had achieved similar goals? Of course! BUT I had the best results and most success when I took the principles I learned from others and customized them to my own style.
For running, this meant:
- Slowing down my pace dramatically
- Not caring about how fast others were running
- Focusing on my breathing.
Previously, I had tried other methods like focusing music, sprinting, etc. and I’m sure to some degree those helped. Ultimately, I had to be creative and listen to what my body was telling me. I also did some research in proper breathing and running form because I figured there must be plenty of people in the same boat who have learned how to get past the initial pains of running.
Free Yourself to Succeed
Running is just one example … You know I could talk for days about how and why I eat the way I do. What I’m trying to say is that your success story probably looks quite a bit different from the success stories of others and that’s OK. Actually, it’s great! Don’t get bogged down with trying to fit your story and your success into someone else’s mold. Sure you can make it work but it’s not going to feel right and you just may end up looking silly.
Be yourself. Pursue success. Celebrate the little victories.
Happy Monday!
~ Kate