Success is a journey, not the destination.

This is a phrase that many of you will have heard before, I know I have, and it’s something that I believed but couldn’t really explain.

However, today as I prepare to participate in my first ever marathon, I understand this so much more clearly now.

6 months ago I decided that I would run a marathon for charity, I wasn’t a runner, so this was a bit of an ambitious goal– and many said it was a stupid, unachievable target.

But I had chosen this as my destination, my goal, my target.

Today as I begin to prepare for the event, I know that the real success will not be achieved today, even when I complete the race.

The real success is not just my success, it’s a success shared by many: those that have trained with me; with Tarak who will run his first Marathon with me; and the many, many others, who were inspired to take up a new challenge themselves.

The real success is the change within ourselves, how we now see problem as challenges to be overcome, rather than obstacle blocking our path.

The real success is about the little victories along the way, victories such as:

• Changing my routine to get up early and run an hour each day – time which I will be able to use for more running or other challenges which inspire me;
• Increase in health and fitness – which will last me a lifetime;
• Increase in my self-respect and self-confidence – which will encourage me to try something new;
• A better understanding of inspiration and how infectious this can be, when ignited;
• All the friends who were inspired to take up running – which will benefit their health and fitness – congratulation to Tarak on giving up smoking too;
• The positive feedback and support of friends and colleagues, which really has touched me deeply;

The real success is not about me succeeding in todays race, it’s about the others that succeed with me, the others that try where previously they wouldn’t have.

The real success is also about the success to come; the successes which are inspired by this success. Today is just one milestone on the road of many successes.

Gordon Tredgold

www.leadership-principles.com