Change your Mind - The Horrors

'Mindset' is a concept that's been around since the early 1900's, according to Wiki. It's a word that's become part of my daily vocabulary when speaking with clients and I thought I'd investigate the philosophy behind the terms 'Fixed' and 'Growth' Mindsets, as I try and evaluate my own 'Mindset' traits.

However, I'm a bit confused to which 'Mindset' set I belong to. You see, I believe I'm in the intersecting part of a 'Venn Diagram of ‘Fixed’ and Growth Mindset' where the two circles intersect, if that makes sense.

To help clarify things, I looked to the expert in the 'Mindset' field - Professor Carol Dweck. Her primary research is in motivation, personality and development and speaks volumes - if I had the right 'Growth' Mindset, I could read all about it in her 2006 book 'Mindset: The New Psychology of Success' but as a ‘Fixed’ Mindset non-reader, I was a bit at a loss but luckily Wiki helped again...

Dweck states that there are two categories (Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset) that can group individuals based on their behaviour, specifically their reaction to failure. Those with a 'Fixed Mindset' believe that abilities are mostly innate and interpret failure as the lack of necessary basic abilities, while those with a ‘Growth Mindset’ believe that they can acquire any given ability provided they invest effort or study. Dweck argues that the ‘Growth Mindset’ will allow a person to live a less stressful and more successful life'.

Now, as soon as I see 'Failure', I immediately identify with the ‘Fixed Mindset” character trait as the 'F' word (Failure not ****) is like Kryptonite to my inner soul. Yet my ‘Mindset’ isn’t so myopic that I don’t believe that investing effort and study won’t bring results – well apart from swimming or triathlon as my mindset has been ‘Fixed’ by having the same buoyancy qualities as a house-brick. But then again, I’m pretty much stress-free and have had enjoyed many successes over the years which swings me back into the ‘Growth Mindset’ group.

So you can see why I’m confused. Or perhaps it’s how we like to label people nowadays and maybe I’m just someone that you can’t label. Or group, or even want to group. And maybe you are the same? No-one needs to be anything really – you just need to know who you are, where you are going and what’s needed to get you there.

And that’s all that matters…

1,044 Marathons, 244 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records & 15 Marathon des Sables

99 Red Balloons - Nena

Nena's world soon went POP...

Lyrics:- 'Panic bells, it's red alert' - McAlea

Song Choice:- Yikes when you go looking it's amazing what you can find out eh? A simple reference for a song with Balloon in the title revealed a different story from the one I remember from 1994 when Nena, and her hairy armpits, graced Top of the Pops with her UK one-hit-wonder (well in Top 40 terms anyway).

Wiki says of the song that drove me a bit potty at the time if I'm being honest says:-

The lyrics of the original German version tell a story: 99 balloons are mistaken for UFOs, causing a general to send pilots to investigate. Finding nothing but child's balloons, the pilots decide to put on a show and shoot them down. The display of force worries the nations along the borders and the war ministers on each side bang the drums of conflict to grab power for themselves. In the end, a 99-year war results from the otherwise harmless flight of balloons, causing devastation on all sides without a victor. At the end, the singer walks through the devastated ruins and lets loose a balloon, watching it fly away.

Who'd have thought that...

Anyway, for the purposes of today's blog it's about what happens when just one of those Balloons goes pop. You see disappointment is such a corrosive thing. You see even the slightest blemish can send folks world into a complete tail-spin and can undo months and months of hard work in just a split second.

In my experience, people are always the biggest disappointment. The biggest bang of any Balloon that's ever been blown up is usually from someone not doing the right thing - Yet the person we get most disappointed with is OURSELVES.

I had a real setback recently, a real kick in the pants and yep, it would have been far too easy to give in and become a recluse into 'Climbing back on the Bicycle after a fall'. Trying to make sense and gather strength and resolve from the negativity that surrounded the experience took time.

I've always said it's not how you get knocked down, it's how you get up that counts. Time-after-time-after-time it's proved to be right. Yes it's a shame that we mess up, don't perform as we'd wished and things didn't pan out like we thought they would BUT there's always time to regroup, rethink and re-energise ourselves. Not necessarily to try harder but to make sure when things go POP the next time, we keep going and miss out the deflated stage that stops any forward progress.

Has your World gone POP or are you still trying hard to single handedly BLOW it up? Or is someone trying to BLOW it up for you?

Rory Coleman - 995 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,596 Days' Alcohol Free - 444 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Cardydd, Cymru

Push it - Salt N Pepa

Lyrics:- 'How to become number one in a hot party show' - Azor, Brito, Davies, Giles, Green, James, Jones & Thomas. 

Song Choice:- 'I've always loved this 1987 classic which incidentally was co-written by Sir Ray Davies of 'The Kinks' - Yikes, he really 'Got me' with that one.

Anyway, if like me you were at a parkrun this morning, I wonder how competitively you 'Pushed it'? For the 'Family Coleman' it was there as an intended gentle Saturday jog-round with us starting absolutely last out of a field of 675 people armed with a double-buggy, loaded up with our two small boys. I'll hasten to add here that I wasn't the one pushing...

Anyway, it started out as a light-hearted affair as it took well over a minute to cross the start line and well over 10 minutes to slowly dodge through the running-traffic until we hit the open fields where Lady C said the 'Red-Rag-To-A-Bull' comment, 'You are not going for a sub-30 today then?'

Hmm... and you know, I did try to resist but after a slow start, which made for a good warm up, it didn't feel right just to chug around as this time last year, I couldn't even walk. Not 'Pushing-it' would therefore have been a crime, well that's what I told myself as I lurched past at least 10 people as I went into my normal parkrun running speed.

Our miles went 10:17, 9:00 & 8:26 with the last 0.11 of a mile at 7:51 pace - it felt bloody brilliant! - Oh we did 29:38 if you are interested and overtook 269 people.

That sub-25 with a flying start is now well on the cards or even quicker if I train hard. My 'Run hard or go home' will now be my parkrun mantra, even when we are out jogging as a family, as Jenny can do 24 minutes with the buggy on a hilly course. She's the one to really beat (With the Pushchair of course)!

How hard did you 'Push it' today?

Amen.

Rory Coleman - 995 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,591 Days' Alcohol Free - 437 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Secret World (Live) - Sir Peter of Gabriel

Lyrics:- 'In this house of Make-Believe' - Gabriel

Song Choice:- I never need an excuse to choose a Gabriel track and this is one of my all time favourites, particularly in it's 'live' version, taken from the 'live album' of the same title.

It's extremely apt in accompanying today's blog as everyone, including you and me live in our own 'Secret World's'. I was speaking to a client yesterday on this very subject and our conclusion was that however big the universe is, whatever happens in the galaxy or even in the world around us exists only inside our own heads.

What a frightening concept? It's kinda true though and when you think about it (and ok there are outside influences that affect our brief life-transit through this cerebral universe), the only person we can blame if it all goes wrong - is ourselves.

The thing is though we only complain if things go wrong and find ourselves searching for something or anything to take the blame for what is essentially our own poor judgment or weakness. It's dead easy to conjure up someone, something or some occasion that means that the blame for your failure lies outside of your 'Land of Make-Believe'.

Really? Sure is and do you do this? Are you constantly looking for an outside influence to disguise your own short comings?

For instance, lots of folk that have now left 'Dry January' are today contemplating either a further period of 'Dry February' or a 'Returning to Pisshead by March'. And there's always a reason. A family get together. Valentine's Day... Whatever, but really it's BS as there's no escape from your 'Secret World' whatever you might broadcast about yourself, as there are no secrets to hide from and you know them and your inner self, inside out.

Take a tour around your Secret World today and see where you can maintain or dismiss the things that affect how you see the world that lies between your ears.

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8,428 Days' Alcohol Free.

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location: Cardiff, Wales

New Year's Day - U2

New Year's Day Message

Lyrics:- 'Nothing changes' - Clayton, Evans, Hewson & Mullen

Song Choice:- There's no excuse for my annual choice of track on New Year's Day. It's one of the 'Oirish Fab Fours' defining tracks that has some great guitar and piano work from 'The Edge' and a live action video to accompany it which is well worth another view IMO as all of them look so young.

Anyway, Bono sings that 'Nothing changes' - yet changes are happening all the time, some massive, some minute but they happen every single day of our lives. In 2017, we now have a Sir Andy and a Sir Mo, plus numerous Dames, as well as some new currency to look forward to using on an increased 'Toll Charge' as you cross over the Severn Bridge into God's Country; to name but a few over the past few days alone.

They are of course changes that are not of our own doing but are enforced whether we approve or not. Personally, I'm ok with them and understand that people need heroes, that counterfeiters need to be thwarted and that bridges' need to be paid for.

What interests me, are the changes one can easily make in one's own domain, as that's the only real world one can alter. Ok, you are not going to end up in the Queen's New Year's Honours List, or a coin designed with your face on - however if you can change you will remember that this is the day you did it.

It's easy to do so today, as if you had a good blow out last night, you probably don't feel like doing it all over again right now and 'Day One' is in the bag., especially if it's alcohol related.

So with today in the bag, 'Day Two' awaits, where you can experience more of 'The Golden Age' as Bono puts it...

My fast three miler is here - what did you do today?

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8,397 Days' Alcohol Free.

www.RoryColeman.co.uk

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Leave it - Yes

Rory says - 'Happy New Year'

Lyric:- 'You just broke out of the danger zone' - Horn, Rabin & Squire

Song Choice - Here's a great anthem from the 1983 Yes album 90125 to sing out the old year with. Definitely more of a Chris Squire offering really and it's well worth a listen if you've never heard it before and it's on the same album as 'Owner of a Lonely Heart if that helps identify it in your record collection..

Anyway, today's blog is all about leaving stuff behind, especially as we hurtle headlong into 2017. If your year has been like mine (yikes it was tough), I'm sure you'll be glad to the emotional as well as the physical baggage behind and in true New Year's Resolution, start afresh with some new rules and ideas for the next 365 days ahead.

As a staunch keeper of 'New Year's Resolutions' (why make 'em if you are going to break 'em), I'm going to keep some promises myself over the next 12 months and beyond if I can. And if you are in the same boat, I whole heartedly hope you manage to maintain yours too; so to my Blog Readers and Clients, I wish you a Very Happy New Year...

2017 could be YOUR year if you just let it happen and ignore the 'White Noise of Life' as in Chris Squire's words, 'Tomorrow's another dreamy day'...

As for 2016 - I'm just leaving it :-)

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,396 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location:Caerdydd, Cymru

www.ColemanCoaching.co.uk

The Writing's on the Wall - Sam Smith

Coleman - Rory 'James' Coleman

Lyrics:- 'I've spent a lifetime running' - Napes & Smith

Song Choice:- Well it wouldn't be Christmas without a bit of Bond would it? And I love Sam Smith's dramatic backdrop to the 26th '007' offering, Spectre. It's a great film too and has the classic 'Bond Trademarks' which I love.

It's a great title for a song and it got me thinking about where the saying 'The writings on the wall', originated. Google quickly answered that one and said - 'It refers to Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel in the Bible when King Belshazzar sees the words Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upsharin written on a wall. Belshazzar summons Daniel to interpret the writing, which Daniel translates as 'Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided.' Daniel tells Belshazzar that the writing means that Babylonian kingdom will be invaded and divided among the Medes and the Persians. The term 'The writing's on the wall' has since been used to refer any omen that predicts a bad outcome.

Well that put me straight, and I didn't quite expect it to have had such a dark origin but on a day when the world of Rock and Pop lost a couple more of it's band, in my life, what have I to worry about this Christmas at all eh?

The only bad outcome for myself could have been at yesterday morning's Christmas Day parkrun. You see my Christmas Eve training run was so catastrophically slow, I thought I may as well give up running for good, especially as my Marathon des Sables number had been released and I was slower than a Moroccan Snail. (It's 714 if you are interested).

Then again, I needn't have been that worried as a bit of competition and some words of encouragement from my Coach (thanks Jenny) made me forget my woes and give me a post GBS-SIDP PB of 32:35 knocking a few seconds off my previous best which was achieved with the help of a TUE on Prednisolone.

Anyway, It gave me the 'Christmas Kick up the Arse' that I needed and you watch me go from strength to strength next year - The writing's on the wall - in the best sense of the phrase.

What's your 'Writing' saying to you?

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8,391 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Cardiff, Wales

www.RoryColeman.co.uk

I Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (Extended Mix) - Paul Young

Lyric:- 'You think you've got it all set up, you think you've got the perfect plan' - Randle

Song Choice:- A great song from Paul Young's, 'The Secret of Association' album which features the brilliant bass playing of Pino Pallidino from good old Caerdydd (so crank up your sub and have a listen here to Top of the Tops from 11/10/1984 or buy the album for a bargain £6.99p). Originally recorded in 1972, by Ann Peebles, it has some great lyrics and it's the 'Tearing down your playhouse' part that I'm interested in for today's Christmas Blog.

Like me you've probably been receiving Christmas best wishes emails from supermarkets and places where you've shopped during the past year wishing you well at this time of year. I admire the sentiment as this is the modern world we live in, what else should we expect. Facebook seems to be the place to post out to blindly to Friends and Family, however I believe there's one clear message at this time of year for all and that is 'Hope'.

I HOPE that only good things happen in 2017 for all as a lot of shit happened to a lot of us in 2016.

And as you and your family draw together, enjoy a couple of days off from the 'Life-Merry-Go-Round' and have a Great Christmas and a very Hopeful New Year. 

As you never know when your 'Playhouse will come tumbling down', Amen.

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8,389 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom

Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads

Lyric:- 'Where does that highway go to?' - Byrne, Eno, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth

Song Choice:- Another Talking Heads classic for today's blog and one of the first 12" Singles that I ever bought way back in 1981.

It marked a real changing point for me coming out of a regimented Grammar School into the hippy world of Art College, you see it provided no real clear rules or boundaries which although I like to see myself now as a bit of a maverick, I actually need.

Maybe it's a 'Man Thing' as I'm someone that definitely needs to know where my highway is going to. I only have to get in the car to know that, as I use my TomTom to navigate all my journeys however short just to know how far I am from my destination, that I'm using the quickest route and there's as little traffic as possible. Sound familiar?

Anyway, I believe that's why I've loved this running lark over the years so much. Knowing the route and mapping my progress along it has always been an integral part of any run I've ever done and the longer the better, I've found.

Going to Lisbon proved that one and maybe that's my 'Once in a Lifetime - Road to Somewhere' journey (See what I did there). Then again you don't need to run 2004km to go and find yourself. You just have to open your eyes and take in the view from your everyday journey of life.

So why not take some time out over the holiday period to think about where you are going to in 2017, it might be further than you think.

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8,388 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Thornhill, Cardiff, United Kingdom
www.RoryColeman.co.uk

The Great Curve - Talking Heads

Tina Weymouth

Lyric:- 'Night must fall now-darker, darker' - Byrne, Eno, Frantz, Harrison, and Weymouth

Song Choice:- I bought this when it came out in 1980 and would never have guessed back then that I'd still be listening to it some 36 years later. It shows just how good the post-punk American Arthouse music genre was, and highlights David Byrne's writing and Brian Eno's production contributions to modern day music quite nicely. If you've never heard this track before, take a listen here to hear what you've been missing all these years. Tina Weymouth's bass playing is dead funky IMO and as an 18 year old art student I thought, and still do that the 'Remain in Light' album is just totally brilliant and deserves it's 129/500 best album of all time rating according to 'Rolling Stone Magazine'.

Anyway, it's 'The Great Curve' bit that I'm interested in for today's blog... and the curve I'm referring to is 'The Great Curve of Achievement'. It's not a well know phenomenon as it's one I've just invented but following a conversation I had with a good friend yesterday, 'The Great Curve of Achievement' ought to exist...

You see, at this time of year, it's very hard to get the adrenaline kick all of us achievers love as there's not a lot out there to go and conquer apart from Extreme Glutony perhaps. I did admire the 5,000 folk that tipped up at Stonehenge to 'enjoy' the Winter Solstice at 1044hrs yesterday, though I didn't admire the drunk I met on my run last night whom I saved from getting run over, I left him propped against a lamp post totally pissed out of his head.

Then again, he was only doing his thing and me doing mine - who's right and who's wrong, well you make up your own mind, but it wasn't pretty.

All I know is that I have to tick some boxes most days or I get a bit frisky, do you?

Rory Coleman - 980 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,387 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Pembroke Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom