I ran one mile every day for a month. Here's what it taught me about commitments:

1.      Your best will look different every day.

I had two motivations behind running a mile every day for a month. The first was simply to spend more time outdoors and the second was to get better at running. You see, I have been a poor runner my entire life. I was the kid that faked a stomachache in the nurse’s office the day of the physical fitness test in high school. But it is now 2020 and Glennon Doyle’s Untamed has me believing I can do hard things, so I decided to give running another shot.

On August 1st, I ran my first mile of the year and wrote down my time. On August 2nd, I did the same and vowed to try my best to run at a faster pace than the day before. Out of 31 days, I set a record pace 14 times.

During the second half of the month, I started to focus on the similarities between my fastest runs. I noticed different results based on the food I ate and when I ate it. I also noticed variances in my speed based on how well I slept the night before, the thoughts on my mind and the songs that played through my earbuds while I ran.

When my mile time was 30 seconds slower than the day before, it was not because I didn’t give my best effort. It was because my best effort after a sleepless night of hurricane-tracking and takeout pizza was not better than the effort I was able to give the day before.

Know what circumstances contribute to your best performance and strive to control those variables. On the days your best does not look like it did before, accept it anyway. The difference makes you no less strong or capable.

2.      Self-motivation isn’t always enough.

I wish I could tell you that I ran a mile every morning for 31 days because I wanted to, but that would be a lie. In fact, more days than not I woke up dreading the run ahead of me. Two weeks is enough. It’s supposed to rain today. I can ride my bike instead. If there was an excuse not to run, I thought of it. Here are three things that helped me lace up when my self-motivation wasn’t enough:

• Having an accountability partner: An accountabilibuddy (as I like to call them) was key to my success. I told my dad about my goal and promised to send him a selfie after each run. On the days I did not feel like running, the fear of disappointing my dad often kicked in.
• Incentivizing myself: I am a competitive person and I like rewards. On the days I was really struggling and not even the fear of disappointing my old man could get me going, I would bargain with myself. If you finish your mile before 7:30, you can stop for a smoothie on the way home. If you get your fastest time today, you can treat yourself to a new workout outfit. What can I say? I am a sucker for a new pair of leggings!
• Writing down my results: As I mentioned, I wrote down my mile time each day on a piece of paper that I taped to my pantry door. It served as a daily reminder of how far I'd come and motivated me to make sure each of the 31 spaces were filled in.

3.      Something has to give.

When I first set out on this challenge, I told myself that all I had to commit to was one mile each day. Ten minutes of running, that is it, no excuses. The problem was that it really wasn’t just a 10-minute commitment.

Running one mile each day also meant waking up early to beat the 90+ degree heat, driving 15 minutes to a park and getting home in enough time to shower and prepare for an 8:00 a.m. video call. It meant intentionally hydrating throughout the day, going to bed at a reasonable hour and avoiding late-night snacks.

I say all this to say that before we decide to commit to something, it is important to consider how it will impact other priorities and routines. Staying late at work on Wednesdays to lead the Green Committee may seem like a no-brainer but not if it means an extra hour of traffic, a cold dinner and an upset six-year-old who missed you during bath time.

The extra investment of time, energy and resources has to come from somewhere and trade-off won’t always be as easy as the choice between extra sleep or rocking calf muscles.

What commitments are you holding yourself accountable to this season? Do these lessons resonate with your experience? Drop your best advice for me and others in the comments below.