The Running Rule That Changed How I Work

I run six days a week. Minimum three miles every time. Rain, snow, zero degrees with wind chill in the negatives—doesn't matter. I'm going.

People ask how I stay so consistent with it. They assume it's discipline or motivation or some kind of runner's high that keeps me lacing up.

It's none of that.

The truth is simpler and less inspiring: I just don't think about it.

Remove the Decision

The trick to running every day isn't having endless motivation. It's removing the decision entirely.

I don't wake up and ask myself should I run today? or do I feel like running? Those questions open the door to negotiation. And once you're negotiating with yourself about whether to do something, you've already lost half the battle.

Instead, I just start. I put on my shoes. I walk out the door. I begin moving.

The decision was made a long time ago. Now it's just what I do.

This is the same approach I take with work. The moment I know what needs to get done, I start. I don't sit around waiting for the perfect plan or the right mood or complete clarity about every step. I just begin.

You Can Overthink While Moving

You can overthink a project while you're actively working on it, or you can overthink it while staring at a blank screen.

Either way, you're overthinking.

Might as well be making progress.

When I'm running, my mind wanders. I problem-solve. I plan out client emails and think through content calendars and mentally draft LinkedIn posts. But I'm doing all of that while moving forward. The thinking happens alongside the action, not instead of it.

The same applies to work. I make sure I have a rough plan so I'm not creating unfixable problems. But the full picture? That comes from doing, not planning.

I've built entire marketing strategies, written hundreds of social media and blog posts, managed multiple client relationships—all by starting before I felt ready.

Adjust Mid-Stride

You don't need to have everything mapped out before you begin.

When I run, I don't plan every step. I know the general route, but I adjust based on ice patches, traffic, how my legs feel that day. I make micro-decisions as I go.

Work is the same. You start with direction, not perfection. You course-correct as new information comes in. You adapt when something isn't working.

But if you sit around waiting to have it all figured out before you take the first step, you'll never move.

The clarity comes after you start, not before.

What This Actually Looks Like

Let me be clear: this isn't about being reckless or unprepared. It's about understanding the difference between necessary planning and procrastination disguised as preparation.

When a client needs a content calendar, I don't spend three days researching every possible topic and building the perfect system. I open a spreadsheet, start listing ideas based on what I know about their business, and refine as I go. The first version is never perfect. But it exists. And existing is better than theoretical.

When I need to write an email to a difficult client situation, I don't draft seventeen versions in my head. I write one version, read it once, adjust anything that feels off, and send it. Done.

This is how things actually get done.

The Part No One Tells You

The hardest part of running isn't the miles. It's the minutes between waking up and walking out the door.

The hardest part of work isn't the actual work. It's the gap between knowing what you need to do and actually starting.

Once you're moving, momentum takes over. But you have to create that first bit of motion yourself. I make the first step so small and so automatic that there's no room for hesitation.

For running, it's putting on my shoes. Not "going for a run"—just putting on shoes. For work, it's opening the document. Not "writing the entire report"—just opening it.

The rest follows.

What You Can Apply Right Now

If you're stuck on something—a project, a decision, a task you keep avoiding—try this:

Identify the absolute smallest first action. Not the whole thing. Just the tiniest possible step that moves you forward.

Do that step immediately. Don't think about it. Don't plan it. Just do it.

Let momentum carry you from there. Once you're in motion, the next steps become obvious.

You'll figure out the details as you go. You'll adjust mid-stride when something doesn't work. You'll build the full picture through action, not through endless planning. You're not going to think your way to clarity. You're going to act your way to clarity.

Just like you're not going to motivate yourself into running every day. You're going to remove the decision and just start.

The work happens when you're moving, not when you're thinking about moving.

So stop waiting. Just start.

The clarity comes after.