The power of starting small

This week, I’ve been trying to get back into a running habit. Out of all the forms of exercise I’ve tried, running is the one that genuinely gives me satisfaction. I’d pick a run on a cold, rainy day over a crowded gym any time.

And this got me thinking about starting small.

I knew that if I wanted to restart, I had to start small. I had to go out with zero pressure to run the whole time. A walk–run–walk–run rhythm was not only acceptable, it was the smartest approach. And on day two or three, if I ran less than the day before, that was fine too. My only expectation was this:

If I’m getting out for a run, it means I’m running again.

And we can apply the same to other areas of life:

How often do we expect ourselves to be perfect? And when it doesn’t happen, we tell ourselves we’ve failed.

But what if we applied the same gentle formula?

I want to get back into running.

Today, I ran.

So therefore, I’m running again.

Those small steps matter. They count. And they should motivate us, not shame us.

Restarting anything – habits, routines – requires space to be human. It requires removing expectations and honouring the effort.

So here’s the question I’ll leave you with today:

What’s the small step you’re going to take today?