Are You Running on a Treadmill?

****Warning: If you love the rat race, do not proceed****

Last week I took a fun and super challenging class at Tread Fitness in Dallas.  It was awesome because I love pushing myself to the max both physically and mentally.  For me, it was mostly mental.

The class is comprised of muscle-toning and strength-building exercises interspersed with 10- or 15-minute treadmill intervals to boost cardiovascular stamina.  For those of you that don’t know, I hate running on a treadmill.  I love to run but I want to be outside, on the pavement or a trail with the wind in my hair, sun beaming down on my skin and fresh air to breath.

While I was in the middle of a half mile sprint I couldn’t help but feel like even though I was running I was staying in place – I wasn’t moving forward.  Which is the very reason I hate running on treadmills.

I couldn’t help but relate this to what I hear so many people talk about with their jobs.  They have the illusion of moving forward because they are working hard, long hours, finishing projects and holding back to back meetings.

They are really running hard and fast on a treadmill going nowhere.  Sure they may get a pay raise (increasing the incline), or a promotion (bump up the speed) but they are still running in the proverbial rat race.  At any moment, their boss or company could pull the plug sending them flying off the back.  And that landing hurts (I’ve had it happen multiple times)!

But there are the few that have a life they live on their terms, they craft their business to fit their lifestyle.  They don’t have a job and can’t imagine working for someone else.  They have ultimate clarity on what they want and value.  They own what they do and create – no one can pull the plug or stop the treadmill because their feet pounding the pavement and gaining ground each day.

You might call them lucky or privileged, but they chose to go against what the masses do.  They take big risks, they developed themselves, their skills, and their network.  They chose to think different and not let the opinions of others sway what they wanted deep down.  They never quit on themselves or their dreams and they persevere through failure after failure.  They are the game changers in the world and they are entrepreneurs.