It's the little things

In the constant chaos of everyday life, sometimes good things don't become clear until you look back in moments of reflection. In an effort to not let chunks of my life fly by without understanding where the "good" is, I've been making an effort to look for the little things that bring me pockets of joy.

It could be really anything — that's the best part. It could be waking up and having the perfect cup of coffee, or not hitting any bad traffic on the commute to work. This week, one of those moments came in the form of making progress on a New Year's Resolution of mine.

I decided this year that I wanted to set more attainable versions of my goals. For me personally, I've noticed in the past when I set a high bar and eventually start missing it, it becomes easier and easier to fall off the wagon altogether. So this year I changed my approach. One of the things on my list: to start running. I've done yoga for a few years now, but I've never really been much of a runner — I really want to change that.

I'm starting small. Maybe one day I'll train for a specific race or something, but right now I just want to build up my endurance and get in a good habit of doing things that are actively good for me. The way that looks, for now, is going on brief runs around the trails and sidewalks of my apartment complex two to three times a week. But Tuesday, I noticed something — something good. At the end of my (short) run, I didn't feel absolutely exhausted. I felt good. I walked around, came home, and danced around my apartment to my favorite songs while drinking some kombucha that Ben and I made. I felt good.

I realized in that moment that in a few short weeks, I've made noticeable progress — even if just a little.

Sometimes, it really is the little things.