Making Time

I was 24 and in the prime of making questionable life decisions.

I was young, but I was also committed, and it was tough to hold me back when I set my sites on something. At this time in my life it was a running streak.

For some reason I had set my sites on running 5 miles per day everyday for an entire year. A feat that really meant nothing then and would mean nothing now if I had succeeded... but it was what my thing was at the time.

NOTE: I failed at this attempt a few months after this story. I would eventually succeed on try number 3 (this was try number 2) close to 15 years later.

So here is the setup for this zany story.

I was going to graduate school in Colorado and wanted to go my dad's for Christmas. My mom lived in Pennsylvania, my dad lived in Massachusetts, my grandparents lived in Connecticut and my friends lived in Boston.

Geography is a vital component to this story. Trust me.

My dad had a leftover plane ticket to St. Louis (his name is also Richard Copley and, let's just say security pre 9/11 was a little different) that he gave me and I bought a cheap ticket from there to Boston where I got picked up to spend a few quality days with my dad.

I had made it across the country but (this is 100% true and, even today, I pretty embarrassed by this) I had no plan to get back to Colorado.

I had no money and no one offered to put my on a plane so there there I was with.

Then I came up with a plan... sort of.

I knew my uncle was driving from my grandparent's to my mom's a couple of days before Christmas. Perfect. I'll hitch a ride with him and that, at least, would get me to Pennsylvania... which was closer to Colorado.

I can hitchhike from there. That actually was my original plan. Can you imagine? Ugh.

So. How would I get to Connecticut?

I came up with an actual plan for that.

My friends lived in Boston and were getting together the day before my uncle was to make his trip.

Cool. Party with my friends. Get up early. Grab a bus to Connecticut.

It's a plan.

But wait. What about the running streak? I knew my uncle was travelling from Connecticut late afternoon so we would be arriving at my mom's super late. There was no way I would be out on the streets of rural Pennsylvania running at 11pm and I didn't even know if we would arrive before midnight.

What was I to do?

Simple. GET IT DONE.

If it's important enough you just do what you need to do to GET IT DONE!

The plan was to get up early and do my 5 mile run before going to the bus station. We stayed up till 3am drinking.

Plastered drunk at 3am meant that the alarm at 6am wasn't super pleasant.

Guess what? I got up, got dressed and ran / jogged / walked / stumbled in the 32 degree sleet and snow (of course the weather was dreadful) for 5 miles... because it mattered to me.

It was honestly the worst 5 miles of my life but I did it.

An appropriate bus wasn't available so I ended up taking a commuter train to Connecticut but still catching a ride with my uncle to Pennsylvania.

We got in after midnight so my 6am run saved the streak!

Spent Christmas with my family in Pennsylvania and it was nice.

When my mom and stepdad heard of my hitchhiking plan they very quickly talked some sense into me and helped me buy a bus ticket.

I got on the Greyhound bus after dinner on a Monday night in State College Pennsylvania bound for Greeley Colorado.

How long is such a trip you ask?

48 hours.

There goes the running streak.

Right?

Just over 6 hours into the trip I had a 2am layover in Cleveland Ohio. 90 minutes in the terminal waiting for my next ride.

Here was my opportunity.

Yeah, you know what I did.

I rented a storage locker, through my bags in there, put on my running clothes and did a 5 mile run at 2am in the deserted streets of Cleveland, Ohio.

What is my point with this story?

My point is this: You have the time.

If something is important enough to YOU for whatever reason YOU deem it important then you will make the time.

Is "lack of time" holding you back?

It's not. It's lack of focus on your WHY.

If it's important enough it will get done. Period.

Can I help you on your journey? If you have the time (now you know that you certainly do!) go ahead and schedule a FREE coaching call. I'll give you some tips and help you to live better.

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