Higher Running | Run Coaching

In college, my sister (now Coach Ray) and I were known for our work ethic, in athletics and in school. We even had an article written about it in the college paper.

But the truth is, we were both pretty miserable.

We pushed ourselves too hard. We were always tired, our bodies were never fresh, and our athletic performance suffered for it.

People praising our work ethic made it worse. Our self-worth got tied to how hard we worked. No one ever stopped to tell us there was a better way.

I now know without a doubt that if I had gotten more sleep, taken better care of myself, and really led with joy, I would have been a way better athlete.

Joy isn’t the opposite of hard work. It’s part of what helps you push through a hard effort. As neuroscientist Dr. David Spindler puts it, happiness increases time to exhaustion.

High performance and joy belong together.