Why Bother?

Every day we undertake a huge number of personal tasks and challenges that we call ‘Life’. We are living that ‘Life’ as a result of options and choices that we believed were the right at that particular moment in time. And, as a result, where we find ourselves at any one time, is of our own doing and have no-one else to blame.

It’s far too easy to become a victim and say ‘why me?’ Or as in my case self-loath and head into a darkness of depression and use alcohol to mask the pain of failing. ‘Point Zero’ as I refer to it, isn’t somewhere you reach overnight. It’s a gradual thing that slowly creeps up on you. It speeds up the more helpless you become and before you know it has you firmly in it’s grasp. If you’ve been there, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

 

Back then, the only way out was to toughen up as reaching out was a sign of weakness not strength as it is today. At 58 years of age, I am in a much wiser position looking in life’s rear view mirror. I can admit that by the time I was 31, I’d created a huge mess that was not only challenging me mentally but physically too. That’s why on 5^th Jan 1994, I decided to make some changes, massive changes in fact and ‘getting fit’ quickly became my salvation and foundation for a ‘New Life’ where I found a ‘New Rory’.

 

I know personally that it’s a huge step to stop drinking, smoking or over-eating.

 

It took me only six months to reverse my very poor levels of health and fitness. And crossing the finish line of my first marathon is one of my life’s greatest achievements. Accomplishing a further 1000+ marathons impossible to my own previous incarnation.

 

Now, I’m not saying that you have to run 26.2 miles, be an Ironman Triathlete or become a body-builder but whatever life choices you make now or in the future, be it starting a new job, a new relationship or over-coming an illness or accident – fitness REALLY helps.

 

I know I’m far from perfect but I was lucky enough to be able to make positive changes to my behaviour that have given me huge satisfaction and a career where I can now help other people to reach their own fitness and life goals.

 

You see it’s far too easy to say ‘Why bother?’… but actually you must. Because if you do, you will be pleased you did. Now I’m always happy to be bothered and please reach out if you want to bother in 2021 and beyond.

 

Amen.

1,073 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records 

26 years' of Being Bothered

Everything in it's Right Place - Radiohead

I woke up - Tom Yorke

Or did you waste the last 100 days? There’s nothing worse than wasting time in my opinion. Nothing worse than saying ‘If only’ or feeling like you’ve missed out on a ‘Golden Opportunity’. Even worse if you didn’t make the past 100 days a positive change in your own personal development as if you didn’t notice, the World as we knew it changed forever – now be honest, have you changed with it?

The thing is, if you didn’t grasp the opportunity don’t cry too much as here’s some good news for you – there’s a whole new 100 days to have a go at today. And why not, you’ve got nothing to lose.

If October 9^th feels a lightyear away, in reality it isn’t. It’ll be here before you know it and you’ll be saying then ‘If only’ and ‘I wish I’d’ all over again or like will you be like my client Diana? She said to me this morning, ‘I’ve got to shopping as I’m now 2st lighter, and none of my pre-lockdown work clothes fit’. Diana is one of the many people I’ve coached during the past three months or so that are now, fitter, lighter and happier that they’ve grasped the lockdown opportunity of a lifetime. FTR - Diana is back to her GB elite race fitness too.

Simply Amazing!

Now, whether we will ever have to endure the strange times of 2020 ever again in our lifetime, who knows. What I do know is that there doesn’t have to be a National Crisis to give you the kick needed to undergo a short time of Personal change. 

Change can happen at any time, all you need to do is to wake up and put ‘Everything in its Right Place.

I mean, where do you want to be in 100 days?

1,053 Marathons - 255 Ultra-marathons - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables

‘The Key to Success’ and where to get one?

Well, if only Google could point us in the right direction or Amazon deliver – then we’d all be fulfilled, wouldn’t we? But finding ‘The Key to Success’ just isn’t that simple is it? Every January, people think about the year that’s passed and think about one that lies ahead, often making New Year Resolutions that they hope will shape their future and deliver the right level of desired ‘Life-Success and Fulfilment’.

However, apparently 88% of those who set those New Year’s Resolutions fail. And judging by that statistic your 2020 resolutions are already just a speck in your rear-view mirror and it’s only January 5^th – what on earth happened? Were they even possible? Were they empty promises? Were you new to the concept?

You see, ‘The New Year Resolution’ isn’t a new concept as the Babylonians and Romans made then to used to make similar promises at the start of their New Year and I wonder if they had a better success rate than 12%. Who knows eh? – But I bet they did, don’t you?

So why are we so rubbish at sticking to our New Year Resolutions today? Maybe it’s a lack of:-

Desire

Well if there’s only a 12% pass rate that most people are aware of – why even bother? I mean who is going to gamble against that kind of odds? How many people can actually say they’ve made and kept to their promise of January 1 for a whole year or longer?

Ambition

It’s normally set astronomically high – to an impossible goal. Or one that’s so easy, that it’s not even a challenge. For instance, a non-swimmer pledging to swim the channel against a non-drinker pledging to do ‘Dry January’ is a perfect example of the dichotomy of the Resolution. FYI, Swimming the Channel missed my list this year again and I’m determined to keep it that way beyond 2020.

Determination

And talking of determination – I believe, People give in far too easily. I mean what’s the point if you are going to give up within a few days or even within a few hours of the New Year. Most resolutions are food, smoking or alcohol abstinence based and with a 22% going cold turkey pass rate on smoking alone at any time of the year – it’s not surprising that even January 2nd sees even the most determined on January 1st reach out for a crafty biscuit, beer or cigarette.

Peer Pressure

This is a real bugbear for me as determination isn’t usually projected from those around us – it’s usually the complete opposite. I’ve lost count over my years of sobriety at how many times I’ve been offered ‘just the one, as one won’t hurt’, when it’s been well known that I’ve been upholding a resolution since 1994.

Promise

You see, the promises that are made aren’t strong enough. There’s no retribution or punishment from caving into craving, just a brief feeling of self-failure – without the grief. And the quickly forgotten resolution, remains forgotten until the following January to be remembered and forgotten once again.

So, you ask, what’s the answer? Well the answer to ‘The Key to Success’, is YOU. But then I expect you’d already guessed I’d say that. If you want to get one, well that’s down to how much you want whatever it is you desire or however much you want to change – It’s kinda Easy when it’s put that way. Yes, easy to say but downright impossible if you don’t have all the ingredients of success to hand and have the right recipe. 

An impossible task when the ingredients and the recipe aren’t known.

But it’d not all gloom here. Tom Hanks made it up the beach against all odds in Saving Private Ryan and we have a 12% success rate here, so it’s not impossible to achieve your dreams. You just need to want it more than anything else in the world. A lot more. And as one of the people that can hand on heart, shout out a story of a New Year Resolution Story of Success, then I can only say that it’s my greatest achievement to date in all of my 57 years and it will continue being that way to the grave as I’m never, ever going to break my 26 years (9496 days) today, clean run of alcohol abstinence.

Looking at the New Year with a fresh 2020 vision and with Desire, Ambition and Determination all at record levels, I’m going to continue with my Resolution of 1994 and would love to hear of your plans both for the year ahead and for your continued Resolution Success. 

And if you are planning for some changes to your current behavioural process and need some help in keeping to your new Resolution, then I’m here to help as I’m pretty good at doing that.

Become a 12% Winner this Year!

1,050 Marathons, 255 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 15 Marathon des Sables

25 Years' of Marathon Running & 26 Years' Nicotine and Alcohol-Free