Why do most successful people choose running as part of their fitness routine? From CEOs, Executives, Managers, Supervisors and Entrepreneurs, to athletes who occupy ‘low-key jobs’ in society, running gives life success and contentment that goes far beyond the boundaries of finances and a profession. Whilst not all runners will succeed, there are clear distinct reasons why runners are more likely to be successful.
1. Runners set goals
Goal setting is vital. Simply put, top-level athletes, successful business-people and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life.
When set correctly, with realism and in relation to our own performance, they aid our performance wonderfully. Runners set goals all the time. Having goals directs attention and ensures we know what we need to do with each training session, keeping us focused, mobilizing effort and enhancing persistence.
2. Runners measure progress
There is an expression in business, sports and self-improvement – you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Runners are obsessed with gadgets. Why? Because these gadgets measure almost everything: speed, heart rate, distance, etc. All this data is important and gets analyzed by runners to measure progress.
3. Runners are highly disciplined
“Successful people do what they need to do whether they feel like it or not.” – Eric Thomas.
There are days when we may feel tired, or we may prefer to be having a lie-in, but we go out and run and feel better for it. More often than not, we sacrifice late nights out for early morning runs. We have to be consistent with effort even if our enthusiasm fades from time to time, we ride it out and still work hard. Being persistent, tenacious and having self-discipline helps anyone to thrive in life.
4. Runners are patient
Runners value process. In a world of short-cuts and immediate reward, runners understand that the best way to get success is through patience. Patience builds life endurance. Patience teaches humility. In all of these teachings, runners learn that the longest route to success is to not take short-cuts.
5. Runners view failure differently
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
Failure is inevitable in life. No-one succeeds at everything all of the time. Failure is a set-back to grow from, runners know that. It is temporary.
“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” – Bill Gates
Failure becomes temporary if you have the right perspective. Most runners recognize that some set-backs are necessary to develop, and that learning from them leads to success later on. Everyone fails in life. The difference between those who succeed and fail is that those who succeed view failure as temporary.
Success requires a very particular mindset. That mindset is often created and established through healthy habits. Runners inherently exercise more than just their legs when they are training and competing. They are building the vital parts of a mindset that are important for general success in life. Running builds character, enhances your success-mindset and so much more. Lace up!
