We did our first Parkrun last week.
Simon and Jo, sucking at Parkrun
It wasn’t our first run. Not by a long way. We’ve been running for years to keep fit and stay out in front of getting old.
I’ve done fun runs, triathlons (including a couple of Ironman™ triathlons) I’ve even run in the pool when I was injured. But despite the fact we live less than 10 minutes walk from the course, today was our first Parkrun. And we sucked at it!
348 people on a narrow course, some elite runners (that’s not us) the walk-&-talk’ers, the pram runners and the dog walkers. And we had no idea where to start. The first kilometer (about 0.6 miles for our US friends) was all about not tripping over someone, or tripping someone over. It was about dodging the slower people and moving out of the way of the quicker ones. At the finish line we fumbled around for our barcodes (yep, you gotta have your barcode so you can get scanned at the finish line and have your official time added to the Parkrun website. You can get your barcode on a wristband, plastic card or keyring token. We had ours printed on folded up A4 bits of paper.
“Yep. We sucked at it.”
While we were running however, I noticed a heap of people with their Parkrun50, or 100, or 250 and even one guy with a 500 shirt. These people have done 50, 100, 250 or 500 Parkruns. They effortlessly weaved through the crowds. Waltzed through the finish and generally looked like they knew what they were doing. And it made me think. I bet they sucked at their first one too. But look at them now.
And that’s the lesson. If you want to get good at something, you have to be brave enough to suck at it first.
I had a very similar conversation earlier in the week with a potential new client and we were talking about doing video. He was a little hesitant because he was worried about how he’d look and sound, and that he’d feel really self conscious. And I told him the same thing.
“You will look and sound terrible. And come across as awkward the first time. And probably the second. You’ll suck at it.”
But the tenth one will be better. And the hundredth one will be really good. And the hundred and fiftieth will be awesome. And so on down the line. And you’ll look back at how far you’ve come, and what you’ve achieved and you’ll be glad you were brave enough to start.’
The one caveat here is that you have to WANT to do whatever it is you’re going to do. If you force it, you’ll come across as inauthentic and that’s never good.
Have you ever watched someone who was REALLY good at something? Watched them and thought ‘ I wish I was that good at <insert your own dream thingy here>. Maybe it was a sport. Or public speaking, or a webinar from someone in business. Well, those people weren’t always good at whatever it is they’re good at now. At one time, they sucked at it. But they kept going, and going and going. And you can do it too. But you have to make a start.
There’s an old proverb that goes a bit like… The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now’
So what’s the thing you want to start that you’ve been putting off?
The thing you KNOW you should do but are afraid of failing at? Or sucking at? Is it doing video like our client Keith? (not his real name) Is it launching a marketing campaign? Is it going for a walk or run at lunchtime? Whatever it is, imagine looking back at today, in 12 months time and laughing about how afraid you were. Or how much you hesitated, or procrastinated about starting. Imagine looking back at how far you’ve come, because the you of 12 months from now is SO confident, and downright AWESOME at ‘the thing’.
The key to success is to take the focus OFF the outcome, and focus instead on being consistent. On showing up every day (or every week…) and giving 100%. Whatever it is you’re trying to do, just keep showing up and giving it the lot, even when you feel like quitting. If it’s your marketing, just commit to not giving up. Try new offers. Test new creative. Use different targeting or platforms. Just don’t give up and the results will eventually come.
If it’s running, accept that it’s going to be really hard when you start. Just commit to being consistent and the times will take care of themselves.
“Let’s make a deal, OK? I’m going to keep doing Parkrun.”
This week will suck too. And most likely next week and the week after. Then it’ll get a bit easier. I’ll get a bit fitter. A bit stronger. A bit faster. And a bit better at all the Parkrun ‘things’.
I’m going to make consistency the goal. I’m not going to set a target time for my run. Or a place I’d like to finish. My goal is simply going to be to show up every week. The time will come. The fitness will come.
“Will you start your ‘thing’? Will you make consistency your goal? “
Then let’s both look back this time next year and laugh about how much we sucked when we started:) And then let’s bask in the glory of just how far we’ve come and be glad we started when we did!