Running is one of my favourite forms of exercise. I've never been very fast, the fastest I managed 10km was under 50 minutes..nothing like the race times of the winners! But I enjoy it "because I can". Operating a small business is like running a marathon (half marathon for me, not sure I could go that far). It's not a sprint, you want your business to go the distance, not collapse after the first 100m dash!
Success takes Training: You have to exercise or work at it every day, and your once a week "rest" day is part of that training. When I'm training for a half marathon, I adjust the way I think, and I work on my stamina, and adjust every part of my life to achieve the goal. Which includes waking early, putting in the training (sometimes twice a day since this builds stamina for long distances quicker), training on longer and shorter routes, in all temperatures, practising on shorter races, making sure I have the right equipment (shoes, gear), eating and hydrating correctly. 21km is actually not very far in relation to the kind of Ultramarathons many South Africans run (Comrades, Two Oceans) but for me it is quite enough.
Race Day Conditions are not always ideal: The race is on, regardless of Race Day conditions! There are few things in life you can control. But you can control your preparation, your choices, and your attitude.
Overnight Success is Unrealistic: It can take 10 weeks to train for a Marathon. Things don't always go the way you think they will. Sometimes an injury or illness requires a new strategy or approach to achieve the goal. In the same way sales goals sometimes need a new approach. Sales goals seem more manageable when broken down into weekly goals.
The seemingly impossible can be achieved: The Comrades Marathon is one example of that in running. In the same way, if you have a vision and a plan to support a new product or service you can do something you never thought was possible!
