Why growing a biz & running a marathon are BASICALLY the same thing...
In the world of entrepreneurship, we often hear that success is a marathon, not a sprint.
And this analogy is verrrrry relevant for me right now, as I'm training for the Dublin marathon! (Pray for me!!)
Interestingly, one of my beautiful one-to-one clients, who I've been working with for the last few months, has also taken up running since we started working together.
And last night, while the rain poured down, she chose not to hide in front of her TV, but instead she laced up her running shoes and ran almost 5km. Today we talked about the feeling she had of being kind of invincible, as she pounded the pavement with the wind blowing in her face and the rain beating down around her.
Taking action on doing things you previously wouldn't have done, creates doesn't just boost your happiness levels, it can also massively increase your self-belief. And it made me think about the similarities between my client's commitment to becoming a runner, and her drive to elevate her business to new heights. I had a realization that successful entrepreneurs and athletes are very similar in one big way...
They both share a drive for intentional rebellion.
Let me break that down…
Dulling down the 'noise'
Studies on elite athletes have shown that they don't focus their attention on their competitors during a race or competition; instead they get laser focused on their goal and what they alone are doing. And if you are truly committed to creating a business that gives you the freedom that you want, its essential that you commit to letting go of getting caught up in what others are doing. Get laser focused on your unique goals and vision. Let that be your driving force - not the actions that others are taking, how far along they are in their journey, or what anyone might think about your goals or the actions you are taking.
Practice makes Progress
You don't become an elite athlete without a huge amount of practice and training. The same goes with entrepreneurship. Try, fail, try again. This is not only what allows you to figure out what works for you in terms of your business strategy, it also helps you identify what makes you feel good, when it comes to marketing and promoting your business, when it comes to the kinds of services and products you want to sell and who you want to serve/impact. It sounds simple, but this dedication to practicing and continuously tweaking and adjusting (all the while with your eyes locked on the goal that you want to achieve), reinforces neural pathways associated with expertise and excellence. It allows you to create authority positioning and become the go to person in your industry/niche. You become known for delivering high quality content or products or services and you figure out in the process the strategies that not just get you results, but also light you up and make you feel incredible as you do so.
Embrace resilience
Athletes face setbacks all the time. When I first started training for the marathon a number of months ago, the first long run that I did was six kilometers. And I kid you not, I thought I was going to vomit at the end of it!
Last weekend, I ran 23.5 kilometers. This weekend I'm aiming for 25.
Never lose sight of your ultimate goal when it comes to what you want to achieve through your business, how you want to impact your life and the impact that you want to have on others. Resilience is a learned trait and working through setbacks strengthens your neural pathways related to perseverance and determination. Keep going.
So you see - achieving success, whether as an athlete or or as an entrepreneur, requires a level of intentional rebellion. It basically comes down to asking yourself a crucial question. How much do you truly want it? Are you willing to let go of comparing yourself to others or wondering what other people might think about you? Are you willing to carve out your own path no matter what your circumstances are, to find a way to make what you want your reality?
If you're ready to release your inner rebel energy and truly do things your way, then come join me inside The Rebel Movement Membership. A global community for female entrepreneurs, who get the ick from ‘one size fits all’ strategies for success. This is the place for you if you are ready for community, mentoring and unbelievably heart-led support to build your business, YOUR way.
You'll find the link below. Hope to see you in there!