I Ran “Around the World” – kind of. Here are Five Things I Learned.

In a previous LinkedIn article, I marked an important life milestone after I completed my tenth marathon. But of course, those 262 miles are only a fraction of the total distance I’ve run in preparation for these races.

In fact, I recently checked off another box on my list of life goals when I logged enough running distance to span the equator: 24,901 miles. That’s equal to about 950 marathons. Admittedly, it took a while – about 16 years, averaging four miles a day – but it was a very rewarding process. And it provided me with plenty of time to think about the parallels between my running and my work. ?

Here are a few things I learned along the journey.

If a goal seems unmanageable or unattainable, break it into pieces.

I got the idea for the ‘round-the-world jog from a friend of mine. When she mentioned she and her husband had set a goal of walking the equivalent of the earth’s equator with their dogs, my initial reaction was, this is close to unattainable. I typically run 635 miles when training for a marathon. The thought of multiplying that effort hundreds of times was almost incomprehensible; my joints ached just thinking about it.

But rather than focus on the total mileage, I decided to concentrate on daily progress. Four miles a day is totally reasonable for me. I decided an achievable daily mileage goal would keep me focused and prevent me from talking myself out of this daunting challenge.

I try to use this same approach in my work. Blue Cross NC has many long-term goals for transforming the health care system in our state and beyond, and our vision for better access to quality health care is achievable. I like to set short-term goals that provide opportunities for milestone successes along the way. ?

You can’t finish if you don’t start. ??

There are countless reasons to talk yourself out of taking on a major task, but I take inspiration from an old Chinese proverb: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

The same is true of a journey of 25,000 miles. I would never finish if I didn’t get started, and that meant pushing all doubts aside and simply getting moving. Early on, I focused only on the immediate steps just ahead of me. Then I took this approach day in and day out. Soon enough, I was into my running rhythm and on my way. ????

In health care, we face a similarly massive challenge: transforming a health care system that is expansive and complex. But we can’t be lulled into a wait-and-see complacency. At Blue Cross NC, we are working with urgency to expand access to affordable care for all. There is a lot of work still before us, but we start every day by putting one foot forward, then another, then another…

It’s essential to measure progress.

I didn’t set a time goal or a deadline for completing my equator-length trip. When I started, I didn’t know for sure how long it would take to complete 24,901 miles. But I had to chart my progress in some way – I needed to know when I’d arrived at where I wanted to go.

I chose a manageable daily running distance and focused on that progress. I chipped away at the gargantuan mileage total four miles at a time, tracking the days I ran. At the beginning, it was hard to feel like I was getting anywhere, but I got up to triple digits in mileage pretty quickly. Before long, I had passed 1,000 miles. The more progress I made, the more progress I wanted to make.

Sometimes just writing down my total miles and looking at the number inspired me to stay committed to my goal. The miles were stacking up and I could see it. At Blue Cross NC, we measure our progress in many ways, including tracking health care costs and expense savings, the sentiment of our members, feedback from our provider colleagues, metrics for physical and mental health outcomes. These numbers help us scale up what works and move past what doesn’t.

Find supportive partners.

There’s plenty of satisfaction to be found in achieving something on your own. But there’s also a lot to be said for creating a team that shares your vision and wants to help you get there. The team can be as big or small as you choose. And the team will almost certainly change over time.

There were times during this particular effort when my family members were my team. Other times, it was a running group or training partner. Often, the team’s members were based on whether we were training for an event or maybe we just wanted to support each other and offer encouragement to keep going. It always feels good to share our successes, both in running and in life. It’s a relief to be able to occasionally commiserate over our shared aches and pains and learn from each other about training and recovery options. ?

Blue Cross NC is also embracing this collaborative spirit, joining forces with our members, providers, elected leaders, nonprofits, and educators to improve the health of our state. The success of one is the success of all.

Find whatever motivation works for you.

Every runner has different reasons for embracing the activity: the health benefits, the time alone to decompress after a hectic day, a chance to listen to a podcast or a book, a justification for buying expensive running shoes. Whatever reason you choose is valid.

For me, the reason is simple: I just like it. Sure, I’ve heard of the “runner’s high” that supposedly comes from endorphins released through physical activity. But I don’t spend too much time pondering why I enjoy running, I’m just glad I do.

Each employee of Blue Cross NC has a reason for being part of our company. But together, we are all working toward the same Purpose: to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities – and we won’t stop until health care is better for all.??