I was driving through Lipscomb University in Nashville a few weeks ago and noticed two runners about five minutes apart. The first one got my attention because it looked like she was struggling and running uphill even though she was on level ground.
She got me thinking about how much harder we can make things than they really are. Maybe it was some new running technique but it looked like she was fighting the whole process. Otherwise she looked like a very healthy individual. Perhaps she was just having a bad day, pushing through something out of the ordinary.
A few miles later, I saw another person running and she was bouncing along effortlessly. She seemed to be in sync, in rhythm, moving with life and with the process instead of fighting it. I didn’t observe her straining at all. Quite the opposite. She was in the zone of contented flow and appeared to be soaking up the experience.
I am the first runner when I am bulldozing my way toward a goal, resisting everyone and everything around me. When my motives are not properly identified, I'm forcing outcomes instead of being open to a more organic path to get where I want to go. In those times, I don’t let myself trust and step back to relax long enough to realize that I am the one making it so hard.
Other times I am the second runner and I feel more like I’m gliding through my day and my life, versus struggling with every step. In those moments, I am practicing surrender and tuned into my guidance. Life is pretty sweet and I remember that my way isn't always the best way. When I take time to reflect, new solutions I hadn't considered find a way to surface.
Which runner are you right this moment? Just recognizing where we are helps us transition if necessary to where we want to be.
Statistics show that 50% of people give up on their New Year's Resolutions by the end of January and only 8% of people realize their goal by year end. It doesn't have to be that way if we will reassess our intentions right now and come at them from a higher perspective.
Are you fighting to realize your goals and resolutions or staying focused on the real reasons why they are important to you? Are you dwelling on what you have to give up or keeping your thoughts on what you stand to gain? Just adjusting those two things will feel like a night and day difference.
Cheers to greater awareness today as we all notice and embrace the difference between struggle versus flow. Our self-talk and true motivation behind our resolutions—staying focused on the why not the what—will help us be one of the 8% who realize their desired changes in 2019.
