“Never satisfied and always thirsting for knowledge and continuous improvement” – this phrase defines me better than any other set of words in the english language. I believe it is both my reason for success and my biggest weakness. And that is OK.
I’m always reflecting on where I can improve in both my life and my career, how can I be more efficient, what can I learn that will give me an advantage. Over the past three years I can point to one single activity that has benefited me the most in both my personal and professional life: RUNNING.
I started running 3 years ago and couldn’t run for more than half a mile at a time. I persevered through soreness, ankle injury, knee pain, shin splints, 100 degree summers, and 10 degree winters. I’ve emerged as a strong runner and just completed my first half-marathon, an accomplishment of which I am very proud.
I’ve noticed that I’m mentally stronger, I refuse to give up. When I’m tackling a hard problem at work, I’m more patient and that is important. When I’m struggling to keep up in my personal life and things get hard, I know I can make it because I’ve already practiced my “never quit” attitude.
How I run
I have a couple rules for running
- Never stop - this is the most important, when I run, I never stop and walk. If things get hard and I need to catch my breath I may slow down, but I never stop.
- Set and follow SMART goals. If you don’t know what SMART goals are I suggest stopping reading here and read about SMART Goals.
That’s it, two rules. Never quit and always be working towards a goal.
