Hello, I’m James
Thank you for visiting RUN A BETTER LIFE. I felt it was important to include some details about me so you would know more about the origins of RUN A BETTER LIFE and the motivation behind it.
But my book is not about me, it’s about you!
Although I’ve provided some information about myself, remember that RUN A BETTER LIFE is not about me. It is about YOU. If you are a runner, then you are already the hero of the book. If you are not a runner, you are still central to everything, because we all possess the same mental capabilities from our origins as the long distance runners.
RUN A BETTER LIFE is based on thinking and acting just like our running ancestors have done for millions of years. By THINKING LIKE A RUNNER in everyday life situations anybody can enjoy a better life. That may seem a bold promise, but I think you may be more willing to give it a go if you know a bit more about me.
Becoming an author
I didn’t just wake up one day and think “I’m going to write a book!”. I didn’t have a lifelong ambition to become a writer. I didn’t start out with a blank sheet of paper and start out thinking “what am I going to write about?”.
In fact, in the beginning there was no book. It was just me. Back then I was a person who enjoyed running but I was also using running as a reset for living a busy, hectic life. Running was my salvation. It was my way of being able to whitewash the pressures of my daily life away for a few hours. This was effective as a short-term coping strategy but not a long-term solution for a healthier life. It certainly wasn’t content worthy of a book.
I realised that by applying a runner’s mindset in everyday life I was suddenly able to see life differently. I was able to approach life from a fresh perspective and navigate life with the confidence of a runner. I was no longer running to reset and de-stress from having a busy life. I had turned the whole thing on its head. I was no longer running way from life but using running to navigate life.
And just like an improving runner, I was able to achieve more without exerting myself. I also started to enjoy the process of life, rather than racing to the next important task. I was still incredibly productive in my corporate life and as an entrepreneur but, by thinking and acting like a runner, my life was now better.
It was when people started asking me things like “How do you do it?” and “What’s the secret?” that I realised I had hit upon something really useful. As we are all designed to run, and as our brains are wired to work in the same way, it struck me that my ANYBODY (and especially fellow RUNNERS) would also benefit from my approach. Now I had something worth sharing. I now had a mission – to share how thinking like a runner is the secret to human happiness.
A new adventure
The most satisfying part of my life for over 40 years (as an entrepreneur and a leader in the corporate world) has been helping people to achieve more in life. By sharing my runner’s approach in the RUN A BETTER LIFE book I hope to continue helping people but on a larger scale. This way, I don’t see the publication of my book as an end goal or a destination, but rather a step along the way in my ‘purpose’ to share how thinking like a runner is the secret to happiness and success.
Since starting on my book I have discovered many things. I discovered that having an idea and content for a book is very different to writing a book. I discovered that writing a book is very different to publishing a book. I also discovered that publishing a book and successfully launching (hopefully) a book are two different things.
I also discovered that writing and launching a book is not a solitary profession. The support that I received from my family and friends along the way was crucial. Likewise, I would not be publishing a book without the insights and help from many people who could help me take the right steps forward on this whole new journey and experience for me. However, the book is still very much ‘my’ book. It is a personal work that I completed without the support of a professional publisher or a traditional agent.
As for me, this 3 year project has been a voyage of discovery. As I near the launch date, I hope the time that I have invested will be worth it. If the book helps you to run a better life – it will certainly have been an adventure worth taking!
I was no longer running to reset and de-stress from having a busy life. I was actually able to navigate life and achieve more by deploying my running mindset.