If you want to get something done right you have to do it with purpose.  You have to want it.  You have to desire it.  Most of all, you have to try to attain it.  The hard part is getting started.  Whether it’s trying to lose weight or working hard for a promotion, you have to be deliberate in setting goals.  The goals are what you will need to propel you into action.  They aren’t just words, but rather, visualizations. You have to imagine what it is you want to accomplish and then you have to see yourself performing the tasks that will lead to your eventual success.  You can write down on paper that you want to lose 10 pounds.  You can look at it over and over, but can you see it?  Can you see yourself performing the actions that will help you lose the 10 pounds?  If you can’t then they are just words on paper.  You have to imagine yourself putting in the work.  You have to see the success, as well as the failure.  In fact, you have to plan for the failure and be prepared to overcome it.  The reality is that there are always going to be bumps in the road and if you don’t plan for them then sometimes they are impossible to avoid.  You can’t always go in with the belief that failure is not an option, because, unfortunately, sometimes it is.  But, you can never, and I mean never, let it stop you.  You have to envision yourself falling and getting back up.  You have to feel it make you stronger.  You have to learn from it.  You have to see yourself moving forward despite the setbacks.  You have to foresee success.

Setting goals can sometimes feel overwhelming, because you have to stand in front of this ominous mountain and somehow see yourself reaching the top of it.  But you must always keep in mind that it is a process with several steps along the way.  Reaching the top of the mountain is a long term goal.  It’s really the short term goals that will push you to the top, because you won’t get there in one giant leap.  If you are trying to get a promotion visualize yourself in your new position and make that image stick.  Then, think about what it is you need to get there.  For example, you may need to learn how the implementation process works for new accounts as one variable to being considered for a new position – there’s a short term goal.  Write that down and imagine yourself talking to the person who can teach you the process.  Then, write down another short term goal, visualize it, and so on and so on.  Write down and visualize every short term goal that will lead you to your ultimate goal.  Suddenly, everything becomes clearer and you can begin the process of making your goals come into fruition.

Remember, it’s important to always set goals, both big and small.  Writing your goals down on paper is not enough, so visualize the whole process.  Constantly imagine success, and plan for failure.  Never let the failure prevent you from moving forward.  If you are overwhelmed with your long term goal, break it down into smaller ones and see them as checkpoints on your road map to your ultimate destination.   Be deliberate in setting your goals and allow them to propel you into action.  Keep in mind that anything is possible.

By Raul Alanis

We are not defined by the things that have happened in the past.  We are defined by what and who we are in the moment.  That’s why every single thing you do, whether it’s brushing your teeth in the morning or putting gas in your car, needs to be done with passion.  Even the seemingly insignificant moments can define you.  They can determine your direction and prevent you from tasting the true splendors that life has to offer.

The year is young and true contentment is ripe for the picking.  There is never a better excuse to ask for change in your life than right now.  Too many times our ambitions are diluted by the perception that we are incapable of change.  However, we are only incapable of change when we believe that we are incapable of change.  Still, some people will never attempt it, but what they fail to realize is that even an attempt at change is change.  Do not fear it – embrace it.

Your life won’t change the second you cross the finish line of your first marathon.  It will change the second you decide to run for the first time.  Your life won’t change when you finish your first painting.  It will change when you pick up your first brush.  It really is that easy.  But you’re never going to grow if you don’t plant the seeds.

Let this New Year provide the perfect opportunity to progress in a way that promotes self growth.  I don’t care if your past year was wonderful or horrible, because there is no reason this year can’t be better than the last.  Remember to set goals for yourself, do everything with passion and proactively seek change.   

A Long December by the Counting Crows is one of my favorite songs of all time.  I always hearken back to this one specific line: “And the feeling that it’s all a lot of oysters but no pearls.”  I always think, ‘I do get that feeling sometimes, but I just have to keep finding more oysters and hoping I get a pearl at some point.’ Luckily, I have always been able to find a lot of pearls.  Honestly, every New Year I think about this song and remember, “It’s been a long December, but there’s reason to believe maybe this year will be better than the last.”

There’s a common misconception that working out is, well, work.  I guess it can be if you forget that you are lucky enough to do it.  It’s not until you face adversity that you truly begin to appreciate the many privileges bestowed upon you.  I wouldn’t say that I ever took running or working out for granted.  After suffering ligament tears in my right ankle playing basketball almost 5 years ago I began to look at running differently.  Before that injury I used to hate running with a passion, especially long distance running.  But, there I was feeling sorry for myself because I didn’t know if I would ever be able to run again.  Why was I so worried that I would never be able to run again?  I wasn’t a runner.  In fact, I hadn’t been running at all prior to my ligament injury.  After three months of physical therapy I could run again, albeit very carefully.  Five months later I was able to sprint.

Suffering from and eventually overcoming my ligament injury reinforced my commitment to being healthy, and allowed me to enjoy every opportunity I had to work out.  There were days when I would be on a long 8 mile run and I wanted nothing more than to stop, but I would look down at my ankle and watch it move with fluidity.  I would remember the pain, the physical therapy, the resistance bands I used every night, and I would push forward, not just because I wanted to, but because I could.

When I first suffered my back injury I didn’t want to stop working out.  I wanted to push through the pain.  When the reality set in that I needed to rest, I did so with frustration.  I am the first to admit that my impatience has often gotten the best of me during this time.  Honestly, it’s because I know how lucky I was to be working out before the injury and I want so desperately to get back there.  It’s also because I want so badly to be able to look back one day and remember the pain I feel now and use it as even more motivation.

I don’t know when I will be at full strength again, so for now I will just continue to focus on doing what I can do – eating healthy, stretching and doing the bike machine.   It’s a work in progress.  But I can assure you of one thing, I won’t give up.  I am going to take advantage of the privilege that I have to work out every single day.  It really is a gift.  I guess sometimes we need a series of trials and tribulations to help us remember that.

For me, nowadays, the biggest compliment someone can give me is to tell me that I look young.   There’s something about those words that gives me hope and helps believe that maybe, just maybe, I am doing a good job holding off aging, even if it’s just a minute longer.  I do everything in my power to stay young and healthy, most of all, I run.  It’s the one thing that makes me feel alive.

Just last week Rachel and I were at the gym sitting in the sauna.  A guy sitting across from us noticed my San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon t-shirt and asked me if I had run the race.  I told him I had run both the half and full marathons in the last two years.  We began talking about running and he explained how hard he believed running was and that he could never run a half marathon because he was too old.  I proceeded to tell him that age didn’t matter and that anyone could do it.  He replied, “I don’t know about that.  Maybe I could have done it when I was in my early twenties, but I couldn’t do it now.   I’m already 29.  You’re lucky, see, you’re still young.  What are you, 24 or 25?”  I started laughing and I turned to Rachel who could see the delight in my eyes.  I turned back to the guy and said, “No, no, I’m 33.  I didn’t start running until I was 29.”  He immediately responded, “There’s no way you’re 33.  Wow, you look young.”  I was flabbergasted.  I don’t think I wiped the smile off of my face the rest of the day.  After he left the sauna I asked Rachel, “Did he really think I was 25?  There’s no way.”  Rachel just laughed and said, “You look younger than you think.”  I then replied, “Actually, he thought we both looked young because he knew we were married.  It’s the running…the running I tell you!”

Honestly, I would have thought that the guy in the gym was just bad at guessing someone’s age, but I had another confidence booster yesterday.  I was getting my haircut and the woman asked how old I was.  I told her I was 33 and she didn’t believe me.  She kept saying, “You just look so young.  I would never have believed you were in your 30’s.  I bet you get that all the time.  Do people always tell you that you look young?”  I just smiled and said, “Every now and then.”  When she jokingly asked me what my secret was I just laughed and replied, “Running.”

I started running at 29 years old because I wanted to get healthy.  I didn’t know all of the benefits that I would receive from it, but what I did know is that I was committed to making a change.  Now, I feel as though running has allowed me to maintain my youthful nature, which hopefully makes me appear younger.  I don’t know if running really is a fountain of youth.  But, for me, I would like to think it is.  Even if it doesn’t make me look younger, at least it makes me feel younger.  Who would have thought that something as simple as a run could do that?

Dealing with an injury is never easy.  I’ve experienced too many injuries, with each one being its own unique challenge, to think differently.  I will say that since I became a runner I have never experienced an injury such as the one I am currently facing.  If you had told me two months ago that today I would be unable to run for longer than fifteen minutes or lift weights I would have laughed and said it’s impossible.  But, so goes the nature of my injury and that aggravation that accompanies it daily.

Progress has been unbelievably slow, but I have managed to keep a smile on my face.  I have learned to focus on the positive aspects of my predicament by taking pride in the small victories that take place every single day.  Sometimes it’s the ability to sit up straight for a minute longer without feeling pain.  Sometimes it’s the ability to run for a second longer without my back tensing up.  Sometimes it’s the ability to stretch just a little further.  Whatever it is and no matter how miniscule it seems, it’s still progress.  It’s a step forward, instead of a step back; a sign that things are headed in the right direction.  In life you have to focus on the positive aspects of your days and filter out the things that lead to disappointment.

Things don’t always have to be so hard.  Sometimes we tend to make things harder by dwelling on the bad and forgetting to acknowledge the good.  You have to make sure that you always do your part to make any circumstance a viable reason to improve your outlook and diligently work to focus on fixing the things you can control.  For me it’s been eating even healthier than before, which has led to a vast improvement in energy.  It has also allowed me to focus on projects that would have otherwise been left unattended.  You have to do your part to move forward, even if it means you only move a centimeter.

You have to remember that there’s a silver lining in everything, but sometimes you just have to look for it.  Progress, or at least great progress, doesn’t just happen overnight.  It’s a process that takes time and has both high and lows.  You just have to make sure that you remember all the highs and learn from the lows.  You have to build yourself back up and make yourself stronger and wiser.  I may be injured, but it doesn’t mean I have to put my life on hold.  It just means it may take a little longer to get to where I am going. I figure for now I might as well enjoy the ride and make the most of it.

Suffering from an injury can oftentimes be overwhelming.  With it comes frustration at the thought of being relegated to a sedentary lifestyle.  There’s a sudden break in your ritual; a diversion from a familiar path.  The prospect of starting again from scratch and attempting to build what you had already created is devastating.  The devastation comes from the fact that as runners we have come so far.  Over time we have built mileage into our lives by putting feet to the pavement, while gradually building inner and outer strength, as well as confidence.  When it all vanishes because an injury has decided to infiltrate our lives it’s easy to allow a certain amount of pessimism to run rampant.  It’s not just because of the injury itself, but rather, the uncertainty of it all.  When will I be able to run again?  When will the pain subside?  Will this be a chronic injury?  The questions begin to mount and fear sets in.  That is when patience is of the utmost importance.

When you suffer an injury you start the all-consuming ritual of daily spot checks at the site of the injury, hoping the pain has subsided.  Most times you find that there is minimal to no progress and you become anxious.  Sometimes you will even go for a run, when you know that it could possibly set you back, because there’s a belief that maybe, just maybe you can work your way through the pain.  But pounding the injury into submission only aggravates it.  It heightens the pain, as well as the uncertainty.  It almost always leads to more disappointment.  Patience, although it seems like the enemy and a sign of weakness, becomes your best ally.  You have to dig deep within yourself to come to the understanding that rest is not your nemesis and the ability to allow your body to heal is more a sign of strength than weakness.

Once you have immersed yourself into the routine of running, can you call it strength to do something that has suddenly become natural?  Isn’t it easy to keep throwing punches when you have never been knocked down?  It is more powerful to stand up after you have been punched to the ground.  It is more powerful to face adversity and overcome it.  With patience comes strength and with healing comes power.  If you can ignite your flame again once it has been extinguished, can you ever really call yourself weak?

Suffering from an injury, in some ways, is a byproduct of running.  It can develop in an instant or slowly over time and it is not partial to novice, intermediate or advanced runners.  Injuries happen to everyone, at any given time.  Therefore, it’s extremely important that you never dwell on your predicament.  If you allow the “woe is me” mentality to overtake you then you are allowing yourself to be overcome with disappointment.  You need to look at your injury as a way to further your commitment to getting healthy.  Let it help you realize that you are human and that you are not immune to hardships.  Let it also help you realize how important it is to enjoy your health and make the most of every single day.

Your injury will take time to heal, but eventually it will.  Although it may hinder your progress physically at the moment, you cannot let it affect you mentally or emotionally.  You have to believe that tomorrow is another day full of possibilities and brings you one day closer to healing.  Always keep your determination, hold on tightly to your confidence and take pride in your patience.  The roads aren’t going anywhere.  Races will still be waiting for you to sign up.  The starting line will always be calling your name.  Remember, just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you’re not a runner.

In the past I have always acknowledged my injuries with one part doubt and two parts denial, at least in the beginning.  At some point, usually fairly quickly, I would come to the realization that the injury was much worse than first anticipated.  Then, I would do the one thing I never wanted to do – rest.

Why is it so hard to rest?  Taking off a few days to nurse an injury is always better than the alternative, but somehow my mind rejects that train of thought.  I suppose I like the idea of life having some semblance of a repetitive routine, especially when it comes to working out.  There’s a comfort level in it and it becomes a daily ritual like waking up or going to bed.  I do my best not to deviate from it because chaos, at least in my mind, will ensue.  I worry I may lose the passion for it if I take too much time off, or that my body will suddenly forget how to run quickly or even lift a weight.  Therefore, I push my body and I keep pushing until it pushes back.  Sometimes, though, I push too far, even after meeting substantial resistance.

At the first sign of back pain two weeks ago I shrugged it off and tried in earnest to work through it.  “Just soreness,” I told my wife as she saw me wince in pain more than once.  “I’ll be fine,” I said, “Don’t worry.”  She looked at me with concerned eyes and I smiled through the pain, because, as I always tell her, “It’s what I do.”  The next morning I awoke to acute pain and again I battled through it, disregarding the advice I often give to runner’s suffering with an injury – rest and heal.  For some reason I couldn’t listen to my own advice.  I stubbornly worked through the pain, hoping against hope that I would awake the next morning rejuvenated.  I expected that the miraculous healing powers of eight hours of sleep would take full effect – it didn’t.

I finally decided, with the stern urging of my wife, to rest (oh such a putrid word that should be banished!).  The problem, however, was that I was unable to sit still.  When my wife wasn’t looking I was dropping to the floor attempting pushups and, of course, setting back any progress.  I desperately wanted to move.  After one full day’s rest, when my back finally started to feel somewhat better, I was trying sit-ups.  “I had to loosen up my back.  I’m fine” I said, as I hunched over in discomfort an hour later.  I refused to give in to the pain.  I couldn’t let it win.

Two days ago my wife went for a run around the block.  I told her I needed to get out and walk just for a while.  Her eyebrow raised and she stared at me with those bright blue eyes and said, so beautifully, “No!”  I pleaded.  I begged.  I told her I needed to walk because I had spent the day lying in bed and needed to loosen up my joints.  I even started to believe myself.  I gave her my puppy dog face and assured her I was better.  She agreed to only let me walk and said she would check on me as she ran to make sure I was walking.  She forgot that as soon as she turned the block I would be out of sight.  About 5 minutes into my walk my legs, for some reason unbeknownst to me, started moving faster.  The pain in my back became prominent once again, but my legs just kept moving faster and faster.  Before I knew it my wife had turned the corner and I was no longer walking.  I was running again!!  The wind was in my face.  It was beautiful!  Then, I noticed my back pain.  It nearly dropped me to my knees as soon as I stopped.  I straightened myself and as my wife approached I smiled.  “How do you feel,” she asked.  “110% better thank you!” I replied.  Then, I retreated indoors, falling onto a bag of ice in complete and utter despair.  I was back to square one and it was my fault.

As I lied in bed completely broken that night I wondered how I had gotten to that point.  How did I so foolishly neglect my own advice, as well as the advice of my wife, and put myself in such a horrible predicament.  I didn’t sleep much that night.  I tossed and turned, wondering how many days rest I would need to be 100% again.  I felt horrible as I realized Rachel would have to cook by herself, clean, do laundry, grocery shop – all the things we do together.  It has always been a partnership, each one making the other stronger.   But, there I was, the weakest link.  I apologized the next morning for pushing my injury to its limits and for having to rest even longer than I ever expected.  She looked me in the eyes and could see right through me; a defeated man filled with guilt and stupidity.  Her hand brushed across my hurt back as she said, “All I care about is that you feel better.  I love you.”  For a moment I was healed.  If only love could cure a hurt back.

I’m still trying to understand why I pushed myself so hard and refused to listen to my body.  I think maybe it’s because I didn’t want to feel weak.  I didn’t want to give in or give up, because I felt as though I would be losing a part of myself, even if just for a few days.  Now, here I am, out for much longer than I would have been if I had just rested at the onset of pain.  It not only serves as a lesson to me, but should serve as a lesson to anyone dealing with an injury.  If you feel pain, other than soreness, rest.  If I had just done that from the beginning I would not be writing this blog today; I would be out running.

One of the biggest keys to being healthy is patience.  If you get too eager it can get the best of you and eventually impede your progress.   Be strong in your commitment to get healthy and also be smart.  You never want to end up back at square one.  Trust me, it’s not worth it.

I once looked at running the way I once looked at an Etch A Sketch.  I never understood people’s fascination with it.  All I knew was that running would make me tired and that I lacked the ability to be successful at it.  One day I decided to go for a run and see how far my legs could take me.  Like an Etch A Sketch I shook away my doubts and started on a new canvass.  I moved my legs like never before – faster and further.  With patience and perseverance I turned myself into a runner.  Suddenly impossible, once again, became possible.

I know it’s not great, but I did it.

A lot of times people don’t realize that overcoming an obstacle starts with simply attempting to overcome it.  I would never have drawn an actual picture on my pocket Etch A Sketch if I hadn’t tried.  As I began sketching on it last night I thought about how I once believed that I could never draw anything discernible on it.  When I was done drawing I had finished my best and most detailed sketch.  I must have stared at it a hundred times last night, so satisfied with my accomplishment.  You can even ask my wife.  I think I showed her my drawing about 20 times and kept saying “Do you see what I did.  I did that.  Me. Can you believe it?”  It was a small accomplishment and I know my drawing wasn’t flawless, nor would it even be considered great, but to me it is something special.  I felt the same way when I finished my first 5K, half marathon and full marathon – extremely proud.

You must realize that any accomplishment, big or small, is important.  I don’t care if it’s running for two minutes, when you only thought you could run for one.  I don’t care if it’s starting the Couch to 5K program.  I don’t care if it’s just beginning to exercise for the first time.  What matters most is that you start turning the knobs on your Etch A Sketch of life and see what you come up with.  You may surprise yourself.

That fact of the matter is that we’re all breakable.   At some point in our lives, and likely more than once, we break.  We succumb to forces outside of our control and we fracture, becoming a mere shadow of ourselves.  In those times we struggle to keep our heads up, because sometimes doing so seems too difficult.  The fight in us dwindles and we become frail.  We then have a choice to make, we can either continue to dwell on our misfortunes, or we can rebuild ourselves into something stronger.

Too many times we carry the belief that we are unbreakable.  We don’t see the cracks in our own foundation that make us unstable.  We aren’t always aware of our vulnerabilities and we proceed through life with a false sense of security.  But, when our foundation indeed breaks and everything falls apart, we are immediately made aware of our faults.

I think most of us have been broken at some point in our lives.  The way I look at it, though, in some ways being broken is a good thing.  It means that the rebuilding process can begin.  It means that we can start to put ourselves back together, piece by piece.  It allows us to view our lives in a different perspective and rearrange ourselves accordingly.  We can face doubts and fears that once presented formidable obstacles and find ways to make them vanish.

The beauty of life is that you can start over at any time regardless of your age.  You can choose to be a runner, when you always just considered yourself a walker.  You can go back to school and get that degree that eluded you.  You can travel the world, instead of looking at it through pictures.  You can do anything you want, but you have to be the one to begin the rebuilding process.

Never let yourself fall too deep.  Never let the pieces of you crumble into nothingness.  You just have to be patient.  You just have to have hope.  You just have to have faith.  Most of all, you just have to believe.  Sometimes we all need to break to realize that.

By Raul Alanis

It’s not as though running came natural or that I didn’t have to work at it.  It was a process that was essential in helping me learn to believe in myself and trust in my abilities.  It didn’t come without reservation or doubt.  It didn’t mean I never wanted to quit or that my life changed immediately.  It meant that I made an effort to progress, instead of waiting for something to move me.  I had to ask myself constantly “Is there a reason why my own walk can’t turn into a run?”

Life is too short to remain powerless to your own self.  If you give in to the part of your mind that is filled with “can’t,” then you surely won’t.  However, if you seek the “can” part of your mind that yearns to free itself from imprisonment, then moving forward becomes more than just a possibility – it becomes an action.  It becomes an unconscious movement toward clarity, and the belief that anything is possible.  It diminishes the thought that limitations are a vital byproduct of your wellbeing.

There’s a certain comfort level that comes with the familiarity of repetition.  It’s easy to stand, as well as walk, because we do so almost mechanically.  But, how often do we run?  How often do we move our legs in a conscious effort to promote health, reduce stress or step out of our comfort zone?  People choose not to run because it takes a substantial effort.  It may feel unnatural at first and the “can’t” part of the mind quickly becomes a psychological hindrance.  It adds a simple question mark that suddenly throws everything off balance and decreases the ability to empower oneself.  The trick is to view life in a way that is void of boundaries and allow the concept of success to reign.

It’s important to see running as an ally.  You cannot fear the possibilities of failure, but rather, envision the opportunities for success.  For example, imagine yourself finishing your first 5K or completing your first mile without stopping, and do your best to bring that image into fruition.  Set goals for yourself and find ways to attain them.  If you stand idly by, runners will surely pass you.  However, if you run as part of the crowd, even if you finish last, you are still considered a runner.  In the end, we all cross the same finish line.  Therefore, set goals to no longer be a spectator.  It’s you that decides how successful you will become, so take action now.

At some point we all stand at a crossroads and question which path to take.  I always say take the path that leads to success.  In reality, though, there really never is a right or wrong path.  It’s always what you make of it.  You just have to decide if you are going to run toward the path of your choosing or just stand there waiting for something to happen.  It really does come down to a simple choice.  You can either get busy running or get busy standing.

By Raul Alanis