On Tuesday, I was listening to a Chris Widener interview with Brian Tracy and at some point he was talking about distractions. That set off a chain of thought that has been part of my thinking all week. I grew up on a farm in rural Central New Jersey and was clean cut, athletic and raised in a Christian home by parents who stressed family values, morality and set an impeccable example of good living by not smoking, drinking, swearing, gambling, etc. I wasn’t rebellious or yearning to leave our home, but I ended up falling in “love” with a woman who was an atheist, drank, smoked unfiltered Camels and led me down paths in my life that in retrospect would never consider taking today. I am not in any way blaming her or making excuses, but my actions while with her were distractions from achieving my true goals in life and fulfilling my true purpose in life. I got back on track and focused on my strengths after we went our separate ways and started running again. With a singular focus and no distractions, I actually achieved great success – not because I was obsessed with running, but rather because I had no distractions in areas of my life and all parts of it were flourishing.
Rich Dafter is the founder of HowToBeFit.com, a lifelong runner, former ACE Certified Personal Trainer, BODi Coach since 2007, and Polar Athlete and Ambassador for 39 years. At 75, he continues to run, hike, strength train, and share practical strategies for healthy aging, fitness, and longevity. Learn more about Rich Dafter on the About page.
