Do It Anyways

In 2020, I committed to running every day. I wanted to change my health, but I also wanted to know I could keep a promise to myself. There were days I felt good about it and days I could come up with plenty of reasons to put it off.

I kept coming back to three words.

Do It Anyways.

That became a reminder to start, even when I didn’t feel ready. It didn’t mean I had everything figured out. I was learning as I went.

I had to learn what the commitment required.

At first, I thought more effort was the answer. Eventually, I learned that improving as a runner meant understanding easy runs, harder sessions, and recovery. Rest had a purpose too. I could stay committed and still change how I trained.

I’ve carried that lesson into other parts of my life. Finishing my degree took years. Learning to build software has meant getting stuck and going back to figure out what I didn’t understand. Wanting the result has never meant knowing every step in advance.

Start with what you can do today.

A big goal can feel far away when you’re looking at it from the beginning. What helps me is bringing it back to something I can act on. Go for the run I planned. Work through the problem in front of me. Learn the thing I need for the next part.

I still have days when I lose momentum. I’m not writing this because that stopped happening. I’m writing it because I’ve learned I can start again. If you’re in that place too, you don’t have to solve the whole thing today.

Explore the talk: Do It Anyways