What's the best way to force yourself to run 17 miles when you really don't feel like it? Run 8 miles away from your car, guaranteeing a return trip in some way. While 17 might be just beyond your comfort zone, 8 is likely very doable. By the time you're done with the easy part, you're trapped 8 miles away from your ride home...which means you might as well run the reset of the way.
This scenario is one we see in countless areas, and it's one that both allows people to accomplish new things...and also prohibits people from going far enough. If you keep giving yourself "turn back now" routes and escapes, you'r guaranteed to take the easy road out when things get tough. Just like Batman escaping "The Pit" in Dark Knight Rises, the trick is to stop thinking about stopping, and then you'll be able to finish the task. Last week I was too focused on eating lunch post-run that I let myself take a shorter loop and ultimately quit 10 miles in. Today, I made sure that there was no emergency exits. By the time I was tired...I was still forced to run the rest of the way home.
Perhaps this is advice I need to pursue in my classroom next year if I ever want to take the gamification concept to the next level. What I have now is good...but it's still making many compromises and filled with exit ramps. Perhaps it's time to kick it up a notch for 2017...
This scenario is one we see in countless areas, and it's one that both allows people to accomplish new things...and also prohibits people from going far enough. If you keep giving yourself "turn back now" routes and escapes, you'r guaranteed to take the easy road out when things get tough. Just like Batman escaping "The Pit" in Dark Knight Rises, the trick is to stop thinking about stopping, and then you'll be able to finish the task. Last week I was too focused on eating lunch post-run that I let myself take a shorter loop and ultimately quit 10 miles in. Today, I made sure that there was no emergency exits. By the time I was tired...I was still forced to run the rest of the way home.
Perhaps this is advice I need to pursue in my classroom next year if I ever want to take the gamification concept to the next level. What I have now is good...but it's still making many compromises and filled with exit ramps. Perhaps it's time to kick it up a notch for 2017...
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