I started running as a sport when I was around fourteen years old and have continued the sport of running ever since. During my running years, I’ve been a ‘jogger’, a competitive athlete, a marathoner and a fun runner. I would describe running as a part of who I am. It helps to keep me relaxed, stress-free and keeps the inevitable middle-age spread away.

Beyond the obvious health benefits of having a regular exercise schedule, being a runner has taught me a lot more about managing time and life and I want to share just some of those benefits with you here.

It teaches you self-discipline.

This one is huge. Most of the reasons why we are not achieving our goals are linked to a lack of self-discipline. The temptation to stay in our warm bed on a cold Sunday morning, the urge to just collapse onto the sofa at the end of a long day when it is raining outside instead of going out for a run. All these little things add up to the result of not achieving the goals or becoming the person we want to become.

The only way you will complete a 10K, half-marathon or a full marathon is by going out running and doing your training. Whether it is snowing, raining, windy or -10 Degrees C, if you are better at excuses than you are at getting out the door, then you are giving in to your natural lazy state.

Mastery comes from consistency, not talent.

You don’t improve as a runner unless you put in the running. It’s that simple and you quickly learn that to improve at anything in life takes consistent practice. It does not matter how talented you are, if you are not putting in the regular practice and going out for your training runs you will never improve your times.

Whether you want to improve your relationships, your career or your financial status, it all takes consistency. To improve your relationships you need to constantly stay in touch with the people you care about. If you want to improve your career prospects, you need to do your work at consistently high performances and if you want to improve your financial status you need to be regularly putting money into savings or investment accounts.

There are no shortcuts or quick fixes. It always comes down to consistency because your consistent actions and behaviour create the person you become.

Constant and never-ending improvement can be lonely at times.

You may have heard of the book and film; The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. It’s true. Throughout life, you are going to have to pass up on opportunities for having a good time so you can go out for a run or so you are in good shape for the Sunday morning race.

In my younger days, I enjoyed going out and dancing in the clubs. I’ve always had a passion for dance music (trance in particular), but I always understood I couldn’t go out clubbing on a Saturday night until 2 AM and be in my best condition at 9:00 AM the next day for the start of a half-marathon. You learn that if you want to be improving your life there will be times when you have to say “no” so you can preserve your best performances for when it matters.

It means you have to say “no” to opportunities if you want to give your best when it matters.

The right equipment matters.

Most new runners learn this one the hard way. If you compromise on the quality of your running shoes you will get injured. It’s just a fact of life. If you don’t use the right equipment, it results in pain.

As in life, if you try to use the wrong equipment you are not likely to do the best job possible. You will end up either making a horrible mistake or the work you do will not be of top quality.

Runners know all about shin splints, sore knees and runner’s nipple. All of these painful experiences are usually caused by using the wrong equipment. You quickly learn the right equipment keeps everything moving smoothly and you will find this is true in your life. Buy a cheap, low powered computer and try doing video editing on it and you will become incredibly stressed and frustrated. Use the free versions of software and you will soon come up against a wall of adverts or missing features.

You do not necessarily need to have the most expensive equipment, but you do need the right equipment for the work you are doing.

Listening to your body is vital if you want to stay injury-free.

When I first became a competitive runner I was given a training programme by my coach. Being a young, eager runner I followed that training schedule precisely. It was not long before I was getting injuries. They were not serious injuries, but these injuries interrupted my consistency because it forced me to take unscheduled rest.

It was only when my coach told me to listen to my body. Push hard when I felt good, back off when I did not feel good that the number of little injuries I was getting reduced.

The same applies in life too. If you push yourself too hard when you are not feeling good, you will find your cold or flu or fatigue will last a lot longer than it needs. Instead, if you back off, take a little rest and get yourself right, you will soon be back at your best.

Have a plan.

Obvious, yet simple. If you do not have a plan you will not do your training consistently. If you are preparing for a full course marathon you need to do the long-distance training runs. You have to put in the miles of training and the only way you will do that is if you have a plan.

As in life, if you do not have a plan you will drift. Drifting gets you nowhere. Start the day and week with clear objectives. “This week I will do five training runs” and then schedule those runs on your calendar. As with any project, if you are not scheduling it, you are not finding time for it and you will not do it.

Anything you do, whether it is running or needlecraft, you need to be consistent and you need to put the work in. Running has been a constant in my life and it has helped me through a lot of tough times, it has given me the clarity needed to make some tough decisions and it has given me a lot of valuable life lessons. It can do the same for you.

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My purpose is to help 1 million people by 2020 to live the lives they desire. To help people find happiness and become better organised and more productive so they can do more of the important things in life.

If you would like to learn more about the work I do, and how I can help you to become better organised and more productive, you can visit my website or you can say hello on Twitter, YouTube or Facebook and subscribe to my weekly newsletter right here.