As some of you know, I have been training for my first marathon over the winter and spring.  I ran the marathon yesterday, and finished strong, running the whole way.  I was the hardest thing I have ever voluntarily done in my life.

Many of my friends have said, ‘Oh, I could never do that’. And they are right. They can’t.  I couldn’t do it either.  But that was me of 2 years ago that couldn’t do it, when I hadn’t run at all. It was me of 18 month ago when I had only run a 5k and a 10k. it was me a year ago before I had run a 1/4 marathon or a 1/2.

When did I know I could do it?  When I realize my goals had repeatedly been transformed into accomplishments by training. I had discipline and trained. That is all it was.  I had a group, that helped A LOT! We supported each other immeasurably.  But in the end, support or no, it was doing the miles in training. It was getting up each and every Saturday, in bitter cold, bitter wind, bitter rain and running.  It was running alone on the days I couldn’t make it to the group.  All that was discipline.  I stuck with it. That is all it was.

So, if you are saying that about a marathon, a job, a skill, a school semester, a relationship, a goal of any kind, then you are right.  You can’t do it.  BUT if you train, if you discipline yourself and do the time, the work, the exercises, etc. then you CAN.  That is how your goals become accomplishments. 

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.” – Jim Rohn, 1930-2009, American author and motivational speaker