Am I training for a 10K? Nope. Am I training for a marathon? Definitely not. I’m running a business (pun intended).
Remember Mr. Miyagi who taught Daniel karate in an unusual way? His karate is my jogging. I took up jogging a year ago for exercise purposes. Although I could go on about the benefits of exercise and how good I feel, instead let me share with you the lessons I learned that applied to running my Phototherapy® business.
Related: 9 Lessons Successful Entrepreneurs Wish They Heard Sooner
1. Have a vision.
My ultimate vision when I first started jogging last year was to keep my body healthy and toned. It was never to run a 10K or marathon. I had a clear vision of my goal and took the steps (jog four to five times a week) to achieve the body I pictured for myself.
Having a vision means you have a clear picture and direction of who you want to be and what you want to achieve. Find your why, picture it exactly the way you want it to look and act according to your vision.
2. Gain momentum.
When I start my run, I jog slowly and then when I pick up momentum, I can easily increase my speed and maintain it for the rest of my run without exhausting myself.
Big success has little beginnings. Do little things each day that will contribute to growing your business until you eventually pick up momentum. Maintain a pace that you can handle and remember not to exhaust yourself.
3. Set higher goals.
My first run lasted five minutes, though it felt like an hour. Once I mastered those five minutes, I set a new higher goal. I’m proud to say that over the course of a year, I now jog for half an hour.
Every time you achieve your goal successfully, immediately set a higher one. Celebrate your success, but don’t stop there.
4. Perseverance.
No kidding joggers don’t have smiles on their faces when they run. My first jog was so difficult, I was huffing and puffing, short of breath. And I had only been jogging less than a minute. I kept persevering. It took me almost a year before I actually fell in love and started to enjoy jogging for more than a minute.
Growing your business despite all the challenges you will face will make you want to run far, far away. Maybe never to return. Keep persevering and you will start overcoming the challenges and gain some great experience, confidence and problem-solving skills you didn’t even know you had. Over time, the challenges will start to appear like riddles and solving them will become a fun process because you now know you can overcome them.
5. Finish what you started.
To this day, running is still hard. Sometimes I don’t really feel like running that day, and then I remind myself of my vision, the why, and the results, so I push past the pain and finish what I started.
In jogging, like in business, you will have days where you just don’t feel like it, you’ll be tired physically, mentally, spiritually. You might not instantly see the results of your hard work. Keep in mind your end goal, the reason why you’re building your dream and push past the pain to finish what you started.
Lessons are hidden everywhere like treasures. Mr. Miyagi taught us that when he first trained Daniel for karate. When I started out jogging, I had no idea that I’d gain such valuable insight on running my business. Now I feel healthy, strong and revitalized. My business is also growing stronger. Lessons learned. Do the work; it pays off.
See you at the top.
