Wow… what an amazing weekend. I love weekends.  Not because they take me away from work… I actually love my work.  I love weekends because I am blessed to spend time with my lovely wife and three really cool kids.

This past weekend was uniquely special to me because I was able to give back to someone who has supported me even when she wasn’t sure what the heck I was doing and why I was making such crazy decisions for my career… yep, you know the career; working on the internet and promoting my MLM. This someone is my amazing and beautiful wife, Erin.

Erin has taken up the sport of running and her latest conquests have been half marathons.  Now, if you knew my wife ten years ago, you would have laughed out loud if you heard her say she was going to run at all.  Don’t get me wrong, she has always been athletic, but running… NO WAY!  Actually, when she told me she was going to run her first 13.1 back in October of last year… I secretly thought she had lost her mind.  I guess she figured if she had the strength to handle a full time high level corporate sales job and raise three children at the same time, a half marathon should be a piece of cake (not that eating cake goes along well with marathon training J).

Well, as is par for the course for her, when she sets her mind to something, she is like Robin’s arrow and not to be denied a pure bull’s-eye.  She gathered and studied the proper reading materials to learn the proper way to train for this type of race; she studied the proper nutritional needs for running long distance and implemented the proper diet; she bought the proper shoes to insure her feet and knees were well protected; she bought a GPS watch and log book so she could track her progress. But the most important aspect of her plan was simple; she implemented her plan with the understanding she was training for a long haul run that would take real determination, stamina, and a realistic pace.

She did not set out on her first two races to be a world class runner, my wife set realistic goals and she nailed each and every one of the.  Can you tell I am just a little bit proud of her?

Now, her success did not come without sacrifice!  Do you know what it’s like to get up in the dark of the morning at 6am to run a 15 mile pre-race run knowing the high temperature for the run is going to be a bone chilling 33 degrees?  Can you feel the fatigue of running eight 880s at a break neck pace on a Sunday afternoon before going to the grocery store to buy food for your family for the week? Have you ever been to a dinner party where everyone is eating your favorite foods and you know those food choices are not in your nutritional plan for the week? Have you ever felt the ecstasy of reaching your goals due to those sacrifices?  My wife has… and you can too!

So what does running a half marathon have to do with success in your online business? Well, let’s talk about that a little and see what you think.

1. Step one is making a decision to run a race. This is your decision to start an online business.  At this point you are at the peak of excitement and trepidation all at the same time.

2. Step two is deciding which race to compete in. In your business, you are now choosing which company you are going to represent.

3. Step three is researching training strategies for completing 13.1 miles. At this stage in your business you are seeking systems, courses, and mentors to assist you in creating a sound online business.

4. Step four is purchasing the proper gear to allow for peak performance. Now you are moving further into your business plan and you are purchasing the proper systems and courses to allow you to maximize your efforts in your chosen business.

5. Step five is setting goals for your training and race completion. As a business owner now is the time to set goals for you business including training goals, financial goals, and expansion goals.

6. Step six is implementing your training plan and logging your results. This is a key step in your business as you start learning the skills and knowledge that will give you a competitive edge. At this stage you are keeping detailed logs on your progress with your business and noting areas where you need improvement and areas where you are feeling prepared.

7. Step seven is to run the race. You have launched your business and you implement all the strategies and skill you have learned while preparing to start your business.

8. Step eight is managing the race. This is the key to ultimate success in your business.

9. Step nine is finishing the race. Finishing the race for a business owner is actually achieving the goals they have set out for themselves.

1. You see if a marathon runner starts out too fast they will run out of energy and fall out of the race.  If a new business owner starts off their business too fast… without taking the time to prepare, they may be out of business very quickly.
2. If a runner tries to run the race at the pace of the crowd instead of their own pace, they will run out of steam and be out of the race. If a business owner pays attention to the businesses of all the people around them instead of focusing on their chosen business, they will soon be out of business.
3. If they do not take in fluids during the race, they will dehydrate, cramp and fall out of the race.  Fluids to a runner are like continuing education to a business owner.  If  business owners do not continue to increase their business knowledge, they will soon be way behind the leaders and be out of the race.
4. If runners listen to the voices in their heads telling them “this race is too hard”, they will be out of the race.  Every business owner will experience both success and challenges in their businesses.  The ones that will succeed will be those who do not let the challenges deter them from focusing on the success of their business.

By applying these principles to your business and running it like you are running a marathon instead of a sprint, you will find long term success and enjoyment in your business.

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If you resonate with this and have some ideas or encouraging words to share, I’d love to hear from you down below. And if you think the people over on Twitter would benefit, a ReTweet is always appreciated too, and if you think your Facebook following would benefit from these words feel free to share them with your friends.

Wishing you prosperity and joy,

Scott

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