The Wall

Most athletes but especially long distance runners, bikers and swimmers can tell you about the wall. They get to a point in the race where they are exhausted and feel as if they can’t go on. They have hit the dreaded wall. These same athletes will tell you that if they can get past it, on the other side of the wall, is another burst of energy.

While you and I might never run a marathon or complete a triathlon, we hit walls of our own. In dieting, to use a more common analogy, it’s called a plateau. You get to a point where for a few weeks or so, in spite of your best efforts, you just don’t lose weight. With work or school, you get to a point where you might lose your drive or your focus. You might hit a roadblock in your plan to save money or pay off debt when everything had been flowing so smoothly before. Hitting the wall is natural in the progression of things. It’s what you do when you hit that wall that makes all of the difference.

A lot of people give up. They assume because they have hit the wall that it’s over. Remember, the wall is characterized by fatigue. So mentally, emotionally and maybe even physically, you feel too tired to go on and, you think, giving up would feel good. It would be nice to get some rest. Maybe you feel too hurt, frustrated or disappointed to go on and the temptation to just stop the madness and settle for what you’ve got is strong.

Yet, if you can muster up just a little more strength. If you can go just a bit further, you could break through that wall and get your second wind. When it comes to this point, it’s your supporting team and the reasons why you want what you want and even just seeing the progress you’ve made that will carry you through.

Just remember, hitting the wall is not a bad thing, it means you are making progress and you’re closer than you think to that second wind that will carry you across the finish line!