2020 Vision, Karate Kid Style
January 2020
“Julia, you must focus.”
“Coach, I’ve been doing push-ups and squats and planks for an hour. I’m exhausted. How is this going to help me run my fastest half marathon? How it is going to help me publish my next book and get to Europe?”
“Ahhh. It will not get you to Europe. The airplane will get you to Europe. But you will know what to do when you arrive.”
“I see.” But I didn’t. My goals still looked so far away.
“Have you been writing in your journal every day?”
“Yes. But sometimes it’s just basic to-do lists.”
“That does not matter. You are not just planning your day. You are training your brain to focus. You are training your body to be strong. See you next week.”
April 2020
I am getting stronger. Yesterday’s 10-mile run felt great. I felt like I had the energy to keep going for another hour.
The daily journaling is helping. The book editing has gone faster than expected, even with all the white papers and articles I’m writing for my clients. It’s like I’m on fire.
Not only am I flying to Spain next month for a travel writing course, but I’m also booked as a speaker at TEDx London the following week.
“Coach, I’m nervous. The British are going to hate my accent.”
“Stop talking. Sixty-second plank.”
“How will that help?”
“Do not question. Breathe in, breathe out. Steady your breathing during the plank, and you will be steady in London.” Somehow, he is right.
May 2020
Spain is amazing. The food, the wine, the company. I take it all in and feel so inspired. One of my long training runs follows a section of the famed El Camino trail. I write a brilliant article that will be published in a leading sustainable agriculture magazine.
I own that stage in London. I’ve been practicing and refining my speech the past few weeks and it paid off. All I had to do was imagine that the audience found my West Coast American accent as charming as we Americans find the British.
July 2020
It’s mile seven. My bunion is hurting and I’m slowing down. I started too fast. People are passing me. Coach isn’t by my side to help. Then I remember what he taught me and summon my inner strength. I calm my breathing and remember this morning’s journal entry. “Half marathon. You’re going to kill it.”
It works. My energy level changes. As the finish line approaches, I see Coach in the distance, cheering me on. I finish strong and set a PR, fifteen minutes faster than my half in 2011.
November 2020
My book is in print and I’m an Amazon Best Seller in books<nonfiction<workbooks<environmental issues<recycling. Even better, my launch party is standing room only. There are probably 150 people packed into that bookstore and they all want a signed copy of my new book.
Coach comes up to the table with a tall stack of books for me to sign and a beaming smile. “My athletes must understand how to recycle smarter and learn not to leave trash on the racecourse. They will appreciate this practical gift.”
December 2020
What a year this has been. My achievements in 2019 weren’t too shabby — I published my first book and completed my first Olympic distance triathlon — but focusing on both habits and goals gives me superpowers. How can I top this in 2021? I don’t know, but I had better hurry up and figure it out.
P.S. A Shut Up & Write writing challenge led to this article. Our mission? Make a list of habits to build, goals to achieve, and places to visit in 2020. Then use these to write a piece that’s “over-the-top” and inspired by the Karate Kid movies. I didn’t like this prompt at first, but it inspired me to get out of my comfort zone, and I’m surprised by the result.
