I don’t get treadmills. No matter how hard you run, you don’t get anywhere. For some reason, a lot of people love them, spending hours a day working up a sweat and looking good. I’m not dogging you if you like treadmills. I’m just admitting that I can’t relate.

Below is a video of a guy falling off a treadmill. I watched this video ten times in a row. I didn’t watch it for his fall. I watched it for his recovery; it’s quite possibly the greatest recovery of all time.

I think the guy in our video is a lot like me. He looks like he doesn’t spend much time on treadmills. I’m no expert, but holding a drink is probably not the best way to operate a stationary running device. At least he had the courage to get off his butt and get on a machine. I’m just not sure that it was the right machine for him.

There he is, running in place, bored out of his mind, right up until he sees the woman in the yoga pants. All of sudden, he’s motivated to run harder. He sucks in his gut. He picks up the pace. Then, after she’s by, he sneaks one last peek. His foot catches the edge. He loses his balance, and it happens, he falls. And not just any fall, this fall was epic.

I believe this is quite possibly the greatest recovery of all time. With no regard for his health or his drink, he twists mid-air and lands in the push-up position. Before she can turn around, he’s cranking them out. Except for the water bottle spreading its contents on the floor, it was a flawless recovery.

Based on his recovery, “treadmill guy” was at the gym to impress the ladies. While I applaud his effort, I don’t think he picked the right method. Surely, a guy this quick on his feet could find a better way than running in place.

Like treadmill guy, I too have tried to accomplish a goal with a method that was inauthentic and ineffective for me. Worse yet, I’ve even allowed others to choose the method for me; allowing their projections to become directions; ones I felt I had to follow.

Thankfully, I too have fallen off the treadmill, and I intend to stay there. If you know where you want to go but are trying to get there using someone else’s treadmill, it’s time for a change. Here are four keys to getting off your treadmill:

1. Clearly identify where you want to go. Was treadmill guy trying to get in shape or was he trying to get the girl? Maybe he just wanted to hydrate, and the gym had a “no stationary drinking” rule. For all I know, his fall was a part of an elaborate plan to get bloggers to give him attention. (Boy don’t I feel stupid.) Regardless, life’s too short to be unclear on your destination. Clearly identify your goal. If you can’t state it in ten words or less – you need to keep working.
2. Listen to those who are already there.  Unless you’re traveling to Mars, someone else is already where you want to be. Most likely, if you ask, they will tell you how they got there. There are a million different methods for getting in shape, getting the girl, and yes – getting attention. Whatever your goal, identifying and listening to those who’ve already reached it will help you discover a path that is authentic and right for you.
3. Try it. If you don’t like it, change it.  As the old saying goes, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” Come to think of it, that saying is morbid. We need to come up with a new, old saying about changing our methodology. But you get the point, don’t get married to someone else’s methodology. The way they reached their goal might not work for you. Learn what you can and apply it in your unique way.
4. When you fall, and you will, recover. I’m not sure if “treadmill guy” got back on the treadmill. I’m not sure if he got the digits from “yoga pants”. I’m not sure of a lot, but I know this – he did recover! In life, if you don’t recover from your falls, you won’t reach your goals. The path to destinations worth pursuing is: fall – recover – fall – recover – fall – recover – arrive.

I don’t like treadmills. They don’t get me where I want to go.

If you’re currently running in place, I hope “treadmill guy” will inspire you to change.

If you’ve yet to recover from your most recent fall, remember,