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One of my sisters told me a story from the time she ran marathons. She had slowed to a walk and a few of the runners in her pack urged her to pick up the pace again, supporting her. She waved them on, letting them know she had had surgery the month before. All of them were like “good for you” and kept running. Because in marathons, trying matters as much as finishing. Personal goals are personal, and the community supports them.
Go further than the last run, shave off time. Whatever your goal is. That day my sister’s goal was to participate.
December has started, and this year’s writing marathon is coming to an end and I need to think about my next marathon. October’s tax training marathon is done. Ongoing is the postal package marathon for November and December. Tax season will be ramping up in January.
Did I met my writing marathon goal? I got further than I have in the previous two, so YAY! Did I finish everything, no. Not even close. I’m not good at setting realistic expectations. My body keeps on needing more downtime than I expect. My vision of early twenties doesn’t gel with the years I’ve spent spinning on this planet.
What I need to do is set writing up as my habit, and I did that better this year than recent history. I hope to keep it up next year.
Rereading “Quick-Tip Tuesday: Realistic Expectations (and a Little Math” by David B Coe (Magical Words 3/22/2016) should help reset for the next marathon: