Monthly Musings | January 2016

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

— Jim Watkins
JoJourneys | dripping ice, winter

This quote also gives us a clue as to the best way to get to the top of a hill.  It is hard work but the solution is not all about power, it is actually about persistence.  And, as always, one can substitute getting to the top of the hill for reaching one’s goals.

Last year I was given a sports watch that enables me, amongst other things, to see how my heart functions as I exercise.  I have discovered that the easiest way of pushing my heart to the upper reaches of its effort is to go up a very steep hill.  However at this level, it is not sustainable, and it is easy to want to give up altogether, to turn round and go back home. So I have to take it more slowly, and ultimately I have to keep on going, keep moving upwards, to persist, and eventually, the reward is reaching the top and seeing the view all around.

If you have set yourself goals but already found it difficult to persist, have a think about how it is much more important to persist than to rush at it headlong and then struggle and find it too hard and give up.  Give yourself a chance, find and easier more sustainable way of continuing and, if you persist, you will eventually reach your goal.  You may find that you enjoy the journey along the way as well as, if not more than the ultimate achievement of the goal.

One way of making fitness and weight loss goals easier is to join with others who are in the same boat.  Why not come along to one of our Intro Nordic Walking sessions and find out just how easy it could be?