Check out review from Booklife by Publisher’s Warehouse below!
Discover the powerful mindset secrets of distance runners and unleash your full potential with The Success Trail. This inspirational book by a seasoned mindset coach will motivate and guide you to success in both running and life.
- Unlock the mental strength needed to conquer your goals and overcome any obstacle.
- Transform into a successful and admired athlete with the attitudes and habits of the greatest runners.
- Never give up and thrive in challenging situations with the willpower and discipline of a marathon runner.
- Find joy and fulfillment in running and fitness, no matter your age.
The Success Trail details what it takes to become a runner, athlete, winner, and hero. Being a runner gives you an identity to be proud of and helps with a healthy lifestyle. Learning what it takes to be an athlete helps one flourish in many life areas. A winner is a mindset. It lets you know you have what it takes to succeed, and the pride it brings influences one daily. And, who wouldn't want to feel like a hero – a person admired for their dedication and perseverance. Whether others accept you as one or not, to think of yourself in that way is life-altering.
This marathon running memoir also looks at what makes the greatest marathon runners "great."
To learn what it takes to go “all in” to accomplish one’s goals makes the difference between peace of mind and regrets.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you “fight” makes all the difference.
Book Excerpt
In every chapter of the Success Trail gets personal. Chapter two is The Courageous Mindset and he discusses the similarities of reaching the major leagues and finishing marathons.
My Story: Dream Chaser
Lessons of the Heart
I can't say running a marathon is more demanding than making or playing in the major leagues. Fewer than 25,000 people have ever played at that level. Yet, more than 50,000 people finished the 2019 New York City Marathon, one of many held each year. Furthermore, running involves basic movements that most people can do. Baseball requires developed physical tools and the repetition of complex fundamentals. But I have found that completing a marathon requires the same attention and athletic spirit as playing in the major leagues. I know A unique "heart" is a prerequisite to survive the ups and downs in both pastimes.
My early years of playing baseball and my bucket list item of a marathon were about "The Dream." I can trace my Major Leagues’ hope back to about six years old. Watching TV games helped develop it, but my wishes primarily began playing ball with my dad. After working two jobs, he never failed to say "yes" to a game of catch afterward. That loving gesture was an early life lesson for me, too. After my playing career, I wondered what it would be like to run a marathon. Time spent imagining forms the initial motivation for any significant undertaking. When the two dreams got into my heart and soul, the door opened for making them come true.
The next phase of my pursuits involved building the skills. It takes relentless practice and muscular development to keep one on the field and the track. One must develop a willingness to embrace the contests with a never-give-in attitude while knowing the will to work each day is the only chance of leapfrogging the inevitable obstacles. The baseball season is a mental and physical exam, day after day, for seven months. A marathon and training are psychological and physical tests, mile after mile, for five months and 26.2 miles. The secret to accomplishing both is to match the work ethic to the ambition's size, a challenge itself. It’s worth noting, though, if getting something desired came painlessly, it was likely not a dream in the first place.
I learned from both demanding undertakings that self-doubt results. The key to overcoming skepticism and completing the mission is an optimistic life perspective. No matter how much sacrifice and failures, I had faith in it working out by making the major leagues. In a marathon, reservations about finishing come as the body and mind wither, but I trust I will have the perseverance to finish.
Lessons of the Soul
Another critical component to accomplish my dreams was convincing myself the goal was fundamental to my being. That persuasion was the needed focus and edge to look at finishing as the only alternative. Being a major league player was who I wanted to be, and a marathon runner has become who I am now. Attaining a wish rarely happens without the challenge being paramount to who one wants to be and then visualizing that result.
I also understood the importance of observing the path others took. Reading about high achieving ballplayers and runners taught me no "one-way fits all," but a relentless work ethic was the common denominator for all.
The acquired athletic philosophy also meant no offseason exists for the ballplayer and runner. A short physical and mental break came after each race and ball season, but, soon the itch to improve returned. The "Eye of the Tiger" temperament would grip me, along with a pledge to give my all again. The love of what one does gets them back out on the trail and the ball diamond before long. Sure, sometimes, I do not feel like doing the work, but doing it anyway is the “fight” I know is necessary to win.
Finally, the belief that I can do better than the previous marathon or ball season is motivation. Pushing for daily discipline and an unwavering belief that the end is worth the means is what an athlete is. Game on, let's go!
Booklife Review
This motivational self-help book builds upon the metaphorical and literal adage that "slow and steady wins the race." Former major league baseball player and avid marathon runner Perconte offers a straight-shooting "pep talk" encouraging readers to strive for their goals and dreams even when doing so seems difficult—and even when they suspect they may fail at achieving them. Laying out step-by-step plans and always emphasizing the need to work on yourself, Perconte coaches readers by drawing on personal experience, from rising to baseball fame and later taking up marathon running, achievements that demand the discipline and constant work ethic laid out in his action steps. With a running theme of living a life with no regrets, The Success Trail is a positive guide to pushing through to become the best version of yourself, taking each day to become better, and putting yourself in competition with the person you were the day before.
With a direct and inviting style, Perconte centers most of these lessons and advice around the idea of running a marathon, contending that by approaching it—or any big dream—a step at a time instead of looking at the finish line creates a constant sense of achievement that makes grand goals seem attainable. He urges readers to celebrate all the little wins along the way, a crucial step in adopting the mindset of a winner, though he's always frank about acknowledging that nothing worth having comes easy or without hard work and dedication.
While ideal for athletes, Pereconte's advice can be applied to many aspects of life, but that doesn't mean it's overgeneralized. He addresses issues like keeping motivated in one's "dog days," "weathering" through bad "playing conditions," how to bring your best on "game day" and more, inviting readers to adopt the habits of mind of a pro athlete. Readers will close the pages with a renewed sense of direction and encouragement to tackle their dreams and change their outlook and mindset.
Takeaway: A rallying self-help guide to adjusting your mindset and besting yourself each day.