Running a Business is Like a Marathon: Training Tips That’ll Make You a Pro!
By Monique MacKinnon & Kita Szpak,
Co-authors of Tipping Point to Happiness
(From Monique’s Financial and lifestyle Freedom for Executives enewsletter, March 14, 2014)
So you want to be the CEO of your own company? It depends on many factors, including and not limited to: stage of life you’re in, and your age, preferred business model, reason for running a business, and personality type. If you want to obtain ‘pro’ status (in business) sooner than later, then you need to know this: the essence of running a business or marathon is similar. Let’s illustrate… Under30CEO’s definition of an entrepreneur is: “Someone who has the courage to try new things. Someone who can carry the vision, strategy, and discipline to see a business blossom from start to finish.”1
Operating a business is like running a marathon. Here are some training tips that’ll make you a pro!
Let’s get started: Creating a business requires extensive work. Commitment to one’s business (and athletic) vision and goals, planning and then executing them builds self-confidence and positive outcomes. Building a foundation by having marketing and sales targets met will ensure success for the start-up in the long run.
Training tip #1: Long distance running demands a base of self-care. Going too hard too soon to get to a distance threshold inevitably causes fatigue and injury. Once the foundation has been built (10 miles is a good base at which to begin serious marathon preparation), the intensity of the training can increase with the confidence that your body can handle it.
Hitting your stride: The longer you’ve been in business, and a competing runner, the easier it is to get into and maintain your stride-flow. This doesn’t come without some level of investment, adapting to market conditions, and tweaking client service. Similarly, a marathoner needs to vary the length, intensity and type of training. To be sustainably successful, you can’t rely strictly on running training, or solely on one stream of income.
Training tip #2: Incorporating hill and speed training as well as cross-training activities on your non-running days, ensure continued progress in your running that will lead to racing success.
Rest is crucial: The longevity of a business and athlete’s success is highly dependent on the quality of one’s ability to rest/take a time-out when necessary. A balanced regimen of work and rest (including even body-work and vacations), and taking care of one’s self nutritionally will prevent or at least minimize illness, injuries and burnouts.
Training tip #3: “No gain without pain” is a myth. Never go beyond an ache, or injuries will occur and re-occur.
Competition is healthy: Your competitors in business will push you to create the best business experience for your clients and employees. Otherwise, your ability to survive is questionable. Whether it’s VIP Client Clubs and innovative client solutions or employee promotional incentives and stock options, your contemporaries will keep you on your toes. And this is good for your business to flourish.
Training tip #4: Training with faster runners will make you sweat, go hard and probably feel sick the first few times you challenge yourself to do it, but it will make you a faster runner — and isn’t this what you want?
Failure is part of the journey: Whether you’re up levelling where you operate-train from, or simply finesse what you’ve learned, you need to have a mindset that’s willing to make mistakes and experience failure.
Training tip #5: You’ve worked hard to run your race successfully. You’re ready but on race day the heat gets to you, and you don’t make your PB (Personal Best). In that moment you may think you’ve failed. However, if you’re dedicated to your sport, you’ll be back to training once the rest period is over.
Wherever You Are
One In A Million Dragon