Monday, January 6, 2014

Room For Improvement

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I run......often.

It never seems easy until I start.

I've learned some tactics from other runners, but ultimately I have to go out there and do it.

Friday I ran with a friend. It was one of the longer runs I had done in a while, yet very enjoyable. In this age of social media, I use Nike + to keep track of most of my runs (I use Runkeeper when I'm on the treadmill or elliptical). So now Nike + takes it upon itself to do goal setting for me and today my goal was to run 3.75 miles.

Once given a goal - I have to reach it. So today though I intended to only run 3 miles I ran 3.77 miles so that I could meet a goal that I did not set. Nike+ is just an app that has no power over me, but because as a runner I recognized the benefits of running further, I accepted the goal.  I didn't have to, but I did.

As I did this, I thought there is always room for improvement.

I can:
Run faster
      Run farther
  Conquer hills
      Breathe better.

Just as in running, in my life there is always room for improvement:
I can speak softer
      Be more positive
   Conquer a bad attitude
        Change my perspective

Nike + set the goal for me, but sometimes it can be a friend or even something you've read. It may be a one liner you saw, or just the last fragments of a conversation. For me it also has a spiritual connotation, as the Bible provides guidelines (goals) for living.

There's always room for improvement - you are better than you were yesterday, as you keep changing in to the person you are supposed to be.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 
14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-13 NIV

Are you improving? Is it hard for you?


3 comments:

  1. Improvement IS hard, but in the last two weeks, I've stay committed to my commitments (make sense?) and starting to see better results.

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  2. I am constantly improving, trying to see areas in my personality and my life that I can get better. It's an ongoing thing for me and I think constantly working on myself has helped me become a better person.

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  3. That is awesome!!! Running is really hard. I mostly do it on the treadmill since it's lower impact for my old knees. Good for you that you pushed yourself. It feels good to do that.

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