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*I promise that no pachyderms were harmed in the writing of this blog post
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time of course... *
Years ago, when I was working with a health coach on recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this was one of her favourite quotes. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by any large, seemingly insurmountable challenge in our life. But break things down into smaller goals – bite-sized chunks of elephant – and it feels more doable.
At the start of 2018 I took on the challenge of running 1000 kilometres in a year. As someone with a history of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and mystery injuries that leave doctors and physios baffled, it perhaps did not make sense to attempt it. It certainly seemed a huge step up from what I had previously averaged in terms of running mileage. But if I did not give it a try, then how would I know what I was capable of? I would always be holding back for fear of relapse or more pain.
This week, I achieved my goal. It was far harder than I expected it to be, but as with all good challenges, I learnt a lot along the way.
So, how do you eat an elephant?
1. Set small, clear, achievable tasks
Most of us have dreams of things we would like to achieve that just seem too big to even contemplate. Whether that is to change careers, get fitter, make a major move, run a marathon, or anything else we can dream of. The challenges seem so huge and unattainable that we do not believe we can do it, and this puts us off trying. But even a huge challenge can seem a lot more doable if it is broken down into a series of smaller, discrete, achievable goals.
For me, I worked out that 1000 km in a year was just under 20 kilometres a week. That still seemed a lot, so I played around with different ways of looking at it: 4 parkruns a week; 1 long and 2 short runs. Less than 3km a day. Phrased like that, it did not seem quite as daunting.
2. Make a plan. Stick to the plan. Revise the plan as needed.
Once you have established your achievable tasks, set deadlines for each so you have a clear plan to work towards. Then bring out your diary and schedule it in. If this is something you really want to achieve, put as much emphasis on it as you would any other important commitment you have. Prioritise making it happen. Sometimes you might have to be flexible – life happens – so build some contingencies into your plan so you can adapt as necessary.
I spent time at the start of each week planning my running sessions to fit in with my other priorities, also making sure I was scheduling in adequate rest for my body given the other fitness training I do. I kept an eye on the weather forecast, and tried, where possible, to schedule in long runs for days when no heavy rain was due. Of course, there were times when other things would come up and I would have to change my plans, so I stayed flexible, but I never completely let a run drop from the schedule.If changes did need to be made, I re-calculated my remaining running mileage so I always knew exactly what I needed to do.
3. The hardest part is getting started
Once you recognise this, then you also know it will get easier once you have taken the first step. The only way to get started is, well, to get started.
There were times when all I could face was the thought of doing a short lap around the park. Occasionally I even pretended I was only going for a walk. That was what it took to get me out the door; once I was out, I inevitably ran and did another lap. It was getting out the door that was the toughest bit, not the actual running.
4. Be accountable to someone and let others cheer you on
Let others know what you are doing so that you have someone to be accountable to. If you do not share your goals with others, it is easier to let them slip. Sharing also allows others to encourage you when you start to have doubts (doubts are inevitable, you might as well prepare for them). Surround yourself with positive people who believe you can achieve your dreams. Do not be afraid to ask for support.
I would tell my husband my running plans for the week and he’d patiently ask about each run. It was also great to chat to the friend who had originally suggested the challenge about how she had achieved it the previous year, as it helped me know it could be done. Even the simple act of having running buddies give me 'kudos' on Strava helped as I knew someone was noticing my achievements.
5. Get creative with time
Chances are, if you are attempting something new that you have previously felt was unattainable, you will have to be creative with fitting it into your life, as our lives are already pretty busy. It is amazing how much room we can make for new things if we approach things differently. Do we need to spend as much time on social media or watching tv? Can our family be a bit more independent of us for a small part of the day? Can we give up another commitment, even if just for a short while? Take an honest look at your life and you will most likely find some time in there somewhere. And remember, it is okay to prioritise yourself and your goals.
Sometimes I ran home after a tennis match or stopped at a different park on the way back from a client so I could explore a new area and keep the scenery fresh. I occasionally ran with friends or as part of the wonderful Running with Matt group.The biggest challenge was running whilst I was away travelling, but I booked hotels near city parks or beach promenades, and found ways to combine sightseeing and running at the same time.
6. Find ways to motivate yourself
In many ways, humans are pretty simple creatures: we are programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain when possible. Knowing this can help us to motivate ourselves. Plan little rewards for yourself when you reach your milestones so that you have something to look forward to. You can also make whatever you are working on a more pleasurable experience overall, so you start to enjoy the actual challenge (read learning to love what is good for us).
I really like medals, so signing up for a virtual challenge that would result in a medal when complete was motivating in itself. But sometimes the promise of a medal was not enough when it was cold or I was tired, so I had to find other, more immediate ways, to motivate myself. I would barter with myself – one treat allowed after I completed my set mileage for the day or week. It was often as simple as a warm bath, a short nap, or a favourite food. I also signed up for races to keep me motivated and added a social element to some of my running so it was not all done on my own.
7. Listen to your body and challenge your mind
Perhaps this is the most important point of all. If you allow yourself to really listen to your mind and your body, you will learn many great things, one of them being how much more you are capable of than you believe you are. We have all kinds of self-limiting beliefs that we allow to hold us back from achieving our dreams. Common ones include 'I’m too old', 'I’m not clever enough', 'someone else can do it better', or 'I don’t deserve it'. Recognise any of these? Understand that that these are just beliefs, they are not truths. Starting to become aware of what we believe about ourselves and checking out whether they really are true is important to overcoming them.
The battle with my self-limiting beliefs included convincing myself that my body could cope with increased demands, that I was not inherently weak and would get exhausted or injured if I pushed myself. A few well-meaning people did tell me not to attempt the challenge, but I knew if I built up slowly, gave myself plenty of recovery time, and did not panic at the first sign of fatigue or injury, my body could adapt and my mind would realise what it could do. Equally, it was important that I did not fall in to my usual pattern of 'must push on regardless'. There were times when I did not run as planned because I intuitively knew I needed to rest. I also had to put some of my other fitness goals to one side occasionally as my body was not ready to deal with all of it at once. I learnt to really listen to the messages my body was telling me, and to challenge the 'you can’t do this' messages from the mind.
I proved to myself that many of those messages that I have been telling myself really are falsehoods, and that I can do so much more than I thought I was capable of. So can you! You just have to take the first bite…
What dreams or challenges would you like to take on in the year ahead? What is stopping you? Is there anything I can do to support you? Get in touch - I would love to hear from you.
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