6 Connections Between Passionate Runners And Entrepreneurs

All passionate runners and entrepreneurs often get the question of whether they are running, doing business, or just going against the stream.

This issue arises occasionally, directly or rephrased more elegantly, but with the same embedded question. The truth is that being passionate runners and entrepreneurs simultaneously is a good choice as the two activities are tightly unified through a burning passion.

Using a cliché statement but at the same more accurate than any other comparison, starting and running a company successfully is a marathon race, not a sprint.

Continue reading, and we will reveal some other significant and exciting similarities passionate runners and entrepreneurs share.

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by athletics, particularly running. Years after I left school, I kept the school record for 1,500 meters.

Not until I seriously started training for marathons and ran my first marathon race in 2009 at the age of 57 did I completely understand what it takes to complete a marathon. You cannot accurately describe it in words, but you need to experience a race to understand the mystery of a marathon race.

I also had on my ” to-do ” list the dream of running my own company and being my own boss, and after decades of successful careers in the corporate world, I took the step in August 2014.

The Synergies For Passionate Runners And Entrepreneurs

The question always arises whether the passion for running triggers the entrepreneurial vein or vice versa. The right answer is both. The mindset of an enthusiastic and passionate runner is the same as that of a passionate entrepreneur. Have a taste of these goodies and think about it.

Goal Oriented Passionate Runners And Entrepreneurs

Both passionate runners and entrepreneurs need to be tremendously excited about what we are doing and focused on goal-setting and sticking to the goal.

Of course, jumping out of bed at 5 a.m. can be annoying and challenging to make the training session clearly stipulated in your agenda.

The same goes for your business. Not everything is a pleasure, but you know it has to be done, and you do it, period.

Outsiders often see you as stubborn. The fact is that a burning passion drives both runners and entrepreneurs. Nothing can stop you!

Mental And Physical Health

Starting a company requires a lot of dedication and working hours to set up correctly. The same goes for marathon training. You know your planned long runs on Sundays are crucial to reaching the goal.

The physical condition you achieve through your marathon training will be helpful when spending hundreds of hours with your business. The synergies between the two activities also support each other. You know that around kilometer 26 to 30, you will hit the famous wall.

The moment when you feel that you are not going to move one single meter further on, and you still have 12-16 kilometers to go. The same applies to setting up a business. There will be a lot of moments of frustration and failure, and you have to overcome those obstacles.

People around you will “help” you and tell you it ends here. Real runners and entrepreneurs don’t listen to those words. Their mental strength is strong enough to ignore all negative people in your surroundings.

Confidence And Conviction Make Passionate Runners And Entrepreneurs Unbeatable

After a while, you will know by experience that following your training program will definitely bring you to your goal.

At 60, I set a goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The qualification time for my age category to be able to get an opening to apply for a starting block was 3:54:00. During one year, I focused on one single thing in my training program. To run an official qualification race under 3:54:00 and be able to apply (not any starting block secured). I did 3:47:42 and could apply, and with the time I had achieved, I also secured my place in the Boston Marathon 2013.

You will experience the same procedure as an entrepreneur, and through experience, I now know that the path is simple: Set the goal and just do it! You know that hard and sometimes painful work and effort will pay off in the end.

Correct goal setting is crucial. If you can visualize your goal and relate to it as something important in life, no one can turn you down for reaching it.

See my article “2 Reasons Why Acting As A Deaf Frog Could Be A Winning Strategy” from January 28, 2017. The story about the frog race narrated in the attached video explains the mentality of passionate runners and entrepreneurs.

Keeping The Correct Pace

A runner will experience very soon after his or her first races that the right pace is key to the expected result. I had a big problem in the beginning, holding back my speed during the first part of the race, which I had to pay for during the second part. With training and experience, I have learned how to keep an even pace throughout the race, and the result shows that it’s the way to go.

As an enthusiastic entrepreneur, you want results immediately, but everything takes time. Keeping the right pace and doing the foundation correctly for your business will pay off positively. In the online business, where there are so many false offers out in the market, triggering newcomers with words like “Become a millionaire in one month by working less than half an hour a day.”

Unfortunately, too many people are hooked on those false promises, and when they get burned, they will never again try an online opportunity as they believe they are all the same.

In the same way, there are no shortcuts to reach the finish line in a marathon race. Entrepreneurship works the same way. Of course, you can find tools to make your mission easier or more efficient. It’s like finding running shoes that fit your style better than the old pair.

In the end, the 42.2 kilometers have to be run with new or old shoes. There is no shortcut, so don’t mix shortcuts with tools.

Many valuable tools exist for entrepreneurs, especially if you work online, but shortcuts do not exist.

Rest And Recovery

Recovery after a marathon race is as important as training before the race. We have one body and one life. Like any mechanical machine, the body will need maintenance to last for years to come.

You have probably read about famous entrepreneurs who work days and nights for a long time to get their projects to see daylight. That’s fine. In some way, they are doing their “marathon race.”

However, after a while, you need to rest and recover. The nice thing about being an online marketer and entrepreneur is that you can decide how to focus on your different projects. This can mean working days of 15 to 20 hours. But once you achieve what you have to achieve, you can slow down and give your body the required “maintenance.”

Flexibility – Key For All Passionate Runners And Entrepreneurs

As a digital marketer, I would like to add another ingredient that complements my marathon running well. It probably fits into any passionate activity on your list.

You can work from anywhere in the world. You just need your laptop and an Internet connection, and you’re in business. The freedom to travel the world, run the marathon races of my preferences, and at the same time bring with me the business that is….

The real freedom we use to call the laptop lifestyle.

So, we runners and entrepreneurs are all viewed as stubborn individuals from the perspective of an outsider. With a sense of humor, we can offer that label to the audience because behind the word “stubborn,” we know what is hidden.