The Change Zone. One of the quotes on my vision board reads, If it doesnt challenge you, it doesnt CHANGE you. Ive really meditated on that daily and tried to apply it to all aspects of my life. This morning after my 5:15 boot camp I went for my run and I wanted to apply that concept. I knew I could do a long run and it would be good enough but thats beginning to become unacceptable to me - being just good enough. I knew in order to make my run a challenge I needed to up the intensity and that short, intense sprints would do the trick. I decided on 60-second bursts of intense sprinting followed by 90 seconds of walking for a duration of 20 minutes. The first few intervals werent that bad; I was tired from boot camp but not exhausted, and I felt really strong. But halfway into my workout, I began to notice that when I had about 15 seconds left in the sprint interval I REALLY wanted to stop and not give it my all because it became ridiculously difficult. Thats when I remembered the quote. It hit me: In those excruciating moments, I was in the Change Zone. Those last seconds where it felt IMPOSSIBLE to keep moving forward and when my mind would say things like, Im tired, I cant breathe! My legs are burning! This is too hard! What am I doing? I just did boot camp! Thats good enough! Stop running now! Whats a few seconds matter? that right there was where my challenge was! That was where physical CHANGE was going to happen, but only if Id let it! So I decided to respond to those thoughts OUT LOUD! Yes, panting and talking out loud like a crazy person! (Hey I was running alone, so I was the only person I could count on to motivate me! Besides I only got a few strange looks!) So when my thighs started burning and felt like they would literally buckle under me, Id say, That burns called CHANGE Wen! And Id just run HARDER! When Id think, Stop running! Whats a few seconds matter? Id know that those few seemingly insignificant seconds were where my CHANGE would take place so Id pump my legs even faster than I thought possible. And when I was on my final sprint interval and I barely had the energy to even breathe, I told myself that this was the last 60 seconds - the last opportunity - that I had today to do this, and I increased my speed to a level I never have before, all the while panting out, Change! Change! Change! I got back to my car dripping sweat, out of breath, thirsty, hot, and exhausted. But of all the things I was feeling, defeat, disappointment, regret, or wishing I had done better were not one of them. I surprised myself today because I demanded more of myself...and I delivered. In what other areas of my life can I do the same? Where am I limiting myself merely because I dont believe I can do, achieve, or become more? Or simply because I never pushed myself into the Change Zone: That place where achieving your goal - any goal - is just too difficult; too impossible; too unrealistic; too lofty; too stupid. Its the place where everything (and unfortunately sometimes everyone) screams that your dreams are impossible. Yet, if you allow yourself to remain in that zone where youre CHALLENGED beyond your wildest dreams, and you DARE to remain in that challenge for the long haul until you realize your goals, you will CHANGE your life. It is inevitable. If it doesnt challenge you, it doesnt CHANGE you. Stay in the zone! #TheChangeZone
Posted on: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 14:06:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015