My Trash Bin: Lessons Learned from Running

Today is my 4th day on my way completing one of my wish list, that is ‘jogging regularly in a full week’. While running, I thought about some points I could learn from this activity. Actually, it was not easy for me who were very lazy to do exercise.

1. Discipline

Wake up earlier in the morning is the must to do in this mission. I usually wake up at 05.30 am but this week I have to wake up at 04.30. The two reasons are to not be late to go to office (or other activities) and to get the fresh air. In my city, Jakarta, if you start at 06.00 in the morning and your track is big road, you will breath unfresh air.

2. Persistence

I don’t have good jogging track near to my dorm. So, I often run the same path (public road without sidewalk) every day (especially weekdays) , and it was boring for me. Though, that’s all I have and all I have to do is be persistence, or I give up on the mission.

3. Goal Setting

Every morning I plan how far I will run. I did several ‘try and error’ to measure my ability. Sometimes, I set too far for my beginning and sometimes too near. Those experience made me figure out what I can and have to reach at this level. We might have a big long term goal, but to make it real, we have to make more realistic short term goal too.

4. It’s not only train your legs, it trains your brain.

When you already have a goal or target, it will not always easy to reach it. I faced some barriers, inside and outside my self, but my brain decided. When you met people on the way I was afraid they saw me bad at running. My own brain was against me. I had to take control of it. Then, when my legs were hurt but I had not reach the target yet, I said to my self ‘You can do it! Come on don’t give up! After finished it, you would say it was not easy and yes It’s painful, but you could get through this.’ Yeah, I talked much to my self.