The 90th Edition
Belief is the force behind everything we ever achieve.
Something to Think About
You only chase what you believe you might actually catch.
Something to Ask Yourself
Where in your life are you holding back simply because you haven’t allowed yourself to believe it’s possible?
Personal Lesson
I didn’t used to believe I’d be capable of running an ultra. I think it felt too far away from who I was at the time. Perhaps I had an idea of what it would take to finish and didn’t think I had it.
It was only when I started to believe that it might be possible that I signed up for one. I had a group of people (I’ve now lost touch with actually) who believed.
So we did a mountain 50K together (ultra x Scotland), and, hobbling over the finish with cramp in both legs, I came 5th overall! It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but at 26 years old, I’d shocked myself.
Race by race, step by step, the evidence built. Each finish line since has fed the belief that I’m more capable than I’d once thought. And I now spend a huge part of my life trying to show others that they have this very same capability locked away in them.
If only they started to believe.
Something similar happened when I started posting running content online about 6 years ago. I didn’t know what would come of it, but I believed that if I kept showing up it might open doors.
If I kept posting, kept getting better at communicating, educating, and entertaining, maybe the page would grow. Surely it would reach people. Perhaps it could even lead to a life built around the things I love instead of selling financial tech (zzzzzz)
The early growth felt slow. It took around 3 years to reach 10,000 followers on Instagram. TikTok grew faster and probably gave me some early encouragement, but Instagram felt like pushing sand up a hill with a fork.
Still, I kept posting because I believed in the process. Eventually a few videos started to land and the page began to grow.
That success didn’t create the belief. The belief came first. The success simply reinforced it. And, eventually, blew whatever small belief I did have out the water.
Running – Life’s Metaphor
Running is one of the clearest reminders that belief often comes before evidence. No one signs up for their first marathon or ultra with certainty. They sign up because they believe it might be possible.
The training that follows is simply the process of proving that belief right.
Final Thoughts
There will always be voices telling you that what you want to achieve isn’t realistic.
Often that voice will come from inside your own head. You may see other people doing things you admire and think, I could never do that.
Or sometimes it will come from people who care about you. They’ll want to protect you from embarrassment, disappointment, or failure. Their intentions are often good, but this can easily become limitation if you become convinced of their limiting beliefs.
Quite often, this doubt will come from people who simply don’t believe in themselves. If they’ve decided something isn’t possible for them, they struggle to imagine it being possible for you.
But none of that really matters.
You don’t need everyone else to believe in your plans. You don’t need certainty. You just need enough belief to take the first step and act as if it might work out.
That’s how everything begins. SELF BELIEF.
Do yourself a favour this week and back yourself.
Right now, say this out loud (or just whisper it if you feel awkward):
“I believe in myself.”
Say this with your chest and act like it.
Stop doubting yourself.
Back yourself.
Dreams come true.
💪
RUN THE RUNNABLE 😉