Call me naive, but I disagree. My belief was based on sound seven-year-old logic:
Point A: horses exist.
Point B: rhinoceros exist.
Point C: both are mammals. Connect the dots.
In ways like this, when I was young it seemed imagination and practicality were not mutually exclusive. Then middle school introduced a fissure between them - that was okay, I could teeny-bop back and forth at will. High school widened it to a crevasse - thank goodness for growth spurts that would let me stretch across. Then in college the divide resembled a crater - imagination was so separate from the hard-coded rigors of daily life, I needed a spring break road trip to traverse the gap. And now, in the full swing of a career...say, is anyone using that decommissioned space shuttle?
Imagination is still there, somewhere. So, why am I pursuing it less and less? And why do I see so many around me abandoning the chase as well?
I decide that in order to change this, I need a goal. A goal outside the known quantities of my comfortable reality. Something that, according to today's wisdom, seems just a bit too blissfully imaginary. Something like...unicorns.
Now, let's be frank. I am not starting from a square one that's so wide, it's actually a rectangle, because I'm so dismally out of shape I need a double-wide seat. No, I've been running for eight years and have completed (sometimes shuffled through) four marathons. But up to now, I haven't managed to crack the mental barrier between me and a Boston Qualifying time. Reasons include the following:
- I don't have enough time
- If I did have enough time, I should spend it working
- My mom has an irrational fear that I'll die from running marathons
- I don't have enough energy
- Cupcakes are not running fuel
This is today's wisdom, and to anyone who's professionally driven and enjoys a good pastry, it holds water. But, after reading a recent post by the immutably-opinionated Ramit Sethi, I felt my reasons threatened. These reasons, he argued, are not reasonable at all. They are assumptions. Everyday, I unconsciously make dozens of decisions that allow them to chain me down. And it sure is hard to catch a unicorn when one is in shackles (though Chuck Norris could probably do it...but that's another post).
There is only way to win, and with my manifesto, I declare my intent to do it: FIGHT. I will test my "reasons" to expose my assumptions, crush them, unchain myself, and chase my unicorn.
So it is that today, I begin my training - my boot camp to strengthen for the fight and complete the chase. And I'm going to write about it. Strategy lessons, surprise ambushes, weapons training, face-offs lost and won. On May 21, I will go into battle - at the start line of the Fargo Marathon, where I will attempt to run 26.2 miles in under 3 hours, 40 minutes, and qualify for the Boston Marathon.
I hope you're not kicking back with your Munchos just yet. Because, I want you to chase your unicorn too. Each time I write, I'll end by turning the day's topic into a drill for you to act on. You can ponder your answer silently (eh), write it down in a journal (better), post it as a comment here (awesome), or do any of the above and link this page to your blog/facebook/twitter for others to see (exemplary - and you get my thanks!). But what's must crucial is that we both TAKE ACTION. Start here:
Drill #1: What's your unicorn? What are your reasons for not chasing it?
Today, pay special attention to your untested assumptions. Pick one, and test it. Were you right?
[My example -
Assumption: "Cupcakes are not running fuel"
Test: Eat a cupcake, then go running.
Result: Simple carbs = quick, tasty energy, no adverse side effects. But in the interest of general health, use sparingly. ]
This unicorn chaser wants you to find delight and meaning in her posts. Thus, I look forward to having my inbox flooded with your feedback on content, structure, length, and the like. Catch me at ChaseYourUnicorn@gmail.com
