‘I’ve done it !’
Those were the words my daughter Lynsey said after she’d recently completed the Manchester marathon. A fantastic achievement in anybody’s book.
Having said that, she’s hobbled around a bit whilst she recovered.
She did think that she would come last, as in her words ‘I’m a bit slow’. She was hoping to do the marathon in just over five hours, when in fact she did it in just over six. But as I said to her, it’s not about the time, it’s about finishing.
And she finished.
And she wasn’t last.
The plan.
Quite a few months back when Lynsey said she wanted to run the marathon, she wasn’t quite sure how to train for it. So she researched what she needed to do (her degree and a Masters came in handy..!) and put a training plan in place.
When she explained what the plan was and how much training was involved, we were staggered. But knowing Lynsey, once she puts her mind to something, she’ll get on with it. Over the coming months she trained and trained to get into the position where she felt comfortable and ready to go.
Then, with just over three weeks to go, her knee went.
We got a phone call from a very upset Lynsey, saying that she didn’t think she would be able to run as at the moment she was in so much pain and was struggling to walk. She didn’t know what to do – she was so distraught at the thought of doing all this training for nothing.
I suggested she spoke to my physio Nic at Clinic Sports Therapy, and she booked an appointment. When I went to pick her up, her beaming smile as she came out of from the physio said it all. The fact that she had been following a training plan made all the difference. The pain in her knee was nothing to worry about and she’d be fine to run. Nic was really impressed that Lynsey had spent the time planning and preparing to run the marathon and said that most people don’t plan as well, and that’s where the injuries come in.
Here’s the thing.
Having a plan made the difference. Talking to a professional made the difference.
If Lynsey hadn’t followed a plan, she wouldn’t have completed the marathon. If she hadn’t spoken to Nic, she would have quit.
We all know the old adage of you wouldn’t set off on a car journey without knowing where you’re going. But it’s true. And the same goes for your marketing, how can you expect to get results if you don’t have a plan?
Think about your own business.
Do you know what results you want to achieve?
How are you going to get there?
When was the last time you reviewed your marketing plan?
Have you got the right team around to support you and tell you you’re on the right track?
We’ve heard and seen this before, so we know what challenges you’re facing as a business owner. Let’s chat and help you get your plan in place.
PS – Lynsey immediately said she wasn’t going to do another marathon. Until she informed us a couple of days later that she’d put her name down for London…