How I Apply The Baby Step Strategy In Running And Life

You have big dreams and set your goals to reach them, but the road is long. It’s not always easy, certain days it’s uphill and others it’s downhill, but you have to have faith and confidence in yourself. Life teaches us to be more resilient. If trained, our mind becomes stronger, just like any other muscle, so we become physically and mentally stronger.

When I go for a long run, longer than 15 miles, the game gets harder. Sometimes I get bored; other times I feel tired and exhausted. However, there is one thing that I’m sure of: I want to finish my workout and achieve my goal, and I do everything it takes to keep myself focused on finishing my run. In those moments, I apply my favorite baby steps strategy. This is a simple strategy, but it helps me complete my race when I’m tired. It’s a mental game that I play, and it always works. When I feel my legs are heavy and I start thinking about reducing the mileage, it’s time to implement the baby step strategy.

Photo by Tomáš Malík on Unsplash

I look at a tree or a street lamp or anything that is approximately 20 yards ahead of me, and I aim at reaching that point. When I reach that point, I change the target and aim at another tree or object that is a little bit farther, and so on. If you think 20 yards is nothing, you’re right. However, when you are tired and you want to stop, even a small step makes a difference. If I think about the entire distance that is missing, even if it’s only a few miles, it can be discouraging, and the temptation to quit is higher, but when I break it into small pieces, it’s manageable. I don’t see the entire mountain to climb, but I only see the small segments until I reach the summit, and magically, I reach the peak.

If in life you face difficulties and complex projects that don’t seem to have an end, divide them into small pieces; it will be less stressful and way easier to achieve them. I always like to bring my running experience, because I see is what is happening in life. In the end, don’t play small or be intimidated by a dream that seems so far away; always play big. Expand and see where and what you want to become, then think about the strategy to cross the finish line. After the excitement of the big goal, you have to figure out how to get there. In those moments, you can break it into small segments. Remember: dream big, and execute your dreams in small steps.