Just Get Moving

This past week my son started to crawl for the first time. Soon after, he stood up for the first time.  Any day, he will start walking. Then it will be jogging and running and good luck to his mom and I.

The first step is often the hardest. It took almost nine months for our son to start moving. But once you get moving, you gain momentum. And momentum is everything.

I think back to when I started committing to running in the mornings. It was almost six years ago and I remember that first day like it was yesterday.

I delayed my run the entire morning as I kept making excuses in my head. It’s too dark, it’s too cold, I’ll just wait a little longer.

Eventually I got out the door and jogged a whopping two miles. I didn’t set any records that day but I started. The next day I did the same and then again. I started running at a faster pace and started going longer distances. I ran 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons. It became just what I do.

This is how you get rolling. It took years to be able to run like I do. It took consistently getting up, getting out of bed and putting on my shoes. It wasn’t easy. Getting up at 5:00 AM and running in the dark and dealing with the cold and the rain. But it’s a part of my life now.

It makes me feel alive every morning. I feel accomplished. I’ve already won the day while most people are still sleeping.

I do it every day. Because I’ve gained momentum. And it’s now almost impossible to slow me down.

The same is true for any venture I take on. It’s just getting up and putting on the shoes and taking that first step.

The key is to understand that it may start as a crawl.  But it’s movement. That’s all that matters. Especially in the beginning.