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Competing With Yourself: Lessons Learned

My last several columns have been about sales. Those of you that have been readers of my Chris Mullins Nuggets™ For Business columns will understand why I'm including this very personal column as part of my sales series. The lessons learned in this column can be applied to any goal achievement process, professional and personal.

In this column I speak of attitude, self-confidence, risk taking, strategy, competition, believing in yourself, mental exercises such as mental rehearsal, visualizing and self talk.

You're about to read a very personal story about me, Chris Mullins and an ongoing personal goal I have. I'm an athlete. I learn much about myself, my career and my teachings to my students through my goal of being an athlete, the ongoing challenge and journey of improving myself and my ability with each breath and step. Read carefully, and you'll be able to highlight the lessons I learned, the strategies I used and mental exercises I went under to reach my goal, to finish the race. By the way, these are the same lessons, strategies and mental exercises that I share with my sales tele-coaching students.

On Sunday, February 24, 2002 in Hyannis, Massachusetts I stood with 1700 other runners, beginners to the elite from all over the country to compete in the Hyannis Half Marathon, that's 13.1 miles. I've been combining running and walking for the past year. Recently, I've been able to do less walking and more running, my ultimate goal is simply running. I've completed several 3 to 4 mile races with improvements each time. I train a minimum of 3 days per week and occasionally do long weekend runs of 6, 7 and 9 miles.

This was an extremely difficult race for me. The first 6 miles weren't bad. I ran most of it and felt great. It was a gorgeous day. By the time I got to mile 9, I was absolutely exhausted. Here's a list of what I let get to me and how I turned each one around. I believe that I allowed outside obstacles to influence my ability to perform with a 100% confidence until I turned it around.

Comments from spectators like... "Wow she's a runner; well, she's not really running, have a nice walk, heckle heckle." Knowing that I was last; being alone. All the other half-marathon runners had already completed the race by the time I got to mile 8. In fact, as I was continuing on, they were running towards me, cheering because they were heading to the finish line with 2 miles to go. I still had 5 miles.

That was really tough seeing them, a very low point. I didn't even want to continue. I just stood still from a distance trying to decide what to do. I wouldn't even stop to use the portable bathrooms for fear I wouldn't keep going after the rest.

I did so many mental exercises during this race. I ended up being alone out there trying to keep myself motivated. To push myself, to keep putting one foot in front of the other, literally.

I recited to myself, "Today I will be the master of my emotions before I'm captured by the forces of sadness, self pity and failure", a quote I've shared with my sales tele-coaching students by Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman In The World. I kept talking to myself.

I trained long and hard for this race, I felt ready. I thought all about my training and each success I've enjoyed with each race and training run. I reminded myself of the step I took by joining the Monadnock Regional Milers a local running club in Peterborough. I knew I did all the right things, I was prepared. While running, however, I didn't feel as mentally prepared as I thought I was. I even got to the point where I was going to quit, back when I was standing still watching the other runner's head to the finish line.

I thought about my students and what I would say to them if they were racing or trying to sell services and products to customers and wanted to give up. I thought of my friends and family that were waiting for me to get to the finish line. I thought about why I was doing this. I reminded myself I was here for me and no one else. To grow, to learn, to compete with myself only. I reminded myself that I haven't come this far to stop now!

But I didn't quit. I kept going. I made the DECISION to finish and finish the best I possibly could. I started running again. I stood taller. I smiled more, took several deep breaths and started to really think about what I was doing, I was running in a half marathon. I was determined to overcome all the OBSTACLES I HAD CREATED. After all, they weren't real. Only in my head. No one else's.

I crawled over the finish line with a smile. It was incredible. What a feeling. My head was pounding with a terrible headache that I had before the race even started. I was absolutely wiped out. But I didn't' give up and I kept going.

I used mental rehearsal and visualizing to get me through to the end. I pictured the finish line and imagined how it would feel to quit and how it would feel to finish.

I thought of sleeping on the long ride home and how wonderful it would feel just knowing I finished. I thought of my running club, the Monadnock Regional Milers, my club teammates and how they've looked up to me over the past year for always trying and never giving up. I thought of how they've unconditionally supported me and I wasn't about to let them down.

I reminded myself that I'm competing with myself. I visualized my last big athletic success in August 2001; I completed my first Triathlon at Fort Devens. That's a ½ mile swim, 12-mile bike and 3.1-mile run. I did all I could to remember that struggle and pain during the race, because I finished with a smile while the crowd cheered. I reminded myself of all the celebrating I've done over the past few years for each step I've taken to conquer my goals. I reminded myself of how proud my partner is of my accomplishments. I also reminded myself of my goals to continually push myself out of my comfort zone, to raise the bar with each athletic event I enter; to learn from each one and to grow.

During the low points of the 13.1-mile race, I was thinking to myself that I wasn't as mentally strong as I thought. Truth is: I was or I never would have finished.

I was the last winner!

Mullins Media Group™, LLC is a Management Consulting and Training group. We specialize in all types of Sales and Leadership programs. Ask us about our no nonsense, high impact, individually customized, private "Performance Tele-Coaching" for Executives, Entrepreneurs & Salespeople. Just e-mail chris@mullinsmediagroup.com for more information. http://www.MullinsMediaGroup.com

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