You know that phrase, "I'm going to succeed, or die trying?" See it in action here.

The other day, I was working in the kitchen, and I kept hearing this horrible ruckus outside. At first, I wrote it off as neighbors working on an outdoor project, but the noise was distracting... and sounded closer than the neighbor's house. In fact, it sounded like something was hitting my house. When I finally investigated, I saw this bird.

This poor little guy had been flying into the glass in my dining room window for over 45 minutes before I spotted him. I immediately grabbed my phone to snap a picture because after thinking, "Poor little guy..." my next thought was "What a great metaphor!"

How often do we fly full-force into a glass window and ricochet off before we realize our approach is not working? And once we realize we need to try something new, do we remain stuck in the same pattern, unable to break out... or do we change the plan?

Over the course of the next several hours, I opened the front door and stood on the porch to scare the bird away. Each time, he flew away from the window and into another tree. And, each time, he was back within minutes.

I think he got used to me. My scare tactics became less effective. Finally I resorted to jumping beneath the tree and throwing rocks into the tree branches. (Yeah, I hope my neighbors didn't catch any of this!) By the time I went for my afternoon bike ride, I was happy to see the bird learned his lesson. He changed his approach and went on to have a productive day.

Or so I thought...

This morning, my birdie friend is back, still beating his head against my window. Sometimes, we have to learn lessons the hard way.

Today, I'm thinking about the phrase,  "I'm going to succeed, or die trying!" There is no doubt that hard work and determination are requirements when it comes to achievement. However, if you find yourself working hard and getting nowhere, it might be time to look at your approach and make changes. Whether it's building endurance, getting faster, losing weight... or making progress with any personal goal you set... if what you are doing is not working, get help. And try something new.

As a runner, I find this especially important. You can't beat up your body day after day and expect to achieve top levels of performance. There are consequences. Train smart, friends!

Will you soar? Or will you ricochet off the glass?

Love you all!

xoxo,

Coach Kim

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If you're ready to get some help training, I offer one-on-one coaching and online group coaching for people training for a 5K, half marathon or marathon.   (Or if you'd rather set up a time to chat, Email me!) And, listen to my podcast, Power Up Your Performance!