From Running a Marathon to Writing Daily

Before I ran my first marathon, the idea of running 42 kilometers (26.2 miles) seemed impossible.

Before I started writing daily, publishing consistently felt just as overwhelming.

But here’s the truth: big results don’t come from big efforts; they come from small, repeated actions.

BJ Fogg, in Tiny Habits, explains:

This is why starting small matters; simplicity drives consistency.

1️⃣ Progress Feels Invisible at First

When I first started running, I could barely do a few kilometers. Just like in writing, my early drafts were slow, clunky, and full of doubts. But consistency compounds.

Small daily efforts stack up in ways we don’t immediately notice, but one day, you realize how far you’ve come.

I’ve been going to the gym almost daily for the past three months, and at first, I didn’t notice any physical changes. But by consistently tracking my progress on the scale, I realized I had lost 8 kg (17.6 lbs). The results were happening all along; they just weren’t immediately visible.

2️⃣ Systems > Motivation

Motivation is unreliable. No one wakes up every day excited to run or write.

But when you have a system, a schedule, a habit, an accountability mechanism, you don’t need motivation. You just show up and do the work.

James Clear puts it best in Atomic Habits:

That’s why having a structured process beats relying on willpower.

3️⃣ The Real Growth Comes From Pushing Through Resistance

Some days, your legs feel heavy. Some days, your mind goes blank. The only way forward is through.

There were days I couldn’t train during the day, but instead of skipping, I pushed myself to go at 9:00 or 10:00 PM, even when my bed was calling me.

I don’t recommend doing this daily, but as Sahil Bloom writes in The 5 Types of Wealth, sometimes we need to dim one area of life to increase another. That night, I sacrificed sleep to keep my training momentum.

The magic happens when you keep going, even when you don’t feel like it. That’s what separates finishers from those who quit.

4️⃣ The Goal Isn’t Perfection, It’s Consistency

No one expects to run a marathon in record time on their first attempt.
Yet, we expect perfection in writing, business, and personal growth.

That’s why these daily posts are called atomic essays, because even if it’s small, writing every day matters.

James Clear mentions in Atomic Habits that even if he only had 10 minutes, he would go to the gym anyway. I applied the same principle: even if I didn’t train, I went to the gym, grabbed my free coffee, and used that as motivation to return later.

BJ Fogg reinforces this in Tiny Habits:

Done is better than perfect. Small improvements over time lead to massive transformation.

5️⃣ Identity Shift: You Become What You Do Daily

At some point, I stopped thinking of myself as trying to be a runner, I became one.

This is maybe the most important lesson:

• If you define yourself as a smoker, you smoke.

• If you define yourself as overweight, you eat more.

• But if you define yourself as an athletic and active person, you train.

• If you define yourself as a writer, you write.

Your identity follows your habits. When you show up daily, your actions rewrite your self-image.

📌 Lesson? Whatever big goal you have, don’t focus on the finish line. Focus on showing up daily.

🚀 What’s one habit that changed your life? Drop a comment!

📬 Want more daily reflections?
Find all my essays at DailyReflections.beehiiv.com

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