Happy people have goals
The happiness of pursuit
We do not pursue happiness; we pursue goals that make us happy.
My son and I aim to run a 10 km race when he is 18. We have been discussing this goal for more than three years now.
Today, I am excited to share the first milestone toward that goal. The milestone we set was to run a 5K race. Samyak has been playing soccer for a while now. He is athletic and fit, and he is 13, in 7th grade.
We ran a 5K race in San Jose last month.
We planned to run as much as Samyak could; whenever he could not, we would keep walking the remaining distance. Knowing this, we ran slow, roughly at 8 minutes per kilometer.
After 1.5 kilometers, he wanted to take a quick break. We took a break, sipped some water at the station, and continued.
He said, " Can we run faster, Appa? Some people are running fast; we should run fast as well." I told him to follow our plan and ignore what others were doing. That’s the secret to goals in races and life: to follow our plan and not get distracted by others' pursuits or paths.
We finished the first half slowly, 8 minutes per kilometer, as planned.
After 2.5 kilometers, there was a U-turn. On our way back, we stopped at one more water station, drank a sip, and kept running.
There were two more kilometers to the finish line. We continued with the same pace.
We were about one kilometer from the finish line now. I asked Samyak, “When do you want to sprint?”
He said, “I want to sprint the last 300 meters. I don't have too much energy left.”
Our job was to maintain the same speed for the remaining distance. We discussed our future goal of running a 10K in five years when he turns 18, which lifted his spirit.
We were about 300 meters away from the finish line. I asked Samyak, "Would you like to sprint now?" He said, “Let's go for it.”
We both sprinted the last 300 meters together.
We held hands just before crossing the finish line. I was on his left side, and he had his left hand with my right hand. We crossed the finish line excitedly, our hands in the air in a V-position.
This achievement was exciting for both of us because we achieved a mini-goal, a milestone toward our big goal in five years.
Samyak finished his first 5K in 38 minutes. He ran 4.3 kilometers and walked the remaining distance. More than anything else, he enjoyed the race! He loved the experience of running as a community. He understood some life lessons through this milestone.
We are excited about what's coming ahead.
Time for reflection: What goals can you pursue with your family or children?
I promise you the pursuit will be worth it!
PS: My cohort course, Beyond Your Limits, is now open for enrollment. Check this link for more details. It is a seven-week online course starting on October 26th (seven Saturdays).