I remember walking about a mile to a convenience store with my uncle who was visiting from Hungary when I was 9 years old and I asked him, “How soon will we get there?” He replied simply, “With each step, we are one step closer to getting there. Keep making those steps, and before you know it, we’ll be there.” I thought about this a lot through the years, and it’s one of those little things that motivated me while I was waiting to see results throughout my weight loss journey. I wasn’t going to lose the weight quickly, but with each day, I was one day closer to my goal.

Now, as I am transitioning from having a focus on weight loss to fitness, the saying still applies. I won’t get fast overnight, nor will I be able to run longer distances overnight. I need to do the work, one step at a time. Sometimes, it’s hard to do, but it won’t get done any other way. There are no shortcuts. There is only good, honest, solid work. Anything less is letting myself down.