Stop Saying Just
Running is my favorite. I ran my first half marathon twenty-five years ago and my first marathon over twenty years ago. I’ve been running for a long time.
Back in the day of training for all the events by running all the miles, a three mile run was nearly nothing. It was the minimum that I’d “count” as a run. Most of the time, I was running six or more miles for a workout. For the most part, that was okay for that season of my life. I was younger. My knees were younger 😉 I was having fun challenging myself and training for those 13.1 and 26.2 mile events. I did lots of destination races and have many great memories of those. However, that’s not my season anymore.
Now I run half as many miles much more slowly, and when I race it’s a 5K (3.1 miles). Instead of a minimum training run of three miles, most training runs are one to three miles with a five miler thrown in about once a week. My 25-year-old self would say to my nearly 50-year-old self, “Just one mile?!”
But it’s not just one mile. A mile is a mile. It counts for something.
On a recent Faith and Fitness Membership Community call, we talked about mileage and steps. It’s easy to get caught up with numbers. If one is good, two is better. Once you get to two, then you’d better go for three. (I doubt I need to mention the scale. Lose a couple pounds, then go for a few more, then a few more. I know you know!) And why did Fitbit randomly decide that 10,000 steps is when your device will vibrate indicating that you finally got enough steps?
Setting these unachievable bars simply leaves you in a state of defeat.
That’s why I’m imploring you to stop saying “just.” It’s not just one mile. It’s a mile. Dozens of women log one mile as part of my annual Mile a Day Challenge. Some take the opportunity to go farther on days when they can, but there’s no requirement and there’s no competition to see who can go farther or faster. They’re going one mile. And it’s not just one mile.
That mile is something.
That mile is consistency.
That mile is confidence.
That mile is self-care.
That mile is a prayer.
That mile is a breath of fresh air.
That mile is mental clarity.
It’s not just a mile. Logging that mile is so much more. It’s something to each of the women who have committed to the challenge for themselves.
It’s time to stop saying “just.” It minimizes and simplifies what you’re doing. It conveys insignificance.
There’s nothing insignificant about you committing to you. One mile is enough. 1,000 steps are enough. Every step counts. Every step matters.
It's time to stop saying just. Something is something. Every step counts. Click To TweetNext time you hear yourself say “just,” try again. Take it out. Notice the difference in how you feel.
I just walked one mile translates into feelings of not enough then grows into I’m not good enough.
I walked one mile translates into ownership and confidence, into I can do this.
Will you ditch that 4 letter word?
For in Him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28 (NIV)
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