TWO WHOLE MINUTES. I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe I did it. I was on Week 3 of the Couch to 5K running plan, and I had just run for two minutes straight. It was a wonderful, proud moment. I smiled so big and felt like a badass. I looked around at the gym, and no one noticed.
I didn’t care. I was here, I was off that dang couch, and I was excited. Those 30 pounds were going to come off; I was going to make sure of it.
Running changed my life. I didn’t know it would, but when you’re frustrated, tired and fed up with the way things are going you have to start somewhere. So I started at 3am. That’s when I decided I’d had enough. Running seemed a good place as any to start.
Those two minutes turned into five, then a 5k, then a half-marathon. I said goodbye to those 30 pounds, to feeling down and fed up. Decisions made at 3am are not famous for turning out well, but this one had. Things were not perfect, but they were much, much better.
As the weeks passed, I grew tired of going it alone, and I was afraid I’d quit. I felt that familiar pull of frustration, but this time I caught it early. I joined a running group. Great decision, looking back. I gained confidence, anti-chafing tips and a ton of friends.
A couple of years later, I was back in my room again. I had recently finished my fourth ultra. It was on a mountain and there was thunder and snow, and I (including many others) was caught off guard. But I made it. I finished the race, and it turned out to be an amazing adventure.
But I was feeling serious burn out, and my running friends had started going their separate ways. The high was fading. Maybe I just get bored easily. Or maybe I need that something to spark that drive within, one that allows me to give more to my kids, to my business, and feel good about myself.
It was time for change. Again.
I decided to take a hiatus from running. Instead, I took more yoga, lifted weights and eventually, wrote and published a book.
The easy way to say any of this is you could wait till something frustrates you, or you could tune in a bit sooner and recognize what’s working and what isn’t. You could also decide staying frustrated and fed up and tired gets….tiring. There really isn’t a right time for change. It’s whenever you decide it is.
When you’re struggling, or stuck, pushing harder is sometimes the answer. Sometimes, the answer is quitting. Or changing direction and trying something new. Or taking a pause, reflecting, and taking care of yourself.
If you turn off the noise from the outside and listen to yourself, quietly, you’ll know what to do. And the time will be just right.
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