Recently, while I was struggling through a particularly long uphill portion of a run during a very humid,muggy morning I was reminded of this advice: “Just take three more steps at the top before rest, trust me”. This advice was given to me many moons ago when I was a competitive long distance runner in high school. It wasn’t a coach or even a team-mate who handed out what I now think of as sage advice, it was a rival from another team that said it to me. The two of us were always racing pretty close those years during cross-country season. We were approaching the top of killer hill on a tough course, and just as I was about to slow down dramatically before reaching the top (thinking I’d catch my breath as we crested the hill) she touched my arm and said those words, kind of nodding as if to say ‘seriously, trust me on this’. So I dug deep and matched my pace with hers, and as we crested that brutal hill she looked over at me, smiled and said again “three more steps, then you’ll be good to go”. She even counted them out as we ran along the flatter section on top, and sure enough I found that I indeed could keep going, and didn’t need to slow down, instead I went on to beat her and get one of my fastest times on that course.
I was slightly in awe the rest of the race that a rival would give me such great advice and encouragement during a competition. I sought her out afterwards and asked her why she felt compelled to help me. She simply said that since we had competed against each other so much, she could tell the potential I had and since that strategy helped her through tough spots, she wanted to pass it along. Even though we were rivals, we became friends while racing each other, pushing each other to new limits.
So back to my recent struggle up that hill when those words popped back into my mind. Yes, I again pushed (or maybe almost slogged) my way to the top, crested the hill and counted out three more steps where I found I could continue on without doubling over to catch my breath. (My how my running has changed–err, slowed— since those high school days!). As I thought about that advice, I realized how it can be applied to a great many things in our lives.
Most people have health goals that include losing weight and becoming more active/stronger. Heck, I even have those myself. Yet, a vast majority of people fail to reach their true goals because they give up when things get tough. Those first few days of changing the way you eat or adding in exercise to your routine can be rough, especially since we don’t always see outward results in the first few days. It can feel like a true uphill battle! This is where you should remember to take three more steps. It may not be the literal physical action of taking three more steps, but instead of looking at that long term goal (which can seem light-years away), break it down into tiny ones. Work your way through smaller goals to achieve your big one. Here’s a few examples of what I mean:
- You’re changing your eating habits by cutting certain foods out. You may find yourself craving those foods and not sure you can ever go without it. (haven’t we all been here??). Give yourself the goal of going through the next 2-3 meals eating healthy before you cave to that craving. Take those “3 more steps” of healthy eating and chances are you will be feeling better from it and finding you don’t need that food you’re craving.
- You want to exercise but having trouble doing it for some reason. Take those “3 more steps” in some way-it could be getting out of the house and walking 3 houses down and back before sitting again. Maybe you’ve recently started working out but struggling through it, feeling like it’s not working. Before giving up, do your workout 3 more times that week, most likely you’ll start to feel a bit stronger and confident that it is helping you. If you’re already exercising but having trouble getting through it, take an actual 3 more steps/reps/etc of whatever it is you’re doing before stopping. Get creative with it.
- Perhaps you are unsure that your chiropractic care is working for you. If you’re newer to being adjusted and feel as though your results aren’t fast enough, take those “3 steps” in the form of getting adjusted for another 3 months. Chances are by then you’ll start feeling the results even though your body has been in the healing process since day one.
I truly believe that you can apply this advice of 3 more steps to almost anything in life. It really isn’t a new concept, just a different way of looking at it. Yes, it is beneficial to have big goals, yet without breaking that goal into smaller, more achievable parts, it becomes daunting to reach, feeling like an uphill battle. When you find yourself in those rough sections of that uphill climb, remember to take three more steps before stopping, then see if you have it in you to continue on with your goal.
In Health,
Dr. Jen
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