Possibly not the best subject for
a blog post, but stick with me here 
To give you some context, I have
- Never run before
- Not really done any exercise since school
- Never considered myself athletic in any way
I am doing a prgram called Couch to 5k.
What it does is basically build you up
over 8 weeks from being a couch potato
to running 5KM.
I’m now on the 5th week of the program
and managing to keep up.
I don’t like to get too philosophical
about things, but it has actually taught
me a lesson about focus which I have
seen massive results by applying to my
business and sure that you will see
massive results if you apply this to
your’s also.
Training 3 times a week takes discipline
but is not a killer.
One of the things that has happened though
is that I am feeling MUCH better physically.
So much so, that I am having suggestions
that I should be doing other things also.
- My wife, Gina, says that I should start
doing situps to build up my upper body
strength.
- A good friend Raphael is encouraging
me to start doing a zero to 100 pressups
program for my general fitness.
- Josh, who you probably know from the
helpdesk says that I should start doing
rope-skipping as it will help me with
my running.
So, what am I going to add to my regime?
Well, actually nothing.
You see, the 5k running program is going
really well and I am scared that if I do
start doing something else as well, then
I will stop focussing on the running part.
And it goes with business as well.
Especially when working online it is so
easy to be sidetracked. To work on a number
of projects at a time.
To buy the latest WSO.
To buy the latest push button product.
To browse the forum to see what you should
be doing.
But in reality, the best thing that you can
do is to focus on just one area and build it
up so that you are really good at it and
profit greatly on that area.
For the last few months, I have been focussing
on just one product in the internet marketing
arena which has been very successful.
I KNOW that I can make it even better and
make even more money from it and make my
present customers gain more value from it.
So, what’s my point?
Try and stay focussed on the one thing in
business which is bringing in the most money.
The side-benefits will come.
And when you are ready, you will naturally
move on to another project.
And for now:
Go out and learn and do!
Keeping it real in an unreal world,
Ben Shaffer
Hi Ben, enjoyed your post on running, what you say about focus
is absolutely true (this one thing I will do today).It puts you in the “Now” frame of mind which gives you clarity and singleness of purpose. Running Changed my life……everything about it.
Congratulations you are right on the money.
Success Always, Larry
Hello Ben, I know you’ve made a great decision to start Running.
Exercise is what refresh the mind and body. It helps in physical appearance as well. Many people sit around to much with little exercise that tend to work against their health status. Great job, keep going.
Healthier Body
Enjoy,
Its easy to sit still all day and then feel tired from lack of physical activity!
As for focus, leaving aside issues of confusion and guru bashing over information overload etc, releasing a tested coherent plan of action plus all trade secrets for free would still end in failure for the majority.
For the lack of focus you mention here.Go look at the next WSO, check facebook….
That’s the biggest road block to many moving forward.
Love the blog. I too used to be a hater of exercise, not any more! I do it 6 times a week and have seen a 200 lb weight loss in the past 19 months. The focus does help in all areas of life, especially business. My exercise time is good for me mentally, besides physical. It is the one time when there is nothing but concentration on what I am doing and hoping to achieve in my life.
Hey Ben
Running will definitely charge up all areas of your life! If you need great running music and personal training check out jogpods.com and good luck!
When I was in high school I played for the school soccer (ok, football, but if I say football you will think American football and ask how I could have been on the football team) team. Part of the training was a lot of running and I did a lot of damage to my legs, especially my knees and heels. The worst of this damage was caused by trying to stick to an incremental plan to lower the time for running a mile. The first time I tried to go from a 6:30 mile to a 6-minute mile (I think) I really beat up my knees and I continued to have trouble with that for quite a long time afterwards. Basically I was not ready/able to do a 6-minute mile and by trying to do so anyway I did a lot of damage.
I hope you are less injury-prone than I was, but when running I suggest you get very bouncy running shoes to absorb the impact, run on something softer than sidewalks or pavement, and don’t push yourself too hard in keeping to the plan. If necessary stretch the plan out a bit rather than overtax your body. You are doing this for health reasons and an injury is the opposite of that. Injuries in sport are almost inevitable, but they are very good an helping someone break the good habits he has built up so you definitely want to try and minimize them.