Gooey and idealistic

Back home again and a couple of miles under my belt in the fog this morning. I quite enjoyed the eerie feeling of running in the fog in the dark with the strange glow that my head torch created.

I have discovered from Daniel Pink's book that apparently I am a Type I and my "behaviour promotes greater physical and mental well-being. So that's good, isn't it.

It was funny how yesterday morning I posed the question, "Is it because I'm an idealist and lack realism?"

Later in the day I discovered that Mr Pink thinks I don't lack realism, which is also very reassuring.

He says, "Some might dismiss notions like these as gooey and idealistic, but the science says otherwise. The science confirms that this sort of behaviour is essential to being human - and that now, in a rapidly changing economy, it is also critical for professional, personal, and organisational success of any kind."

So, it looks like I might be on the right track after all. :oD

Discovering the obvious

I've just completed my last one and a half miles in Brough, or South Cave to be precise, as I'll be heading home this evening.

I managed to find three different routes although they were all out and back rather than circuits, which I generally prefer.

It occurred to me while I was on my way back to the hotel this morning, that I asked several people if there were circuits to run and if there was a map of the local roads when I first arrived here three days ago, but it never occurred to me to look on Google maps.

It's quite funny when the completely obvious hits you several days after it would have been really useful.

The trick now is to be really pleased that I can use that information to my advantage next time I'm here, or on my trip to Manchester next week, rather than dwell on how hopeless I am for not thinking of something so obvious in the first place.

I do feel really pleased and happy.

Is that because I'm an eternal optimist?

Is it because I'm an idealist and lack realism?

I don't know for sure, but I am pretty sure that one of the reasons is because I start my day with a run!

Goals that attain mastery

Even harder to get out of bed at 5.30 this morning to run, but nevertheless I managed 1.4 miles and explored a new route on my Brough adventure.

I read something new about goals today in Daniel Pink's "Drive". I've never been entirely comfortable with the concept of goals that are imposed by others.

Here's a couple of things that I read:

"Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others - sales targets, quarterly returns, standardised test scores, and so on - can sometimes have dangerous side effects."

"Goals may cause systematic problems for organisations due to narrowed focus, unethical behaviour, increased risk taking, decreased cooperation, and decreased intrinsic motivation. Use care when applying goals in your organisation."

Interesting ideas. Whilst increased risk taking is not always a bad thing as far as I'm concerned, unethical behaviour, decreased cooperation and decreased intrinsic motivation are always a bad thing, I would suggest.

Maybe that's why my mile each day seems to work.

And the mastery I am attaining is probably the mastery of my side that is tuned to possibility, over my side that is concerned with negative and self-critical internal dialogue.

What was that outside force?

Enjoyed my 1.7 mile run in Brough this morning and then delivered first module of Leading in Tough Times three times.

Brough is a lovely small town in East Yorkshire, and I must have seen two cars during my early morning recce. I also can't speak highly enough of the Cave Castle Hotel, where I'm staying for the next couple of nights. It's really charming.

Anyway, I was reminded of Newton's first law of motion today, whilst reading Daniel Pink's book Drive.

"An object in motion will stay in motion, and an object at rest will stay at rest, unless acted on by an outside force."

I'm wondering, what is the outside force I used on myself at 5.30 this morning to move the object that is my body, that was most definitely at rest, into a state of motion?

Because one way or another, that object was definitely in motion within fifteen minutes.

Was it my alarm, the cup of tea, or the determination to stretch 410 days to 411?

Or d, all of the above?

Another adventure

It's going to be a very low mileage week compared to last week, firstly because although my knee is way better, it's still not completely OK, and could take several more days until it's a hundred percent.

Also, I'm off to Hull for work in about an hour so I'll be exploring new running routes, hopefully, over the next few days, but also with earlier starts to my day.

I did say that adventure was one of my values, didn't I.

It will be a case of a brand new place (to me), new running routes, and new people (I'll be leading workshops to 45 people I've never met before).

I think my values of fun, connection, movement and self-expression will also come in useful.