Is There Really Such Thing As Failure?

Image by @gapingvoid (www.gapingvoidart.com)

I think if you take action, there is no failure, for the doing itself is success. Think how many times we just don't DO.

At the end of October I ran my second half-marathon (the Miami Halloween Half).  I ran it last year and "trained" quite a bit, with several 8 mile runs beforehand. Even with the training, last year it took me 3 hours and 16 minutes to complete. (Yeah, I run like a turtle).

This year I was ill prepared due to travel and other things getting in the way of any proper preparation. I desperately wanted to find an excuse NOT to run this year... "I'm not ready" "I didn't prepare" "I won't be able to finish" etc. But in the end I lived up to my commitment (to myself and the $90 I paid to register for the event).

I ran, and was so excited that I did. I started very strong and for the first 10 miles I was way ahead of last year's pace and excited that I would beat my prior time, probably by 8 or 10 minutes. Then, with 3 miles to go, I hit a wall - mentally and physically - and I was convinced I could not continue.

I struggled to keep moving forward. Fighting back tears and pangs of a psychosomatic asthma attack (I had asthma as a kid, but haven't had any issues for more than 25 years, so I know the sudden wheezing and shortness of breath was self-induced... maybe as that excuse to stop I had been looking for...)

But I kept moving.  Barely running, probably at a pace slower than I could have walked... but running nonetheless.

And I finished. 6 minutes SLOWER than last year.

Did I fail?  No!  I finished.  I took action.  I did something I set out to do, albeit, not quite as well as I had hoped.

Many lessons learned, including the true value of training and preparation... and not just for a half-marathon.

I may have failed to reach my goal, but I succeeded in completing another half-marathon, and I learned a great deal along the way.

I'll put this failure in the "win" column... until next year!

Measurement and Motivation

I am not a numbers guy, but I am a gadget guy.  Lately my love of gadgets has been teaching me the value of numbers, and more importantly, the value of measurement and tracking when it comes to achieving goals.

Is the Weight Over?

As someone who has always been "big boned" (read: overweight) I work very hard to be health conscious.  I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and vegan for the past 5, and generally I eat well and healthy.  I go to the gym, run and bike ride regularly.  Yet still, the older I get, the harder it seems to be to drop weight.  However, I recently lost 10 pounds and I attribute my sudden success to my gadgets.

Satellites and Smartphones

Even before every smartphone was GPS enabled I used a bulky Garmin GPS watch to track my walks, runs and bike rides.  While it was fun to know how far and fast I went, the data stayed on the watch and I didn't really watch it, except when I was in the midst of exercising.  When my smartphone became GPS enabled, I gave up the Dick Tracy sized watch and starting using apps such as CardioTrainer and RunKeeper to keep track of my physical activities.  With the smartphone it became easy to share my exercise progress on Facebook and Twitter, which led to lots of "moral support" from friends and followers - a great motivator. But still, I was not losing any weight...

Steps Count, And Make You Accountable

When the first FitBit came out I was intrigued.  I had tried a standard pedometer before, but found it inaccurate, and a bit boring.  But the first FitBit had received some mixed reviews and I decided to pass.  Instead, when Jawbone introduced the UP bracelet I was sold.  I own a few great Jawbone products already so I had high hopes for the UP, and liked the idea of a smart bracelet that could be worn all the time.  And I loved the UP... while it worked.  As you may have read, the UP turned out to be a downer, with Jawbone maturely acknowledging its flaws and taking them all back for a full refund.  So it was back to the FitBit, and by now the much improved Fitbit Ultra was available.  I love my FitBit the accompanying software and apps, and being able to see my steps and progress.  I also have a Nike Fuel band and a Motorola MOTOACV gps sports-watch (yeah, I am a gadget geek).  The bottom line is, no matter which device you choose to use, tracking your daily movement will change your behavior, and changing behavior is the best way to lose weight and improve your fitness.

A Daily Race Against Time

All these fitness trackers generally re-set to "0" at midnight, and I find myself frequently taking late-night jogs or extended walks with the dogs just to make sure I hit my daily number, and that, I think, is the magic benefit of tracking your activity.  Knowing where you stand (or move) at any given moment makes you far more likely to take that extra step to hit an attainable daily goal.

Lesson Learned


I am enjoying tracking my Fuel, steps, miles and calories and, based on my experience watching the numbers for my personal fitness, I am finding myself becoming more focused on metrics and measurement in business as well.  The same principles apply.  If your goal is clearly defined, and you know exactly where you stand at any given moment, then you are far more likely to put in the extra effort to make sure you reach that goal.


I'll always be a gadget guy, but now my gadgets have made me more interested in being a numbers guy too...  How about you?  How do you track your fitness and business goals?

*Note: Some product links above are Amazon Affiliate links to help support my Gadget habit...Thanks!

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An Unfit Message From A Fitness Club?

I love LA Fitness! I really do. I have been an active member since 2002 and go to the gym regularly. I have visited at least 8 of their locations and have always been impressed with the quality and cleanliness of the facilities, as well as the professional staff and level of services. Perhaps that is why I was so surprised to see this message taped to the wall in the showers this morning:

Huh? Have I just been transported back in time to my grade school, where it wasn't uncommon for a frustrated teacher to decide to punish the entire class until the culprit who actually flicked the rubberband at her when she had her back turned would come clean and admit it??? Last time I checked I PAY A MONTHLY FEE to be a member of the gym, and as part of that membership I feel I am entitled to a freely flowing soap dispenser in the shower!

SHOULD PAYING CUSTOMERS PAY FOR THE BAD BEHAVIOR OF A FEW?

Clearly there is a problem, and whomever is "vandalizing" the shower soap dispensers should be discouraged from such unclean behavior. However, that should be LA FITNESS' problem and not mine. What message does it send to us customers who actually get our exercise by using, rather than abusing, the equipment and facilities? Is management so incapable of maintaining order and decorum that they have to take out their frustration on the good guys? Perhaps I am overreacting but it seems to me that the note above will NOT deter the elusive soap scum from continuing to dispense with the dispensers. More importantly, the note above (and soap-less showers) will only serve to annoy the well-behaved customers and leave us awash with a dirty feeling that our club doesn't care very much about its members.

A WEAK ECONOMY REQUIRES STRONG CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Now more than ever it would seem to me that businesses need to go out of their way to express their appreciation for good paying customers, especially businesses that rely on recurring charges. As all of us tighten our belts and scrutinize our personal and professional budgets we are going to carefully evaluate how and where we spend our money. In most cases, the recipients of our spending will be those companies that offer us quality goods and services, and make us feel welcome and appreciated for giving them our business. For me, the note above fails to communicate the proper message to the majority of the club's members.

What do you think? Is it fair for a business to lower its standards across the board because of a few bad customers? Is the note above a fit way for LA FITNESS to address their vandalism problem? Should I get off my "soap box" and get back on the elliptical machine? Please leave a comment and let me know what YOU think!

Photo Credit: © aris sanjaya - Fotolia.com

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