Our runner
finally got new shoes. The well-made tread gave him traction as he navigated a
technical downhill path, but he still found that his habit of using his heels,
forged during miles of running in worn out shoes, manifested itself.
According to Albert Einstein insanity
is, “doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.” We
sometimes wear ourselves out doing good things. Our body, mind and spirit tire
from repeated use. It might seem like we no longer have traction to move forward
and we start to fall back on old habits. Habits that might even feel like the
most secure footing we have at the time. Since we are not getting the results
that we want, we just do whatever seems to be the most comfortable. Just like
some people’s reaction to frightening downhill running might be to lean back
and use their heels. Can’t break an old habit? Struggling with your goals? Not
getting the results you want from the gym? Forget it for today. Say you’ll do
it tomorrow. It’s not that hard to relapse into old habits.
We sometimes get the opportunity to,
“buy a new pair of shoes.” A new semester comes. A new job opportunity gives us
a change of pace. A friend decides to do something we have been thinking about
doing for a while and wants us to join them. We jump on the opportunity and are
bent on achieving our goals, but then it happens. We trip on that first rock.
We slide on that first patch of gravel and we find ourselves right back on our
heels.
We don’t need another pair of new
shoes. The pair we have are working just fine. After all, we just got them.
Finding motivation in such circumstances can be difficult sometimes. We feel
like we have slid so many times that we couldn’t possibly gain the confidence
to do what we need to do. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “We gain strength,
and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look
fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” Judith E. Pearson
stated, “The way to recover from a mistake is to observe it dispassionately,
take whatever corrective action is appropriate, regain your composure, focus on
what to say next, and get on with it.”
So how do we regain confidence after
developing a bad habit? We start taking calculated risks. Dr. Susan Jeffers
wrote, “The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and
do it.” A runner’s brain calculates the sound of their feet against the ground
to assess the extent of their slippage as they fly through the mountains. It
calculates the steepness of the hills and the horizontal angle of the trails in
front of them. It carefully measures the rocks in their path and chooses
whether to go around, jump over, step on, behind or beyond them. It assesses
their breathing and muscular fatigue. It sends signals to their body to
compensate for different types of footing, whether it be muddy, rocky or
smooth. Then their feet come down with a vengeance and they have to live with
every decision. Stephanie Freeman wrote, “Each success will increase your
self-esteem and help you become the individual you need to be to grow.” Every
time a runner’s foot comes down and they don’t fall on their face their
confidence level rises. Every time we find success in taking a calculated risk
our confidence grows.
What are you going to do next time you
get a new pair of shoes? Are you going to stride out and take risks, or are you
going to lean back and stay on your heels?
