Get 1% better every day! 

When spring flowers appear, I get very excited. While l like the chilly, not-too-cold days at the end of winter, spring reminds me of the power of hope and expectations. Last week, I got another dose of inspiration when I heard Chris Nikic speak. Chris is an “Iron Man” who has completed a grueling triathlon in under 17 hours. That may sound like a long time, but the person who completes an Ironman must swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.22 miles in that order. I can’t imagine it.

Chris is remarkable for another reason: he has Down syndrome. He was training for his first triathlon when the pandemic hit, and the event was canceled. However, Chris decided he still wanted to complete the events with his trainer even without the benefit of all the support an actual event would offer. Then, when the pandemic began waning, he completed his first official event in Florida. He has gone on to do more than one, with his fastest time being 16 hours and 31 minutes. He has also run all the major marathons in the world, including Boston. 

What is his secret? He trains. He built habits and daily exercise. He has goals. He works through small and steady improvement every day, 1% each day. He started with one exercise and then added repeats. He pushes himself but not to the point that it causes any lasting pain. He does have some discomfort, but not enough to discourage him from adding a little more the next day. I wonder how many things in life would improve if we saw ourselves deciding the next step and taking it. What if improving was just a commitment to small actions…every day?

What do you most want to improve? What do you need to exercise…your spirit, mind, and body? 

As Chris told his story, I reminded myself that I had made many minor improvements in my life, many of which were through exercise. I set a goal to run again and got off the couch, building up from one block to running a full 26.2 marathon after age 60. I think his method works; he is doing a better job of explaining it than I ever did.   

For some inspiration, check out this video of Chris’ success -. What comes to mind when you watch the video?  Click here to let me know. (SNAP Link)