By Mark Scott, executive director of Market MontGOmery Chamber & Tourism • Whether 2018 was a great year, mediocre year or bad year, everyone would like 2019 to be better. How do we make that happen?
One of the most misapplied sayings in life is “No pain, no gain.” It’s a simple phrase implying that painfully hard work is needed to make gains, but that’s not always the case.
I spent nearly four decades as a runner and running coach, so people knew me as “the runner” and would often ask me for advice. What struck me was that while I was near my peak as a national-caliber runner, when a novice male or the female in her 30s or 40s looking to get back in shape after having children would join me for a jog and they would ALWAYS start out running faster than I would, and they would end up in pain very quickly.
They thought it needed to hurt for them to make gains. They didn’t realize that starting out too fast meant the remainder of the run would be torturous, as their muscles were fatigued and in oxygen debt. The act of running is lifting six times your body weight with every step because of the effects of gravity. Therefore, just jogging at a slow pace is still very effective in increasing your fitness level while limiting the pain factor.
This same model applies to business and other aspects of our personal lives. Find something small that will result in improvement. If you are sedentary, start walking a couple days a week. Do it just often enough to get in the habit. If you’re already a walker, throw in a half minute of slow jogging here and there to increase your fitness without having too much pain. In business, maybe dedicate five minutes immediately following lunch to filing, sending follow-up emails, making phone calls or something that is going to make you more efficient or better. Maybe join the chamber to make business connections or get free marketing and promotion for your business. Don’t join everything at once, just add one simple thing to your list that will benefit you without taking much time.
Good luck in 2019 and remember that most gains come with effort, not pain, and that helps your gains continue.