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Start a Habit So Small You Can’t Fail
Begin low-key and think short term
For six years, I was a consistent runner. I logged around 25 miles a week, running 5Ks and half-marathons. I even ran a couple of marathons. But in 2018, after I swapped my freelance life for one in an office and also began a demanding two-year musical theater program, my entire routine changed. Early-morning runs were replaced by late nights out. My running life cratered.
Then the day before Thanksgiving, in that end-of-year slog, I suddenly remembered how much better I felt when I was moving. I had an idea: Could I go back to the way things were? Could I do it with just one mile a day?
The first few days were brutal. Most days, I ran exactly one mile. That means I took the time to squeeze into my running pants, pull on two shirts, and hide myself under a beanie — all to leave my apartment for seven or nine or 12 minutes, depending on ground slush. That was it.
I ran my little mile before work and after eating tacos with friends. I ran in the rain in Brooklyn and on Sunset Boulevard in the hazy Los Angeles sun. I ran on Christmas Day.
By New Year’s, my streak was 35 days long. I was a runner again.
You’re already good at creating streaks. How many weeks in a row have you checked Instagram or…
