Earlier this week, I was very proud of myself.

As part of the Couch-to-5K program I am doing for the umpteenth time, I ran 28 minutes without stopping. I’ve had this app for years, and this was the first time I made it past week 6.

So what is different this time?

One of the things I love about this program, affectionately known as C25K, is that it starts very, very slowly and gently – walk for 3 minutes, run for 90 seconds, repeat – for people who are nervous and scared and think they can’t run. It builds you up gently, until suddenly you find yourself capable of things you didn’t think you were.

The same is true, of course, for many other things. When we consider taking a flying leap into the unknown, it can be terrifying. We may have the courage to jump, but having the consistency to keep making that jump becomes much harder when it is compounded with fear.

It’s much easier to be consistent about little steps. We can coax our frightened little reptilian brains into taking little steps – see – it’s no big deal. You can do this. You’ve done similar things before. It really isn’t very far from the comfort zone, is it?

Next thing you know you’ve taken a step and another step, and maybe you are even near the place you were afraid to leap to just a month or two earlier, but now it’s not so scary. Your comfort zone has expanded, and you are ready to move into new things.

In this time of uncertainty and fear, many of us have been forced into those flying leaps, and it may be very hard to keep the consistency going, to achieve our goals in this world that looks so different. If you are able to expand your comfort zone, to remind yourself of your power and skill, it may make things easier to navigate. Take small steps where you can, and husband your strength for the big ones.

What new things are you doing now? I’d love to know. Stay safe and healthy!