Achieving True Success is a Marathon, not a sprint.

You might think that running a marathon is a solo endeavor but I can assure you that your thinking is incorrect. While the actual performance on race day is between you and the course it is only with the assistance of a whole host of people that you will arrive prepared and ready to go on race morning.

Finding success in your life is much the same. Yes, it is your life but you cannot do it alone. Without the help from and interaction with other individuals, groups and organizations you will never achieve the levels of success you are capable of.

I recently ran my first marathon race. Had I trained on my own I would have failed miserably. I assumed that to train you just ran a little farther each day until you could run the distance. The reality of training is much different and it was only through working with my team coaches that I was able to go from not being able to run a mile to completing a 26.2 mile run in just 7 months. Training consisted of runs at various lengths (including backing off for recovery) as well as learning about proper hydration and nutrition before, during and after training runs. Proper shoes and running gear were additional subjects to become familiar with. It just isn’t enough to lace up your old tennis shoes and hit the road.

It’s just not enough to head into life in search of success. You need the advice of those who have done it before and can help you avoid making costly mistakes. Mistakes that might cost you both money and/or time. It’s great to think about blazing a trail, but you do not want to burn out in the process. Enlisting the help of other s will prove invaluable in more ways than you will ever know.

No one, even the so called overnight sensations, simply sprint to success. It takes discipline. It takes commitment. It takes planning. It takes vision. And most importantly it takes a team. Asking others for help is a sign of strength, confidence and intelligence. Realizing that the assistance of others will help you achieve your dreams more quickly is a vital part of the process.

Achieving true success is indeed a marathon. You have to keep putting one foot in front of the other – but as long as you keep moving forward you will eventually find yourself pushing past the “finish line” and into levels of success you had not even thought possible.