I despise running.
Ever since I was an out of shape fifth-grader in desperate need of conditioning before basketball season, and my mom forced me to start using the treadmill, I have held a deep and personal hatred for running close to my heart.
Nonetheless, as I've gotten older, I've begun to appreciate running, both for its many health benefits and also the feeling it can bring - not the exhausted, "I wanna die" kind of feeling, but the release of adrenaline a good run can bring. A "runner's high," as it's called. So despite my loathing of the activity, I run.
No, no no. I run, not "I Ran . . ."Credit: Wikipedia
In a seemingly unrelated tangent, I'm currently writing this during a temporary break in my college coursework - but a break I know won't last for long. Last week, I had two big exams, an important group presentation, and a paper all due within two days, and next week I'll be busy studying for a difficult physics exam on Friday, all as I try to prepare for the next phase of my group project. While I wish I could say this is merely a temporary uptick in my course load, it isn't. I've been just as busy for the last month or so, and it doesn't look like I'll be catching a break anytime soon.
That's all well and good, you say, but hey, college is tough for everybody. And what does my disdain for running have to do with my ever-increasing amount of homework?
Well, the answer lies in finding your "Point B." Allow me to explain.
I'm out on a jog. It's hot, the air is sticky, and I'm getting tired. While I may not notice it, my strides have gradually gone from long & powerful to short and choppy, and I'm on the verge of quitting. In all-too-familiar situations like this, there's one mental strategy I routinely go back to, to give myself that extra push I need to run on a little bit farther. And that's finding my "Point B."
What I do is I pick a landmark out in front of me - an intersection, a tree, a telephone pole - it doesn't matter what, but preferably it's something I can see. And then I have a conversation with myself.
Okay, I think. See that tree right up there? You can make it there, right? It's not that much farther. You've already made it this far. And lo and behold, a minute or two later I find myself there. But I'm not done yet.
Okay, you made it. You've got some more left in the tank, right? See that stop sign up ahead? Go for that. So I keep going.
And that's the essence of finding a "Point B." You use all the energy needed to get to that point, and once you make it there, you take a mental inventory. If you do need to stop and walk for a little, that's totally fine. You made it there. But if you think you can keep going, don't stop. Throw that Point B out further in front of you - and do that again and again and again, until finally have to stop. Try it on your next jog; I guarantee it'll improve your endurance.
But the real beauty of this tactic is that its applications go far beyond just suffering through an evening jog. You can utilize "Point B's" at work, in class, and even just during everyday life. This isn't some revolutionary new approach at all; in fact, I think we all do it at least on a subconscious level. Ever told yourself, "I just gotta get to this weekend & my life will get easy?" Of course you have; we all have. But once you can make this type of thinking more of a conscious objective, you'll find that it can do so much more for you.
We've all been here a few times before.Credit: examinedexistence.com
And that's all the "Point B" system is, really. You find a fixed landmark out ahead of you - whether it's the tree you gotta make it to, or Friday night after your test - and you make it there. And once you get there, you see if you can go any further.
So this week, once I finally manage to start cramming for a physics test that I am, at least at the moment, woefully underprepared for, this is how I'm going to be thinking. And I want you to try it, too. That's right, as a reward for making it this far into my article, I'm assigning you homework. It's your own fault, really.
Next time you're starting to fall behind on a jog, or you find yourself pulling an all-nighter to cram for that test you forgot was tomorrow, or even if you're just going through a rough patch in your life, pick your Point B.
When you find yourself giving up, ask: "Can I go any further?"
Because I'm willing to bet that you can.
