2018: The Year I Stopped Waiting for Someday

One Mile at a Time

At the beginning of 2018, I set a goal to improve myself — not by competing with anyone else, but by becoming better than I was yesterday.

On January 13th, I ran a one-mile personal record.

My goal was 11:45.

My time was 10:19.99.

I remember writing afterward:

“My goal is to be better than I was yesterday. To improve myself. To enrich my life. I am running my own race. I compete with no one but myself. This is my journey.”

I didn’t realize it then, but those words would become a theme for the entire year.

Because the biggest changes in life rarely happen all at once.

They happen one small choice at a time.

I might be slow, but I’m still moving forward. I’m not giving up.

The Year Everything Added Up

The rest of 2018 was filled with little milestones.

More races. More miles. More moments where I proved to myself that I was capable of more than I thought.

There were cold mornings, rainy finish lines, personal records, and plenty of moments where things didn’t go perfectly.

But I kept showing up.

I ran races with friends. I celebrated small victories. I spent time with family. I explored new places.

And somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing these things as separate accomplishments.

They were all part of the same journey — creating a life I am proud to live.

The Marathon

Then came the biggest goal of the year.

The marathon.

At the beginning of my journey, running a marathon felt almost impossible. It started as a crazy idea on a bucket list — something that lived in the “someday” category.

But someday became a plan. The plan became training. The training became miles.

And those miles eventually carried me across the finish line of my first marathon.

After crossing that finish line, I wrote:

“There were many times I doubted if I could ever run a marathon. Now I have a lifetime of knowing I can and I did!”

That might still be one of the most important lessons I have ever learned.

Not because I ran 26.2 miles.

But because I learned what happens when you stop doubting yourself and start showing up.

The Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

When I added everything up, my Fitbit told me I had covered 2,176.26 miles in 2018.

Almost six miles every day. That number still amazes me.

But the miles themselves aren’t really the important part.

Because I don’t remember one magical day when everything changed. There wasn’t one moment where I suddenly became a runner, became healthier, or became a different person.

It happened quietly. One run. One choice. One commitment at a time.

Carrying Momentum Into 2019

Now that 2019 has arrived, I don’t want to lose that momentum.

Six days into the new year, I ran the Resolution Run — my first race of the year.

It wasn’t my fastest race, but that wasn’t really the point.

The point was starting.

Because I have learned that progress doesn’t come from waiting until everything is perfect. It comes from taking the next step.

Before this year even started, I had already signed up for two 10-race series through Bodies Race Company — 20 races planned for the year.

Maybe it sounds a little ambitious (and maybe slightly crazy). But that is me, working at learning what I am capable of.

Six days in and I am already finding little ways to celebrate the small stuff.

My 2019 Goals

I sat down and wrote out my goals for this year:

• Run 1,200 miles (about 100 miles a month)
• Total steps: 2,225 miles (roughly 6.25 miles a day)
• Strength train 3–5 times a week
• Read one book a month
• Visit one local attraction or historic site each month
• Crochet one item a month to donate to charity
• Dedicate time each week to building my businesses
• Save enough money to pay off the Jeep

It is a big list. Some goals are about my body. Some are about my mind. Some are about building something of my own. But it is my list – to help me strive to be my best… one step at a time!

Related Journey

Want to read where this chapter began?
→ Making Today That Someday

Read about the marathon that taught me more than running 26.2 miles:
→ After the Finish Line: What My First Marathon Taught Me

Curious how this journey eventually led to farm life?
→ The Life I’m Creating