Finding My Pace

How running shifted my views on work and resilience

Running has a way of teaching you things. For me, it started as a curiosity, but over time, it became more than just a form of exercise—it began shaping my approach to life and work in ways I hadn't expected. Here are some of the principles I've taken from the road and how they've transformed my work ethic.

Just get started

I'd always been a pretty athletic guy, but I was never into running. I'd see others take to it with a kind of passion I couldn't quite understand. Eventually, I started to feel curious, wanting to see what they saw, even if it meant starting from scratch. It's easy to feel discouraged, especially when you see others who seem miles ahead. But running—and life—aren't about where others are on their journeys; they're about finding the courage to start your own, no matter where you're beginning.

What I learned was that taking that first step is a leap of faith, one that feels daunting every time you try something new, whether on the track or in the workplace. Starting a new position, for example, can feel overwhelming as you step into unfamiliar territory, surrounded by colleagues who seem to know all the ropes. Or learning a new programming language may seem impossible at first, with others already fluent while you're struggling to understand the basics.

The trick, I found, is to move forward anyway, knowing that progress doesn't happen overnight. Starting doesn't mean being ready for the full distance; it means accepting that your journey will unfold over time and understanding that it's never "too late" to begin.

Habits build momentum

The key to running isn't just about building endurance or speed—it's about forming the habit itself. At first, every run may feel like starting from zero, with progress seeming distant or even invisible. But by sticking with it, something powerful begins to unfold. Over time, what starts as an experiment slowly transforms into a ritual, and each day, the habit weaves itself into your routine. Habits don't require massive time commitments or heroic efforts; they require consistency.

At work, I began to understand that forming habits has the same transformative power. Want to get organized? Create the habit of planning your day. Want to improve your coding skills? Dedicate a few minutes each day to learning.

Habits are the bedrock of progress. They're the small actions that, when repeated over time, shift the entire direction of your life and work. It's easy to be impatient and crave instant results, but real change doesn't come in one sweeping effort; it comes in the quiet, repetitive actions we take each day.

Goals are guides, not shackles

When I started running, I was eager to hit specific times and paces, imagining that if I just pushed hard enough, I could force myself to improve faster. But running is a great equalizer—it meets you exactly where you are, not where you want to be. You can't force a pace beyond your current fitness level; doing so only leads to frustration. Goals are markers to guide you, but it's really about having patience and trusting the process.

In the workplace, this flexible approach to goal-setting is equally valuable. Goals and milestones help keep projects on track, but they shouldn't be rigid. If you're leading a project with tight deadlines, it's tempting to push hard to hit each target as planned. But sometimes, unexpected delays, shifting priorities, or new insights require adapting the timeline or redefining the outcome. Insisting on fixed targets at all costs can lead to poor quality or missed opportunities for innovation.

So, as in running, goal-setting at work is about balance: aiming high while respecting your current pace and allowing for adjustments along the way. It's a reminder that goals are there to inspire and guide, not to confine us. Real progress happens when you let growth come naturally.

Progress is messy

In running, some days everything clicks—the pace feels easy, and the miles fly by. But there are just as many days when you feel terrible, and even the easiest run becomes a slog for no reason at all. You might crush a workout, thinking you're primed for a new personal record, only to be disappointed when race day doesn't go as planned. Running has taught me that progress isn't a straight path forward.

Work can feel exactly the same. There are times when projects flow smoothly, ideas come effortlessly, and it feels like you're on top of your game. But there are also those frustrating times when a task that should be simple becomes overwhelming, or when a project you poured energy into falls short of expectations. You might finish one week feeling accomplished and energized, only to feel defeated by small challenges the next.

The lesson I've learned? That's okay. Progress, whether in running or in work, doesn't follow a predictable, linear path. It's about accepting the ups and downs. So I remind myself not to get discouraged by the bad days, the tough runs, or the difficult projects. Progress may not always feel linear, but you keep going anyway.

Find your cheerleaders

Nothing compares to the energy of race day, when you're out on the course surrounded by other runners and spectators. Strangers cheer you on, pushing you to dig a little deeper. Their cheers remind you that you're not alone in the struggle and that sometimes others believe in your strength even more than you do. Knowing they're watching also adds a sense of accountability—you want to give it your all, not just for yourself, but for those rooting for you.

In the workplace, I've found that this same sense of accountability and encouragement is essential. Whether it's regular check-ins, team projects, or simply sharing your intentions with a trusted colleague, accountability and support in the workplace can be a powerful force.

When you're surrounded by people who share your vision and count on you, it's easier to stay committed, even when your motivation starts to falter. Just like in running, work becomes more fulfilling—and a bit more fun—when you know others are cheering you on.

Tune out the noise

One of the most powerful experiences in running is being alone on the road, with only the sound of your breath and the steady rhythm of your feet. There's a kind of liberation that comes from shutting out the noise of the world and focusing solely on the present moment. Your mind begins to settle, distractions fade, and you find a sense of peace that's hard to reach any other way. Running alone has taught me that while running with others has its own rewards, there's real power in solitude—in learning to be comfortable with just your thoughts and the path ahead.

This ability to tune out the noise and find clarity in solitude has been invaluable in my work as well. The modern workplace is filled with distractions—Slack notifications, emails, endless meetings—that constantly pull us away from our thoughts and make deep thinking challenging. But I've found that stepping back and creating space for uninterrupted reflection is crucial.

In both running and work, solitude is not about isolation; it's about giving yourself the freedom to focus, reflect, and connect with your own thoughts. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is step away, tune out the noise, and let your mind explore where it naturally wants to go.

Rest is not a weakness

In training, rest isn't a break from progress; it's an essential part of it. Runners know that without deliberate rest, the body can't absorb the hard work it's been put through. Training plans are carefully balanced with hard days and easy days, peak weeks and cut-back weeks, to allow for recovery and prevent injury. Pushing hard every day only leads to diminishing returns, where fatigue builds up faster than strength. Real progress happens in the balance.

In the workplace, the same principle applies. Hustle culture tells us that we should always be grinding, pushing forward at all costs. But without time to recharge, creativity and productivity begin to erode, and burnout becomes inevitable. Taking time to rest—whether it's a weekend fully unplugged, a day focused on lower-intensity tasks, or a vacation to truly step back—allows us to return with renewed energy and focus.

Just as in running, the workplace thrives when we're deliberate about our hard efforts. Only when we're balanced—knowing when to push and when to recover—can we truly give our all when it matters most.

Lace up and show up

In running, there are no shortcuts to building endurance—it's all about volume. To become a better runner, you need to physically wear down the rubber on your shoes, clocking in the miles week after week. While pacing yourself and embracing rest are crucial, progress ultimately comes from repetition: going out there, again and again, to put in the work. You can't reach new levels of fitness by doing it halfway; you have to commit to putting in the miles.

The same goes for work. Tackling complex problems or mastering a skill requires this same dedication. You can't simply dip in and out and expect results. Sometimes, you have to keep returning to a problem, steadily revisiting it over and over, until you find the breakthrough.

Just like with running, there's no shortcut to success. It's about consistently showing up, even on the days when you'd rather not, and embracing the grind as part of the journey. Keep pounding the pavement.

The finish line isn't the point

Crossing the finish line of a race is thrilling, but it's never the entire story. When you stand at the starting line of a marathon, you're filled with a rush of emotions—the early mornings, the aches, the sacrifices—all the work you've put in to get here floods your mind. In that moment, you realize that the race itself is a celebration of the journey you've already taken. Now, all you have to do is embrace it and run the race you've trained for.

The same goes for work. Landing a big promotion or completing a challenging project is exhilarating, but it's not the whole point. By the time you reach that "finish line," the real accomplishment lies in the effort you've put in along the way: the long hours, the small victories, the lessons learned from setbacks. Each project or milestone is just a checkpoint, a moment to pause and acknowledge your progress.

In running and in life, finishing one thing doesn't mean the journey is over; if anything, it lights a fire for what comes next. There's always another race, another distance to conquer, another promotion to aim for, and that hunger to keep pushing forward.