One Simple Thing.

Stories From Running A Small Business.

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Amid the intensity of lockdown, I came across a running group on Instagram, with one simple focus.

Run every day for at least a mile.

I definitely didn’t need another thing to do (lockdown, freelancing, 4-year-old), but I was attracted by the simplicity of the idea. That same day, I pulled on my scruffy trainers and a playlist of favourite tunes and left the house. It wasn’t pretty or quick, but it was precious time alone and fresh air. And so, I did the same thing the next day. And the next.

That first run turned into more than a year of running every day (392 days and more than 1,000 miles before Covid caught up with me). I was injured twice and fell over, twice. But hobbling or bloody, I always managed at least a mile. The group was a real community; people from all around the world, sharing, commenting, cheerleading. There was always someone running. I became stronger, fitter and calmer. 

But more than anything, I’ve realised the power of doing one simple thing.

Committing to a single goal and working on it consistently really does make a difference. I don’t know at what point it became a habit, but a short run outside became part of my daily life. I couldn’t imagine not doing it, and it no longer required motivation. 

I just ran. One mile. Every day.

I remember at the start thinking one mile was too far, and also thinking the opposite, that nine minutes a day wouldn’t be long enough to make a difference. But one mile isn’t as far as you think, and it gets easier. And nine minutes, every day, adds up to time well spent.

It’s over three years since I joined the group and that first run. We’ve gone from 70 of us, to 17. I’ve never met them, but we message daily, sharing our exercise and a snapshot of our lives. There have been birthdays, anniversaries, pregnancies, divorce, grief, and all the moments of life in between.

I still run, just not every day. But the simple habit has stuck; every day, I move, run, do yoga, walk, swim, and even climb (more on that soon).

Simple, little and often.

Inspired by this, I’m applying the same principle to my work. I’ve decided to focus, really focus, on one part of my business every month. Of course, I’ll still do the other things that make it all work, but each month throughout the year, I will pick an area and really focus on that one thing. It’s already helping. I feel less overwhelmed and less busy, but I’m getting more done, and it’s having more impact.

For January, it was my blog. A little bit of time every day spent developing ideas, getting my features planned, copy written, SEO refined, planning the marketing and hitting publish.

If you’re reading this, then I’m doing it, it’s working.

One month. One thing.

What one area of your business would you really like to focus on improving or simplifying to make the biggest impact to your work and life?