Last year I started running 1 mile each day.

Running is my favorite exercise. I can get enjoy exercise, enjoy nature, and listen to an audiobook. However, in the past I’ve only run if there’s an event to train for.

In April, 2017 we had our second child, and training for a big event wasn’t realistic. I decided to try something new instead of giving up running all together.

6 days a week I’d run one mile, regardless of weather, fatigue or how busy I was.

Because I work from home I tend to stay indoors a lot. This gave me an opportunity to get outside.

When you know you’re going to run a mile each day, there is zero energy wasted in deciding, in debating in your head, or making excuses. The cost of decision was made once, months ago, and now you just do it. For me this meant finding a 10 minute gap between meetings, throwing on my shoes, and stepping out the door.

Now, months later I’m loving it.

One concern I had initially was that 1 mile a day really isn’t much. However, making the goal so small helped make it an easy choice each day.

After having established a habit for a while, I switched to 2 miles a day at the end of December. If I run fast it means I only need a few more minutes to make it happen.

Ultimately I want to get back into planning for some bigger events, but this habit has helped me continue doing something small for my health, even when life has been quite busy!