I do think long term runners understand this. We have to or we wouldn't have become long term runners. Have you read George Sheehan's 'Going the Distance'? Perfect book on the running experience and life.
After thinking about this post today, I was surprised to get one of those text reminders that I have my biannual dental appointment in 7 days! Yikes indeed when I envisioned my dental hygienist NOT laughing at my attempt at humor that..."I don't want to brag but, I have been inconsistently flossing for 43 years!" :) I then gave myself the gentle reminder that I have also been consistently brushing (broke down and got that electric toothbrush several visits ago) 2x/day for 43 years. Maybe it is time to take the next small step and give the flossing another go. Better yet, my dentist will thank you for the nudge with some (dance) flossing David!
When it comes to improvements, I call them "Small and Sustained Steps." SaSS. The steps don't do you much good if you don't sustain them. In fact, the time and resources put into taking them are wasted if they're not sustained. You would have been better off doing nothing.
After WWII the term Kaizen took on a whole new meaning with car mfgs. in Japan. It has also been applied to other mfg industries and the technique is sound for business and personal lives. There is a phrase > how does one eat a 800 lb elephant (if one was to) and the answer is...one bite at a time. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle SO maybe it is about creating a manageable habit that has the greater good associated with it that we can embrace....be it flossing or improving oneself in other ways!
And then, the Western "all or nothing" mindset will convince these people it's "not enough" and they'll just stop doing it.
Us distance runners have an advantage...
The flossing and reading are great examples, though~! Small steps are THE WAY ✨
I do think long term runners understand this. We have to or we wouldn't have become long term runners. Have you read George Sheehan's 'Going the Distance'? Perfect book on the running experience and life.
I haven't! But I will. <3
After thinking about this post today, I was surprised to get one of those text reminders that I have my biannual dental appointment in 7 days! Yikes indeed when I envisioned my dental hygienist NOT laughing at my attempt at humor that..."I don't want to brag but, I have been inconsistently flossing for 43 years!" :) I then gave myself the gentle reminder that I have also been consistently brushing (broke down and got that electric toothbrush several visits ago) 2x/day for 43 years. Maybe it is time to take the next small step and give the flossing another go. Better yet, my dentist will thank you for the nudge with some (dance) flossing David!
I hope it is the best dental appointment ever! 😉
When it comes to improvements, I call them "Small and Sustained Steps." SaSS. The steps don't do you much good if you don't sustain them. In fact, the time and resources put into taking them are wasted if they're not sustained. You would have been better off doing nothing.
There is no gain if you don't sustain. Exactly! I like SaSS by the way.
After WWII the term Kaizen took on a whole new meaning with car mfgs. in Japan. It has also been applied to other mfg industries and the technique is sound for business and personal lives. There is a phrase > how does one eat a 800 lb elephant (if one was to) and the answer is...one bite at a time. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. -Aristotle SO maybe it is about creating a manageable habit that has the greater good associated with it that we can embrace....be it flossing or improving oneself in other ways!