One of the simplest and most effective behaviours that you can try to help you level-up is to keep creating forcing functions for yourself. A forcing function is an external stimulus that makes you get to where you want to be. Signing up for an event so that you are forced to get yourself in shape, offering to give a talk so that you learn your material, inviting people to a dinner party so you get your house in order, paying for a personal trainer to make you turn up every week — all useful forcing functions to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Forcing functions play, very effectively, on our fear of letting ourselves down to make ourselves do what we want us to do.

Another useful sense of forcing function is a way to help people make fewer mistakes, like putting your passport on the door handle so you can't forget it before your flight.

Forcing function

From the Swedish plocka upp (pick up), plogging is the simple combo of picking up litter while out jogging. Litter in our environment is the responsibility of all of us and I’m still surprised by how much impact a small effort can make to tidy a place up. Plogging gives the multiple gratification of making your local area nicer and helping out Nature, while getting a decent workout and some fresh air to boot.

Maybe combine it with these other jogging sketchplanations: fartlek, London running kit, clingfilm your keys, run further, or, heck, swimrun for the adventurous.

Plogging

I love this Norwegian concept of how the hardest part of a journey can be just getting out of the door.

So, sometimes as Seth Godin would say, the most important thing is just to start — start small, start now, step by step, day by day and you can give yourself the chance of making something amazing.

Got something you’ve been meaning to start? Maybe today’s the day?

This sketchplanation is my 104th in consecutive weeks — that’s 2 years of weekly sketches without missing one — and sketchplanation number 583 in total. And I can tell you that it didn’t start glamorously, and they weren’t high quality or even interesting, but I did start. Sketch by sketch. Week by week.

Would you do me one favour? Would you share sketchplanations with just one person? Maybe forward this one, or your favourite, or share this tweet or follow on Instagram. I really appreciate you spreading the word.

I’d like to give a massive thank you to my patrons who’ve been supporting me this year with a particular shout to Nick Hungerford, Iain Shaw, Christian Hunt, and Tony Hey. Find out more.

HT: once again to Chris Hey for introducing me to the doorstep mile

The doorstep mile

A little cling film, or Saran Wrap, allows you to run jingle-free. Handy.

Wrap up your keys for running

Last weekend I teamed with Rob Bell and took part in Otillo’s UK swimrun in the Isles of Scilly. Swimrun is basically navigating from one place to the end over water and land with no bikes, and carrying any small non-powered gear you need. What you start with you have to finish with. The gear in the sketch is just illustrative, you don’t have to have any. You run it in pairs staying within 10m of each other at all times including the swims. Many run it tethered to each other. The Scilly event was a swimrun paradise. Check out the course, and the amazing event photos. The place is gorgeous, go visit sometime. And get into swimrun it’s awesome!

For those in London you might try The Swimmer for a casual affair. Also see, Love Swimrun.

Swimrun.

Somewhat improbable name for a simple training technique alternating fast and slower sections. Great if you’re short on time.

Fartlek

This lot will have you set: house key, Boris bike key, Oyster card, Credit card, a fiver, and a phone for maps and photos. Now you can go anywhere.

London running kit

If you stay close it’s just too tempting to cut it short. Give yourself no choice while you still feel good.

Sketchplanations tagged with running