On Sunday April 10th 2016, I ran the 36th NN Marathon Rotterdam. This race has a IAAF gold label and is the biggest sporting event in the Netherlands with 17,000 participants and around 950.000 supporters.
Training for and running a marathon has more common aspects with your professional life than you would expect. Similar to owning a business, or performing well at your job, running a marathon requires a clearly defined objective, spread out over several targets, which can be achieved by using a suitable strategy in combination with a strong work ethic.
In running, the main objective: to run a marathon, can be further segregated into more quantifiable targets e.g. (1) to complete it within a certain time, and (2) to run a personal best. These targets are clear and measurable and in return, they contribute to achieving the main objective. These same principles are also applicable in a business and professional context. Even though it is clear common sense to many of us, the lack of a clearly defined shared objective along with measurable targets leading to failure is a familiar trend.
The achievement of the predetermined targets serves as a stepping stone to help you reach your overall objective. However, in order to do so, there is a need for a clear strategy to map out the road to success. A training schedule, a food diet and proper rest provides you with a roadmap on how you can achieve your marathon goal. As for being successful in a business environment, a clearly defined strategy can help you reach your professional targets and objectives. Continuous studying, endless reading of business books, and networking and collaboration are some of the tools that can help you to succeed professionally.
In both of these aspects there is a need for a strong work ethic and a certain degree of discipline, to put in the effort and to stay strong and focused, both mentally and physically. In order to do so, several sacrifices have to be made and it is key to find the perfect balance during the process.
From my experience, I am convinced that running can help everyone to become more successful in life. It can serve as a (mediation) tool that helps you to set, pursue and achieve your personal and professional objectives and targets.
1 Comment
Daan van Hulten · June 17, 2016 at 6:29 pm
Nice comparison and respect for your performance! I recently read that running a marathon is not very healthy, however. But working or studying too much isn’t either so that only helps the comparison;)