I canβt. I wonβt.
We sometimes hear this type of verbiage from clients, friends and even ourselves.
ππ΅ π€π’π―βπ΅ π£π¦ π₯π°π―π¦. ππ¦ πΈπ°π―βπ΅ π₯π° π΅π©π’π΅ π£π¦π€π’πΆπ΄π¦ πΈπ¦βπ·π¦ π―π¦π·π¦π³ π₯π°π―π¦ π΅π©π’π΅.
At a Jan. 1 birthday gathering at LaScarola in Chicago, our family talked about goals for 2025. I had three personal goals that I shared when my son-in-law Grant Burke said, βI challenge you to run a 5K.β I gave him an insane look and paused before my testosterone took over. I said, βIβll run 5 miles.β He said, βGreat. The Shamrock Shuffle is a five-mile run. Why donβt you sign up?β
On the drive home, I said to my wife Michele Kelly, that I was stupid. She didnβt disagree, but was kind enough to ask why? I said I hadnβt run in 45 years, and Iβm not sure I can.
βYou canβt or you wonβt?β she asked
I remained quiet the remainder of the drive.
The next morning, I began training for the Shamrock Shuffle. I ran about a quarter of a lap around the track at the Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora. I gasped and heaved. I swore. I swore this was not something I should be doing just because my ego got in the way of a great evening.
True to who Michele is, she congratulated me and encouraged me and told me how proud of me she was. βYou can do this,β said the woman who ran the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
I felt like a schmuck. She ran 26.2 and I am crying over a quarter of a lap.
Two days later, I was back on the track. I resolved to run a little farther and did. In a few weeks, I was running/walking a mile. Then two. Last week I ran/walked three, and this week it will be four.
I feel great. I πππ do this.
I canβt say that itβs fun. I canβt say that after March 23 that Iβll ever run again. But I can say that Iβm demonstrating to my children that thereβs a big difference in saying, βI canβt, and I wonβt.β The former is not truthful and the latter is laziness.
We all need to get out of our comfort zones β as individuals and as companies.
I hope by sharing my story, you pick up a challenge and run with it. You πππ and you ππππ, and then share it with me.
Saying I Can't
Michele and me at Rush Copley Healthplex after I completed my first three-mile run.