A few weeks ago I talked about a lesson I’d learned from my return to running to increase my fitness and reduce my fatness.

Well, you’ll either be delighted or disappointed to discover that I’ve learnt another lesson from my early morning attacks on the bitumen.

Let me explain.

I reckon I’m not getting better if I don’t improve a little bit each week so, at least once every week, I try to beat my best time for one of the routes I run.

Well, that’s the plan!  However sometimes the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak and sometimes vice versa… willing flesh but weak spirit.

I’ve found the simple secret to overcoming either of those handicaps and I reckon that the secret will work for you in any situation too.

So what’s the secret?

Simple! Tell yourself you can.  Yep, that’s right… tell yourself you can!

You see if I start out to beat my best time and I think negatively, as in “I can’t do this” I’ve found I never achieve it.  Self doubt prevails.

But almost every time I start out by saying “I can do this” and keep on saying it as I run I achieve a better time.  Positive self talk wins!

So, whatever the task you want to achieve, keep telling yourself you can.  Most times you will!