I like running. Preferably on the hard sand along the ocean or somewhere in a Cambodian village1 where no birds attack me and the evening has cooled just slightly, surrounded by people in their pyjamas and jeans at an outdoors acrobats class (ja, this totally happens most nights and as a foreigner it’s confusing and adorable).
I don’t like running far though. About 5 – 6 kilometres (3 – 4 miles) is my range. I don’t love it for anything longer than 30 minutes. And I spent years stopping and starting because I felt like a major aim was to run longer and to run faster.
Will you come along to the 10k this weekend? Signing up for the half marathon? How’s that mileage time coming along?
Nope. Nope. My body doesn’t want to go anymore. I could force it but I don’t want to. I love the benefits & pay off from being right here. And it suddenly occurred to me I could stick here. I could change it up, I could run hills, push myself with an 1 hour challenge afterwards, figure out how to run whilst working on my phone (totally kidding but I’ve seen this) but in all cases, run 20 – 30 minutes. I don’t need, or want, any more.
We’re all living in a culture that’s obsessed with chasing bigger, better, faster, more. There’s an expectation that you’ll grow your business. Even for people who want to spend their time making, you nearly feel compelled to do that as you’re told it’s the right thing. The only way.
You need to scale. You need to buy more. Invest more. You need another degree. You need a bigger house. A bigger car. A quicker turnaround.
Except you don’t.
You can choose not to run any further and enjoy exactly where you’re at right now. You can choose to change. You can choose to stop.
You can choose.