The Men of Iron Minute
by Chad Zueck | Director of Content Creation
Small Steps in the Right Direction
In my youth, I remember seeing my dad run five miles a day nearly every day for years. He didn’t enjoy running on those hot oily roads, but nonetheless, he ran them consistently. He seemed like Superman. He never entered a 5k. He never identified as a “runner,” but he ran all the time, and on a rare occasion, I chased him down on my blue, 21-speed mountain bike. I fondly remember getting yelled at because I saw every mud puddle as a hurdle and every train track as a launching platform (like a childhood hero, Evil Knievel).
He had an appetite for running and built his day around his fitness. I decided to do the same thing when I had my wake-up call. I didn’t go crazy and sign up for a marathon or begin to starve myself or chase a fad diet foolishly. I didn’t wallow in self-hatred; I became a better steward of self-discipline. I simply decided to go for a walk, which morphed into a walk run. As I began to gain better running form and fitness, the cadence shifted to run walk until I felt comfortable with running. It wasn’t fast, but it was consistent. My confidence grew daily, and my lungs stopped thinking I was on a death march in the Florida heat. Each small step was progressively helping me believe that I was worthy of good health and capable of pushing myself beyond preconceived limitations.
As the years progressed, I have run numerous 5k’s, a half marathon, and an ultramarathon. I am a middle-of-the-pack runner, and the years have hardened the resolve needed to keep going even when pain interrupts a perfectly good day. More on this later.
Willpower is needed to overcome passivity and complacency, and because willpower is a valuable resource, why don’t we use willpower to initiate healthy habits and patterns to accomplish our “mission”?
We need to start with small steps in the right direction.
Take on one habit at a time.
Be a mentor.
Find a mentor.
Be a better man.
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