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I’ve mentioned in these blogs in the past that all the ‘girls’ of my generation in my family have recently run marathons.
My sister did London two years ago.
Wife and sister-in-law did it last year.
The next one would’ve been this Sunday.
My wife and her brother are doing Manchester one this year (rescheduled to later in the year).
There has, therefore, been talk of “when” I (and other brother-in-law) am going to do one.
The answer currently sits at “Never”.
Never say never of course.
But I don’t intend to do one.
Part of me thinks I should.
But that’s it really.
Think “I should”.
Don’t really “want to”.
I did the Macc half 5 1/2 years ago and didn’t enjoy it or the training required.
Did the Wilmslow Half two years ago and it was the same story.
I ‘kinda’ won that one.
Well, it was cancelled on the day due to snow but I turned out and did it the next day all on my lonesome, as I’d wanted to get a certain time and didn’t fancy having to carry on the training till the rescheduled event (which I couldn’t have made in the end either way).
And the training for a marathon is more than twice that needed for a half.
So, no.
I don’t want to do it.
Ultimately………….
“I am unwilling to do the work”.
If I could do it with, I dunno, one quarter of the effort needed, I might.
But it’s more than I’m willing to do.
And that’s fine.
It’s not just that it’s a lot of work and I won’t enjoy it.
It’s the opportunity cost.
All those hours of running would have to replace hours of something else.
Something I’d rather be doing.
Not being willing to do the work is, of course, fine.
And the work involved and our willingness to do it will vary.
Person to person and goal to goal.
The great thing with a lot of goals though…………..
Is they’re not as ‘black or white’ as running a marathon.
Because you either do that or don’t.
The amount of work involved in getting the physique of a professional athlete might be something we’re not willing to do.
But is the amount of work required to lose 1lb ok?
And then, maybe, the amount of work to lose another lb?
And so on.
And, perhaps, it’s sometime worth questioning the work that’s really required.
It might not be what we’re telling ourselves it involves.
It might be somewhat less.
And can we find a way to make the process enjoyable enough…………..
So that either doesn’t seem like work…………..
Or is an amount of work that we’re willing to do.
Again, varies person to person and goal to goal.
But, maybe, worth that question.
Ultimately, it’s absolutely fine to be unwilling to do the work required to achieve something.
Every single person who’s ever lived has been unwilling to do the work required for somethings, whilst being willing to do it for others.
But………..
Maybe worth questioning if we’re willing to do the work required for a ‘nearer’ goal?
And, perhaps, if it does involve, or has to be, as much work as we’re telling ourselves?
Much love,
Jon ‘Snickers’ Hall
