You Don't Have to Feel Ready
you just have to begin
My sister announced that she was training for a half marathon and suggested we do it together. She has a way of convincing me that I am capable of something that I never even imagined 5 seconds before, so as a first step to “maybe” I decided to find a local run group to join.
I was beginner-beginner. When I reached out to the run club contact for more information and to share my trepidation, she very nonchalantly told me that I could run with the 3-and-1s, a group that runs for 3 minutes and walks for 1. It sounded easy enough and committing to showing up for the next group run became my second step to “maybe”.
This is how it goes for me. If you haven’t gathered by now, I am good at small baby steps in the direction of the thing. It allows me to assess: does this feel good? If yes, I take the next small step; if no, I am free to go.
I failed to ask in my initial inquiry how far the group was running that fateful Saturday, which was probably for the best. I showed up (my third step to “maybe"), introduced myself to my 3-and-1 new friends and immediately questioned my READINESS when I learned this week was a “9-miler”.
They say showing up is half the battle, but in this case, and at the precise moment that I wanted to drive home before I ever took the first running step, I would beg to differ. Showing up did not feel like half, instead running 9 miles felt like 99% of the battle.
I didn’t have the right shoes, the right clothes or the right water supply, after all I was just showing up to join the “3-and-1s" for what I expected to be a cutesy little run around the neighborhood.
But this group of strangers-turned-new-friends met me where I was. They encouraged me to start out with them, try out the 3-and-1s, and turn back when I needed. They acknowledged my need to start small, but were willing to spur me on for a bigger start if I was up for it. And once again I was taking another step to “maybe” by setting out on a run with new friends and a new distance and a new approach.
And an unexpected thing happened. I got swept up in the momentum and conversation of the group and the thought of having to turn around early became more and more of a moot point. The next thing I knew I was the person who runs a “9-miler” on a Saturday.
That’s how it began. The run club met me where I was with an easy-access option of walk breaks, encouraged me beyond what I ever thought was possible, and buoyed me for 9 whole miles of running for 3 minutes and walking for 1. And next thing I knew I was signing up for a marathon with them, the same race my sister suggested, just the 26.2 mile version.
Here’s the thing about starting where you are, building as you go, and implementing slow but sustainable change: it doesn’t just work, it sticks! I would go on to run 8 marathons using a similar method (my run-walk sweet spot was 5-and-1s) and have an absolute blast doing them (mostly with one or both of my sisters and my mom even joined for the Marathon du Medoc which is worthy of a post all it’s own). All from an initial curiosity and taking aligned action toward “maybe”.
The magic was in just STARTING and having a program designed to meet me where I was.
I share this story to share a greater truth: you don’t have to wait until you are “ready” to start a thing. No one is ready. I wasn’t ready to run 9 miles. I couldn’t have known enough to be ready, I just took one step and then another, and then another and next thing I knew I had unraveled all my excuses to not do the thing and I DID THE THING.
And come to think of it, I haven’t been ready for any of the big moves that I’ve made in life that started with a single step of “maybe”. Think about big moves you have made in the past, were you ever ready? Could you have been ready even if you tried?
My pattern is: I start with curiosity of COULD I? And then I take the next small step. I found a run group, I reached out to the contact, I showed up for the run group, then I RAN with the run group. That first run was the opposite of a small step, in fact it felt like a quantum leap. But maybe that is just what happens on your way to NEXT. The simple act of beginning starts a chain reaction of momentum. That’s how it was for me, and the next thing I knew I was a marathoner.
What’s your pattern? What’s something that you started with curiosity and it turned out taking on a life of its own?
The concept of having a program to meet you where you are so you can just begin is why I am obsessed with the 21 Day Project. It is designed to move you quickly into confident and consistent action on one thing that you want to try and power you through 21 days of that one thing so you can really see where it takes you. And where it takes you might (and will likely) surprise you.
The 21 Day Project supports you every step of the way so that you don’t just start strong, you finish the thing you set out to do.
We start our next 21 Day Project challenge soon, join us to experience the power of starting, no matter where you are. You don’t have to feel "ready." You just have to begin.