A couple of lessons learnt from this weekend. One – a repeated lesson that I know well to be true, but I’d like to share them with you all again today. After my unscheduled trip to America for my daughters wedding in Washington State, I got back late on Thursday night after over a full days’ travelling on just 2 hours sleep. Friday was a day of clearing up, washing clothes, housework, shopping and pizza prep. I made two 12kg batches of pizza dough ready for the weekend.
Then I had to just switch the brain off, roll up the sleeves and crack on. Which was completely against the desires of every cell in body that simply wanted to lie on the sofa in front of the fire for the entire day!
The reason for such a short, 6 day trip to the States last week instead of a longer stint was because my hands were tied by no fewer than three, booked in, pizza events this past weekend. Two on Saturday and a Kids’ Film Night in a local village on Sunday.
Saturday morning at 7am was my usual weekly accountability call with my pal in London. He wanted a 9am call this week, as his local Park Run was cancelled (I never questioned ‘Why’) And I was like – ‘No – 7am! No slacking’ So, after a 6am start, making brownies and a large batch of pizza sauce, Tom and I had our call and he told me the run was cancelled due to weather being a bit crap. Its London! There are like, a million different park run events there, I told him. Off the back of that, he opted for a different location and we finished our call. Then, I noticed the weather outside! It was 8.30am and my mobile was still switched off so I opened the laptop to check the forecast – Storm Darragh and 55mph winds. Great!
Sod. That!
I’m not going out in THAT. Then, I stopped myself. I’d guilt tripped Tom into doing a different event, which was a far cry from the warm, cosy lie in he had been expecting. So I FORCED myself out. Last minute. I actually got there a minute or so late. It was easy to get parked this week as the number of fellow idiots made for half the usual attendance. I waited til they reached the top corner of the field and started from the back. Picking my way through the pack, I got worked my way through 149 brave participants to finish in 33rd place at around 23 mins. It was pretty grim out there and the wind was picking up stronger.
This was my first run in almost two weeks and boy did I feel better for it. The sense of satisfaction for having braved the conditions was amazing.
Theres a YouTube short video of Cristiano Ronaldo talking about motivating yourself, forcing yourself to do what you DON’T want to do. He talks about his daily gym routine and the question he must get asked so frequently – ‘People say – You like to go to the gym every day. Of course not! NOBODY likes to go to the gym every day – but you HAVE to do it’ And that’s what makes Ronaldo one of the greatest footballers that’s ever lived and how he is STILL going at 39 years old.
Following on from that – my two pizza events on Saturday, in bitter cold wind, rain and strong gusts. Billowing smoke blowing straight back at me, boxes and plates turning into flying saucers. Customers unwilling to brave the cold and wet to come and order and freezing fingers. The evening event – a Christmas party for the big local factory – was less sheltered than the afternoon’s, and the gusts were threatening to take my gazebo over the Pennines!
Sunday faired slightly better. But it was still four hours out in the cold and the inevitable rain made its appearance to make sure packing up and cleaning took longer time than usual. But, staying on for 3 hours beyond the pizzas for the kiddies watching the Polar Express, meant more customers and a decent return for my efforts.
Whats the lesson here? Its easy to just quit. Just say No – Im NOT doing this today. Make excuses, say you’ll try again tomorrow. Saturday morning after Park Run, watching the TV arial of the house over the road, fly off into their garden should have been enough of a green light to let people down and stay at home. But you just CAN’T – if you’re committed, you have to just DO IT. No excuses. The thing is – many folk DON’T. They crack at every opportunity. Don’t be like them – do the exact OPPOSITE of that!
Sticking to your guns, doing the uncomfortable thing, pushing through and being more Ronaldo – get’s results. When most of my competitors have closed up for the winter and return in the lucrative summer months, I’m still going. All weathers. Swearing and cursing and shivering. But just pushing through it. And it’s only by being different, doing the exact opposite to what everyone else is doing, that you can truly get where you want in life, fitness or business.
What are you going to commit to that by ‘pushing through it’ will get you the results you dream of?
Please comment below, I’d love to hear from you,