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Have you ever started working towards a goal and then stopped and then started again? Or maybe you’ve tried to start a habit or quit a bad habit and you’ve found yourself starting and stopping more than once. Does this sound familiar? This has been me over the past year with running. I used to be a runner. I ran for years. It’s when I think best, it’s what calms me down, it’s how I battle any kind of anxiety, it makes me happy. Must be the endorphins.  But two years ago I stopped running almost completely. I was starting to feel aches and pains and decided running just wasn’t something for me anymore. I told myself I was getting too old and that my body just didn’t want me to be a runner any more. Well, my mind and heart didn’t agree and I missed it terribly. I started to think it might be ok to try again.

Last March, I turned 45 years old and decided I was going to start running again. I was pumped, and I jumped into this new goal with two feet and a little too much enthusiasm. The first week I started running four miles consistently, and the next week I bumped it up to five. Each week adding more miles. Two months into my goal I was running nine miles. If you’re wondering if this was a little overly ambitious for someone who had quit running completely because of aches and pains, you are right. I found myself with a foot I could barely walk on and knees that were very cranky with me. This after only two months.  I was angry with myself. Why did I have to be so gung ho right away, why did I have to push it, why couldn’t I just let myself ease back in? Once again I stopped running.

Fast forward to January 2020. I started thinking about a brand new year, a brand new decade. I started thinking about running. I missed my number one mental health hack. I started to think it might be ok to try again. However, I had learned a little about setting goals in this area and rather than jumping in with two feet, I decided to start slow. I put my running shoes on for the first time in a while and very slowly hit the pavement. I set a very moderate mileage goal for the month (20 total miles). These miles have been slow ones and never more than three at a time. But I am running and the endorphins are flowing. This past weekend I hit my goal. I ran 20 miles in January.

You Are Worth It

Is there something you love to do that you’ve started and stopped, and maybe you’ve stopped for awhile and are hesitant to start again? Listen, we have ALL done this!! Many of us over and over again! Maybe you’ve wanted to start working out and you’ve started and stopped a hundred times. Maybe you’ve wanted to eat less sugar, kick caffeine or alcohol to the curb, not yell at your kids, declutter your house, whatever it is. We have all started healthy habits and stopped doing them, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try again. Life is all about second chances. It’s all about learning to give ourselves grace and start again. Is there something you really want to do this year? Something that’s been on your heart? Something that has you a little scared? Maybe something you’ve tried before and failed? I want to encourage you that number one, you are not alone, and number two, you are worth the second, third, fourth or one hundreth chance. It’s ok to try again!

Speaking of Habits

We’re going to be working on creating some healthy habits this year with our Like A Sister community. If you’d like to join us, we believe it’s more encouraging, more doable and more fun to create these habits together!  You can subscribe to our blog to get the latest details as well as follow us on instagram @likeasister.co and/or join our Facebook community by clicking the link. We believe life is better with a sisterhood! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2182734028690186/