This was sent as an email to Martin Ronney's Training for Warriors Group.
Check his site out here
This post really caught my attention because I think along the same lines and as so happens was considering writing something about the same topic. As luck would have it Martin beat me to the punch and did a WAY better job with this than I ever could of.
While Martin is a Alumni of Team Elitefts we are not "affiliates" for his site or certification. I will say Martin is among the best in the industry and support all his work. I am not getting paid or any kick back from this. I am writing it simply because I know it to be true.
Here is the post he sent...
Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
When I hear that little nugget, I want to laugh. That quote is usually said by someone that never reached his or her goals trying to make sure you stay in no rush to reach yours. I am not sure when exactly it became a bad thing to sprint through life powerfully achieving one goal after the next, but have no fear, I am here to defend sprinting in both your training and living.
Over the last two weeks, I tested my ability to “sprint.” I wore lederhosen at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany (bucket list checked!), ran a charity event to sponsor children for training in Rockford, Illinois, trained some top athletes in North Carolina and gave TFW Certifications in Chicago and California to over 100 people all while visiting 7 TFW facilities along the over 20,000 miles of travel. That distance (as well as many great things in life) doesn’t get covered in that time by “jogging” along. Boxes get checked and fast steps forward get taken when you sprint!
A marathon? No warrior, I want to convince you that life is also a sprint. Don't forget your time here on this floating brick called Earth in comparison to eternity is far less than a blink of an eye. Let the rest of the world lay back, think they have “plenty of time” while munching on a Snicker's “health bar” that was ironically given the same name. Instead of wasting precious time wondering why Mars didn't call the bar the Snicker's Sprint-Your-Tail-Off-Bar, I implore you to wake up each day, put on your spikes and attack life like an all-out sprint.
Why may some be more in favor of the “life as a marathon” idea? Well it could be explained by how most people stop sprinting by high school or that your parents often told you to stop running and slow down. But, I would usually chalk it up to the fact that since most people haven’t reached their ultimate goals, they will often attempt to stop you from reaching yours. The easiest way to do this? Get you to believe you have nothing but time. For some reason, in a world slowly being taken over and dominated by brightly-colored equipment tools and fancy programming, many have forgotten to use the two most important pieces of equipment you were given: your body and mind. And, by the way, both of these get an amazing amount of work when you sprint.
I write these newsletters to fire you up and inspire you to move toward your dreams. Today’s newsletter is just to remind you to do it a little faster. Here are a few questions that can not only show you the power of sprinting over obstacles, but if you take action on them, they will help you power through the finish. Use today to answer them and take a speedy next step.
What major goal have you been “jogging” toward lately?
How could you break down that larger goal into smaller chunks?
What could you get done today to sprint through one of those distances and get closer to the finish?
How could you set up the chunks next week to race to the goal?
As a final important piece of my analogy today, I want you to remember that every great sprinter knows the secret to improvement is recovery. Don’t misinterpret my writing that it is ok to sacrifice your health or personal life for the sprint. Yes, just like the world-class sprinter, I am asking you to sprint at points during the day, but also remember that in between those powerful bursts of energy, you have to get the right rest to prepare for the next sprint. The sprinter’s secret? Proper food and sleep. Get those with some powerful burst of work in between and the world can be yours.
Speeding Through Life,
Martin Rooney TFW