A Space for Uncomfortable Goals
In the story of our life, we often find ourselves taking the path of least resistance. This article briefly touches upon the other path, that difficult less traveled route that holds the potential to take us to beautiful places...
Written Jul 27, 2010, read 2035 times since then.
In fact, I think most kids are natural runners, always in motion, always at play. I know I was. Most of my earliest memories involve some form of running. I even remember my first real ‘run‘, when I circumvented the city block in Colorado where we lived for the very first time. I distinctly remember feeling that running that far was unknown territory and I was not sure if I could do it. Yet, as I ran I was surprised at how quickly each corner came. My doubt and fear were slowly replaced by a sense of completeness. I had discovered something new.
Later, as a teen-ager I spent many miles on the trails and back roads of North Carolina, learning how to push that Unknown Territory further and further out ahead of me, thriving in the midst of myself, pushing through the limits imposed by doubt and fear. I won many races during that time. Yet, the real joy in running came from where my feet took me, the challenges I faced and the life-lessons I learned.
Running has always been like this for me, a combination of wonder and fear and movement and discovery.
It is this mixture of fear of the unknown and satisfaction of completing a difficult challenge that prompts us to do many of the activities in our lives, including running. We reach out into unknown territory, holding hope and perseverance in our hands like a lantern, and we end up finding new things that make our understanding of the world grow. Fear prompts action which in turn prompts discovery.
Ironically, I think this is also why many of us stop challenging ourselves at some point in our lives. In confronting Unknown Territory we discover that sometimes darkness is hiding darkness and not all discoveries are good. [After all, it is this same psychological combination, fear + action = results, that has been used throughout history by those in power to convince people to do things they might not otherwise do. We are exposed to fear-based advertising on a daily basis. We are entertained by fear-based movies and TV. And at the most extreme, we are continuously kept ’at war’ with either real people (Iraq, Afghanistan…) or ideas (drugs, terrorism, poverty).] Bombarded by notions of FEAR at every turn, we grow weary and no longer care to explore Unknown Territory.
Nevertheless, running has taught me that it is exactly during these periods, when the world seems too dangerous and we are afraid to take chances, that we need to re-evaluate who we really are and what we really want in life. What are our goals and where is our journey taking us?
For this reason, I have decided to make a conscious decision these days to allow space for uncomfortable goals.
(A space for Uncomfortable Goals signifies a sincere attempt to leave ones 'comfort zone' and reach out into Unknown Territory.)
Recently, I set an Uncomfortable Goal for myself. Exactly 8 weeks ago, I decided I wanted to run an ULTRA-marathon--a 50K race. At the time, I was running about 20 miles a week. I was not in the shape to do that sort of thing. However, I was in the mood for a challenge. I wanted to feel some pain and try and do something I was not really sure I could actually do.
Rather then set a practical goal I set an Uncomfortable Goal. I trained hard and gradually increased my miles, ate better and started feeling better about my chances. However, according to all the experts it was still a stretch to think that someone could train for an ultra marathon in 7 weeks. I was being slightly reckless and quite frankly...I was scared.
Nevertheless, last Saturday, I accomplished that uncomfortable goal. I ran 30.4 miles from near Mount Rainer to the Puget Sound in Washington State. I did not run fast and I thought a few times during the race that I was going to break down into small pain-filled pieces and crumble away into oblivion.
However, I did not break and I did not quit and I finally did it. Now, the universe is just a tad bit smaller and maybe even slightly less chaotic and incomprehensible as it was before...
Six months ago, I set a similar sort of uncomfortable goal for myself. I decided to switch careers in the middle of a recession while supporting a family. I was in a job I was good at and working with people I liked. However, I was not doing what I loved and I was not using my talents and abilities to the fullest. So, I decided to take a chance and set my feet toward unknown territory. Now, I am still friends with my previous co-workers but I have found a place doing what I love...all because I took a chance and pushed the limits a bit.
I guess in many ways, I have always lived my life this way. I guess it comes from being a runner and always seeking out Unknown Territory to explore. However, now that I am older and supporting a family and growing a career I see that it is harder to take chances. So, I have begun to think about the meaning, need and purpose of Unknown Territory and Uncomfortable Goals...
I do believe now that if we want to capture the truths we knew as children. If we want to truly live life to its fullest. We would do well to realize that Unknown Territory matters and that there should be a space for Uncomfortable Goals in our lives. Try it and let me know what you find...:-)
Later, as a teen-ager I spent many miles on the trails and back roads of North Carolina, learning how to push that Unknown Territory further and further out ahead of me, thriving in the midst of myself, pushing through the limits imposed by doubt and fear. I won many races during that time. Yet, the real joy in running came from where my feet took me, the challenges I faced and the life-lessons I learned.
Running has always been like this for me, a combination of wonder and fear and movement and discovery.
It is this mixture of fear of the unknown and satisfaction of completing a difficult challenge that prompts us to do many of the activities in our lives, including running. We reach out into unknown territory, holding hope and perseverance in our hands like a lantern, and we end up finding new things that make our understanding of the world grow. Fear prompts action which in turn prompts discovery.
Ironically, I think this is also why many of us stop challenging ourselves at some point in our lives. In confronting Unknown Territory we discover that sometimes darkness is hiding darkness and not all discoveries are good. [After all, it is this same psychological combination, fear + action = results, that has been used throughout history by those in power to convince people to do things they might not otherwise do. We are exposed to fear-based advertising on a daily basis. We are entertained by fear-based movies and TV. And at the most extreme, we are continuously kept ’at war’ with either real people (Iraq, Afghanistan…) or ideas (drugs, terrorism, poverty).] Bombarded by notions of FEAR at every turn, we grow weary and no longer care to explore Unknown Territory.
Nevertheless, running has taught me that it is exactly during these periods, when the world seems too dangerous and we are afraid to take chances, that we need to re-evaluate who we really are and what we really want in life. What are our goals and where is our journey taking us?
For this reason, I have decided to make a conscious decision these days to allow space for uncomfortable goals.
(A space for Uncomfortable Goals signifies a sincere attempt to leave ones 'comfort zone' and reach out into Unknown Territory.)
Recently, I set an Uncomfortable Goal for myself. Exactly 8 weeks ago, I decided I wanted to run an ULTRA-marathon--a 50K race. At the time, I was running about 20 miles a week. I was not in the shape to do that sort of thing. However, I was in the mood for a challenge. I wanted to feel some pain and try and do something I was not really sure I could actually do.
Rather then set a practical goal I set an Uncomfortable Goal. I trained hard and gradually increased my miles, ate better and started feeling better about my chances. However, according to all the experts it was still a stretch to think that someone could train for an ultra marathon in 7 weeks. I was being slightly reckless and quite frankly...I was scared.
Nevertheless, last Saturday, I accomplished that uncomfortable goal. I ran 30.4 miles from near Mount Rainer to the Puget Sound in Washington State. I did not run fast and I thought a few times during the race that I was going to break down into small pain-filled pieces and crumble away into oblivion.
However, I did not break and I did not quit and I finally did it. Now, the universe is just a tad bit smaller and maybe even slightly less chaotic and incomprehensible as it was before...
Six months ago, I set a similar sort of uncomfortable goal for myself. I decided to switch careers in the middle of a recession while supporting a family. I was in a job I was good at and working with people I liked. However, I was not doing what I loved and I was not using my talents and abilities to the fullest. So, I decided to take a chance and set my feet toward unknown territory. Now, I am still friends with my previous co-workers but I have found a place doing what I love...all because I took a chance and pushed the limits a bit.
I guess in many ways, I have always lived my life this way. I guess it comes from being a runner and always seeking out Unknown Territory to explore. However, now that I am older and supporting a family and growing a career I see that it is harder to take chances. So, I have begun to think about the meaning, need and purpose of Unknown Territory and Uncomfortable Goals...
I do believe now that if we want to capture the truths we knew as children. If we want to truly live life to its fullest. We would do well to realize that Unknown Territory matters and that there should be a space for Uncomfortable Goals in our lives. Try it and let me know what you find...:-)
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