Creating The Future

<10 Minute Read

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." 

Today's midweek motivation quote comes from Peter Drucker. It reminds us that the life you want isn't too far away, but it also doesn't happen by accident.

The Challenge

Athletes everywhere have bold visions and ambitious goals. And these goals are what make runners unique - uniquely obsessed and uniquely passionate. There’s always something new we can chase.

Of course, achieving a new goal is never accompanied by a 100% success rate. Why? A common reason is that our aspirations are only vague ideas in our minds. Our goals are intangible feelings, moments, or pictures in our heads. This lack of clarity introduces self-doubt, and the sense that our desired outcomes are improbable. We forget that the future is not a distant concept, but rather something we construct.

Really Think About It

Think about your current running goal. Go ahead… we’ll wait…

When thinking about your goal, is it a literal picture in your mind? Like a snapshot? Almost as though the goal itself is a specific moment in time, or a feeling that you never put to words? We all do this. It’s called a dream for a reason. 

You could describe this vision as amorphous - lacking clear structure or focus. When our goals are clearly understood emotionally, but vaguely constructed, naturally we grow filled with doubt & uncertainty. And doubt & uncertainty are a one-way ticket to failure. 

Find Clarity

A problem is already 50% solved when it’s clearly defined. And if the issue is that we haven’t yet constructed a clear goal with a clear path - well, then we know what to do next.

Peter Drucker's quote challenges us to shift our mindset from passive dreaming to active creation. But hang on - the lesson we should *not* be learning here, is to rush the decision making process and take action without thinking about it. You don’t need to sign up for that 300 mile race “right the f now.” 

Instead, the quote calls us to calculate our actions wisely, with considered thought. What is the goal, and can we clearly describe it? What is a reasonable date this could be achieved by? What would training have to look like? We clearly define the future we want, and then we solve for it. 

Building Momentum

The Long Run team has always defined “Fuel Your Passion” as a string of ideas - first performance, then motivation, and then passion. Things like electrolyte infused coffee deliver quick wins in performance, which can be highly motivating. When we’re motivated by improved performance, we run more. And running more builds, strengthens, and fuels passion. All of these work together, and it’s a matter of momentum. 

And the concept we’re discussing here is no different. Once we initiate action, momentum begins to build. Each workout completed reinforces our commitment, and propels us closer to the future we’ve clearly defined for ourselves.

Final Thoughts

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." 

This concept brings control back into our hands. We don’t need to leave the future to chance, or let life happen to us. We define our goals clearly, and then the path to get there.