The Modern Dilemma: Stay Still or Change?
The Fatigue of the Modern World
A phenomenon is currently being observed worldwide: People are tired and exhausted from the speed and complexity of our world. They long less for change and more for a weekend where they can binge-watch an entire TV series for two days straight (Trust me, I know this all too well). Similar tendencies can also be observed in companies and even entire nations: "No stress, no risk." We dream of defining our personal and national comfort zones, barricading them, and staying there. Yet, despite this deep longing for peace and slowing down, we are not really ready to forgo success and prosperity, knowing full well that success always involves performance, change, and renewal.
The Modern Dilemma: Standing Still or Changing?
This inner conflict leads us directly into a modern dilemma: Standing still is not a solution, but the familiar paths are wearing us out. One thing I’ve learned early on in my long running training sessions is that even the hardest training sometimes needs phases of rest and recovery. But these can only be the foundation for new training stimuli. Eventually, you can’t avoid leaving your comfort zone again.
Leaving the Comfort Zone and Developing New Perspectives
However, the training should always be varied to avoid it becoming monotonous and boring. I have applied this principle in all of my projects. I’ve constantly asked myself: Is there another way to solve this task? Which business areas are currently out of trend? Who says Germans don’t have humor? The reason I’ve spent so many years working on humor comes from the idea that firstly, I like to laugh, AND secondly, many years ago, I thought if the whole world is saying Germans don’t have humor, and we often believe it ourselves, then this is a market with a lot of potential.
Success through Change and New Goals
When I see how big the German comedy scene has grown and how much and successfully I’ve worked and produced in this environment, I guess I wasn’t completely wrong. To me, this means that when we are stressed or dissatisfied, we ultimately have two choices. We can stay still and rest, hoping that everything will get better on its own after a long Sleeping Beauty slumber, or we take a deep breath, change our perspective, and look for new goals.
Because one thing life has taught me too: Without perspective, life and work aren’t enjoyable. I also asked myself for a long time: "Where is this journey going?" I knew I needed a new goal to motivate and inspire me.
Setting New Goals: The Path to Success
Six months ago, I resumed what I had done in my younger years as a high-performance athlete, namely running. But after just a few weeks, I asked myself: What is your goal? Are you running a marathon now? I did manage to run a half marathon in 1:29 after three months of training. Not bad, but not so unique that it would make me float in the seventh heaven for a year. Or should I even aim for a 100 km run?
New Goal: Athletics (Masters) World Championships 2018
As I said, sometimes you have to ask yourself: Isn't there more? Can you approach running in a different way? Why always run long distances, why not run fast again? I’ve now decided to get back on the track at the age of 54. My plan is to compete in the Athletics (Masters) World Championships 2018 in Malaga (ES) in my age group on the 1,500-meter track. This means two years of hard training. 6-10 training sessions a week.
Qualification for the EM 2017 and WM 2018
The first goal is the German Championships in summer 2017, aiming for the qualification for the EM 2017 in Aarhus (DEN), followed by the qualification for the WM 2018. Will I make it? I hope so, but I know very well that a lot could go wrong. But I am full of energy, excited to train with a performance group that’s between 20 and 25 years old. I have 100 ideas for new projects, and I’m already planning with my wife which countries and competitions we’ll travel to.
Conclusion: Leaving the Comfort Zone and Starting Anew
In other words, sometimes you have to look at things in a new way, leave familiar paths, and just start running.
