Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Falling up


On my run today around Greenlake, with the blue sky and birds as my backdrop, I fell. Caught with my hands out... glad I didn't land on my face.

This isn't the first time I've tripped in front other runners, and most likely will not be the last. With a running career that spans over twenty years, I'd say I do it atleast twice a year. Atleast. But as I got up and going again, this may be the first time I've ever reflected on falling in other parts of my life.

Falling is not failing, but quite often I find myself focused on one thing, and then, without warning, I lose focus on that and turn my attention to something else. I fall out of focus. And what happens next? I'll tell you. I end up with all of these unfinished things that I have to reflect on and then figure out how to complete.

As the lyrics, "I get knocked down, but I get up again..." played on my ipod (it couldn't have been better timing) and my latest struggle to stay focused on my to do list on my mind, it occured to me that I tend to fall and get up again on most of the things that I do. I suppose this happens to most everyone. However, there are those amazing individuals out there that can set a goal and accomplish it. Period. They just do it. They don't let anything stand in their way, they don't allow set backs to slow them down, and they can see the finish line no matter how far it is in front of them. What blows me away with this special group of people is that they typically accomplish their goals fast. I wish I could do that.

I set my New Year's Resolution today on my run. After the fall. I decided that, even though it's late in the month of January, I will no longer let myself fall. Falling is no longer an option. I will stay focused. I will see the finish line. I will accomplish. Okay, not in everything... if I went that big I'd be too overwhelmed. I am going to start small. There are two goals I have that I really need to accomplish this year. I am going to focus on them. Once I have succeeded in doing so, I will then set my sight on the others.

Let's be realistic here. I am a faller. I can't tell when it'll happen or what shiny object may trip me up, but it will happen again. My New Year's Resolution mindset merely will allow me the freedom to keep it small and maybe this way, I'll get further. We shall see if it ends up to be true... and I invite anyone reading this to join in and give me their thoughts. It's an experiment of falling up.