As of May 16, 2020, I’ve run at least one mile for 300 consecutive days.
Am I crazy?
In January and February 2019 the mere thought of running never appeared. As soon as I finished listening to Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins I transformed into a runner. I started to run almost daily in May. My current running streak started on July 22nd.
I didn’t plan to do this. I had no goals. It happened on its own.
After writing for at least 5 minutes for 55 consecutive days, I abruptly stopped. Writing was one of my seven daily habits in January and February. While I still believe in the power of tiny habits, writing for as little as five minutes daily wasn’t serving me. It offered no benefits. It was futile.
If you love coffee and already practice meditation or want to start then these words are for you. Don’t love coffee? Feel free to substitute tea, hot chocolate, or whatever hot drink you enjoy.
Sit. Close your eyes or keep them open. Observe your immediate environment.
How are you feeling? What do you feel? Where are the sensations most present? Are they moving from one place to another? How intense are they? Focus on them. Move closer to them. Be with them.
The wind chill in degrees Fahrenheit during my last 3 one-mile runs was 7, 5, 7.
I didn’t choose to run in the extreme cold. I chose to run. I’ve run at least one mile every day since July 22, 2019. Why would I allow the extreme cold or heat to stop my streak?
Hell no.
Back in 2009 and 2010, I ran in 10 5k races. My average pace was around eight minutes per mile. My fastest time was 20:04 which equates to a 6:47 per mile pace. I hated it. It didn’t bring me joy. I was always exhausted after running. I was inflexible. I didn’t know why I was running. But I kept running.
With numbness in my right foot, I stopped running and started to walk. After 10 seconds of thought, I stopped the run workout on my watch and turned around. I had set out to run 7 miles but only ran 1.57 up to that moment.
I’m an early bird who prefers to wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. For the past month, I’ve been waking up around 4:00 a.m. without being able to fall back asleep. I’ve been through this spell before. Thankfully, all things come to an end.
Want to start a daily habit and make it stick with ease? Start small. Come up with a minimum that you can guarantee every day. Four of my daily habits follow the 5-minute rule. If five minutes is too much of a commitment then start with one minute. Ten seconds also works.
Bye-bye peekaboo is a game my 3-year-old niece Stella and I play together. This is how we play:
It’s a simple game that’s created unlimited joy for us over the past two years. When we see each other, we play this game more often than not.
The best gift we can give to those we love is our time—our undivided attention.
What simple action can you take that’ll provide endless joy to someone you love? To a stranger?
A smile and hug is a great starting point.
🙂