When I was a sophomore at Boston College, feeling lost in a sea of
J.Crew-clad students and thrown off by a breakup with my first real
boyfriend, I decided to take up running. Because I’m the kind of person
who doesn’t like doing things by halves (or getting dumped, for that
matter), I set a goal that would answer any lingering doubts I had
about myself. I would do more than just start running. I’d take on the
beast: the Boston Marathon.
The first time I went for a run, I could barely breathe. I’d never done
track, never played a competitive sport, and almost didn’t make it to
the end of the block. But I wanted desperately to do this, to do
something extraordinary. So I just kept going out. And while I couldn’t
make it around the block at first, the next time I’d get as far as the
fire hydrant, then the tree. Little by little, I began to see hopeful
signs. I started to think, maybe I can do this.
After months of hitting the pavement daily, plugging away even through
bone-chilling Boston sleet and biting wind, I did complete that
marathon. Sixteen years later, I’ve run more than 40 such races
worldwide: New York, Chicago, Berlin, Stockholm, Dublin, and St. Louis,
to name a few. The act of training for and running marathons has taught
me so much about what it takes to set a goal, maintain focus, and
follow through and I’ve drawn on these lessons countless times in all
areas of life.
Now, in my work as a life and career coach, I help clients who, like
me, struggle with finding motivation. And guess what? The marathon
metaphor serves as a great teacher. You don’t have to run one to know
what resistance feels like. No matter what your particular finish line,
the lessons ring true. Try these strategies to help you meet your own
goals in stride. 
Entries Tagged as 'Stretch'
There’s a joke told by Jerry Seinfeld which goes something like
this: “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public
speaking. Number two is death. Wait a minute, death is number two? This
means that to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better
off in the casket than doing the eulogy!” 
Ever since reading about The TAI Group here in New York, I’ve been longing to take one of their courses in public speaking. Two weeks ago, I finally had that opportunity. The course I took is their popular 2-day foundation course, entitled “Communicating With Power And Presence.”
Truth be told, I’ve actually had some training. Unfortunately, most
of it was in grammar school when I managed to maintain a strong
presence on the Forensics Team. Since that time, speaking as a part of
my job has forced me to confront some of my own issues. When called on
to present, I sometimes find myself searching for excuses. But since
one of my coaching values is to “stretch” – get beyond the comfort zone
– I knew the time had come for me to really tackle this head on.
Drawing upon roots in theater, psychology and leadership development, TAI teaches
people how to properly engage an audience. Without an engaged audience,
you are literally talking to yourself. First, let me say how much I
enjoyed this workshop. It was challenging, experiential, humbling
and…absolutely brilliant. For anyone who presents on a regular basis,
this course should be mandatory. Hell, even if you never need to
present, this would still be worth doing.
Gifford Booth, Director and Co-Founder of TAI,
taught the class along with coach-in-training, Michael Filan. Both
gentlemen were friendly and inviting. One of the things I loved was the
democracy of it—there was no regard given to title or rank. Most in
attendance were senior or C-level people, but in this little room for 2
days, we were just 9 people wanting to learn how to communicate more
effectively. I came away with a whole arsenal of tools, some of which
are worth sharing here.
Along with a packed house, I recently had the privilege of hearing Peter Thum speak at Interesting Café, Clickable's monthly culture night. His work is a call to social activism - the idea that good business and good deeds need not be mutually exclusive. As the founder of Ethos Water, Peter Thum has generated over six million dollars to help a half-million people around the world get clean water, as well as hygiene and sanitation education. He first had the idea for Ethos in 2001 after working in South Africa, where he saw water issues firsthand. He saw hundreds of people who didn't have access to safe drinking water or sanitation services. In 2002, Peter decided to leave his comfort zone, then a strategy consulting job, to pursue his vision to address the world water crisis and help children get clean water. Peter Thum (PT), led Ethos as its President from idea through to its acquisition by Starbucks in 2005.
I watch The Office religiously. I adore the show for its humor and for the fact that it shines a light on the absurdity of most workplaces. Since his seminal article “Free Agent Nation” first appeared in Fast Company in 1997, I’ve also been a fan of Daniel Pink. At that time, he articulated beautifully something that many people were already beginning to feel in relation to their work: that most of us were tired of working incredibly hard for companies that lacked leadership and didn't share our basic values.
He posited that those who declared themselves “free agents” usually brought in a lot more money than they had earned during their years in corporate America. They also felt more invigorated and secure than they ever did in “traditional” jobs. A free agent believes that work is personal – and that one can achieve a beautiful synchronicity between who you are and what you do.
From petty office politics to bosses pitting employees against one another, to colleagues who don't pull their weight, most workplaces are a study in dysfunction. But we have been conditioned to think that the best way to motivate ourselves (and others) is through external rewards like money and title – what Daniel Pink calls the “carrot-and-the-stick approach”.
In his new book Drive:The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Pink says the key to high performance and satisfaction is intrinsic, internal motivation: the desire to follow your own interests and understand the benefits in them for you. And Daniel Pink has discovered thirty years of scientific data that confirm these outmoded ideas about work and motivation, showing us an exciting way forward.
To gain a better understanding, watch his presentation at TEDGlobal:
Here is an extract of my recent conversation with Daniel (DP):
I probably have more self-help genre books on my shelf than any sane person ought to. But undoubtedly, one of my long time favorites is Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. I have recommended Susan’s work to all of my clients who have found themselves paralyzed with worry. Susan understands that fear is a part of what it means to be human and offers valuable insights and practical suggestions for living. She shares tools on how to identify limiting belief patterns in order to take action and move to a more powerful place.
I reached out to Susan (SJ) on the topic of “Stretching” oneself in order to see what the value meant personally for her.
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