Mediation sessions can take a long time and may seem not only to be a test of wills but a test as to who is willing to physically outlast the other. Don’t expect a sprint. Prepare for a marathon. Also don’t expect huge leaps of progress the first hour. Consider it as a way to stretch out or warm up for a long run. The first hour allows people to get used to the environment, it tests the waters and sets expectations.
In a piece on Lifehacker on running Beth Skwarecki writes, “The first mile of a run (or about the first ten minutes of any exercise) sucks for everybody. Go easy on yourself in that first mile, though, and you can set yourself up for a great workout or race…We ask too much of ourselves, sometimes.” The same can be said of negotiation or mediation.
“You should never expect anything good from your first mile. It will either be slow, or feel awful, or both. But during that first mile, your muscles are transitioning to a more efficient way of working. The slow, stiff, cold, doubtful first mile paves the way for the smooth, easy, strong miles to follow.”
