This post is about two things that in my mind, have a lot in common; running a marathon and running a business.

It’s true that both require patience, the ability to know when to pace yourself and when to all out sprint.

But this is about more than that. It’s about human capabilities. I think we sell ourselves short, a lot.

I think we look at the status quo and simply “fit in.” We define something as either “normal” or “not normal” and those who do things outside of normal are considered “extreme.”

You see, when running marathons, you have to know how to make little tiny tweaks in order to perform at your highest level.

Something as simple as smiling, or leaning forward, or even playing your power song can help runners shave precious seconds off their pace.

For business owners, creating similar efficiencies are just as crucial. From using communications tools like Slack, picking the right office space, to accounting software, to hiring likeminded people and even something like answering emails on your phone while waiting in the lobby of a client’s office before a meeting and taking phone calls in transit.

Anything to save us time and help us be more efficient in the micro day to day, will help us win in the macro big picture.

Before long, you’ve created a new normal. You used to get out of bed at 8 am, now you’re up at 4. You used to find it difficult to run two miles, now you’re slaying 10-milers.

You used to wait until tomorrow, but now you’re at inbox zero every night before bed.

While at mile 5 today I was at an 8:00 mile pace, which is about 5-10 worse than normal.

For a split second I thought “oh well,” but then I remembered my best form. Lean forward and smile, I thought.

I finished 10 miles with a 7:54 pace, meaning I got significantly faster in my last 5 miles.

You see, you can actually train your body and brain to do anything. It’s muscle memory. Whether it’s getting more sleep, less sleep, more exercise, different exercise, learning new skills, learning new languages, and being the most thankful, positive person you can be.

Unreal. This is the normal I’ve created, and I’m pumped about it.

You can to.

Thanks for reading, watching and listening, and have a great day!

KEEP MARKETING!

Paul Hickey, Founder / CEO / Lead Strategist at Data Driven Design, LLC has created and grown businesses via digital strategy and internet marketing for more than 10 years. His sweet spot is using analytics to design and build websites and grow the audience and revenue of businesses via SEO/Blogging, Google Adwords, Bing Ads, Facebook and Instagram Ads, Social Media Content Marketing and Email Marketing. The part that he’s most passionate about is quantifying next marketing actions based on real data.