This week, I officially begin training for something I’ve talked about for years but never fully committed to: running a marathon.
Not next month.
Not by summer.
But a full year from now.
As I prepare to lace up my shoes for my first training run this week, something strikes me almost immediately. I’m not meant to run far yet. I’m not meant to be fast. I’m not meant to prove anything.
I am meant to start where I am, and build slowly.
As I prepare to complete the Couch to Marathon program over the next 12 months, I can’t help but notice how different this approach feels from the way we usually set goals in January.
January doesn’t encourage patience and persistence.
It encourages pressure.
January tells us to sprint.
New year. New goals. New routines. Big expectations.
We stack our lists high, start strong, and then quietly wonder why we feel exhausted by mid-month.
The problem isn’t that we’re unmotivated or undisciplined.
The problem is that we’re trying to sprint something God designed to be a long, faithful race.
And when we sprint what was never meant to be rushed, something almost always happens.
We either burn out…
Or we quit.
Not because the goal was wrong, but because the pace was.
January pressure convinces us that if we don’t see immediate progress, we must be behind. But God’s economy doesn’t work on urgency and comparison. It works on faithfulness and time.
Which brings us to an important question:
What if the problem isn’t your goals, but the timeline you’re trying to force them into?
This is where this week’s key verse gently reframes how we think about progress, timing, and what it actually means to run our race well.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” — Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
The word perseverance in this verse implies an extended amount of time. And notice it doesn’t specify the length of the race. It says “the race marked out for us,” implying that there is a specific path each of us is meant to take.
And God isn’t rushing the process.
In marathon training, runners aren’t competing against everyone else on the course. They’re training to beat their own personal best… to stay faithful to their plan, their pace, and their progress.
Training involves different types of runs, some short, some long, some slow, some challenging, all building toward the same finish line.
Honestly, life looks a lot like that too.
When we stop treating our goals like a January sprint and start viewing them as a long, intentional race, the way we plan has to change too.
Start With the End in Mind
One of the first things marathon training teaches you is that you don’t wake up one day and decide to run 26.2 miles.
You start by deciding where you’re headed, and then you work backward, building strength, endurance, and consistency over time.
That’s true for training, and it’s true for life.
When we don’t start with the end in mind, our goals often feel scattered. We say yes to too many things. We push hard in January without a clear sense of direction. And when progress feels slow, we assume we’re failing, when in reality, we may have never defined the finish line.
Starting with the end in mind doesn’t mean putting pressure on yourself to get there quickly. It means gaining clarity about where you’re going so your daily and weekly decisions actually support the bigger picture.
For me, the end goal isn’t just “run more” this year. It’s to complete a full marathon in January of next year, healthy, strong, and still loving the process.
Because that end goal is clear, the pace of this season makes sense.
Right now, my focus isn’t distance or speed. It’s consistency. It’s rebuilding a routine. It’s honoring where my body is today, not where I think it should be.
And when you apply this same mindset to your goals, whether they’re related to your faith, your health, your work, or your family, something shifts.
Instead of asking, “How much can I do right now?”
You start asking, “What’s one faithful step that moves me closer to where I’m headed?”
That question changes everything.
Breaking the Race Into Seasons
Big goals become far less overwhelming when they’re broken down into seasons, and each season has a purpose of its own.
In marathon training, you don’t train the same way all year long. Each phase builds on the one before it, allowing your body and mind to adapt gradually. There’s intention behind the pacing.
That’s exactly how I’m approaching this year-long journey.
Instead of fixating on the marathon itself, I’m focusing on what faithfulness looks like in this season.
Q1: Foundation — Learning Consistency
The first quarter of the year is about rebuilding a running rhythm and training for a 5K. This season isn’t flashy. It’s slow. It’s repetitive. And it’s essential.
In life, Q1 often looks like laying groundwork: clarifying priorities, establishing routines, and showing up consistently even when progress feels small.
Q2: Strength — Expanding Capacity
In the second quarter, I’ll move from a 5K to a 10K. The mileage increases, but only because a foundation is already in place.
This season mirrors the phase where you begin stretching by adding responsibility, increasing momentum, and trusting that you can handle more because you’ve prepared for it.
Q3: Endurance — Staying the Course
Training for a half marathon requires stamina, both physically and mentally. This phase is less about excitement and more about perseverance.
In life, this is where many people are tempted to quit. But endurance is built by continuing, especially when growth feels slower and motivation fades.
Q4: Preparation — Faithful Focus
The final quarter is dedicated to marathon training. Everything built before now comes together.
This season is about staying focused, trusting the process, and remembering why you started, even when the finish line feels close and far away all at once.
When we approach our goals this way, season by season, we give ourselves permission to grow without burning out.
Slow Progress Is Still Faithful Progress
One of the most freeing realizations I’ve had recently is this:
Slow progress doesn’t mean you’re behind.
It means you’re building something sustainable.
God is far more concerned with our faithfulness than our speed. And often, the quiet, consistent steps we take when no one is watching are the very ones He uses to produce lasting fruit.
The race God has marked out for you doesn’t require comparison.
It doesn’t demand urgency.
And it doesn’t reward burnout.
It invites perseverance.
So if this year already feels slower than you expected…
If your goals feel quieter or less dramatic than past years…
If you’re tempted to believe you’re falling behind…
Let me gently remind you: you may actually be right on time.
Ready to Build a Plan That Fits Your Real Life?
If you’re craving clarity around your goals, but don’t want to repeat the cycle of January pressure and burnout, I’d love to invite you to join me for a live workshop later this month.
🏁 The Goal Game Plan
Live, Virtual Workshop — January 27 at 8 PM ET
In this faith-filled workshop, you’ll learn how to:
- Turn chaos into clarity with big-picture goals that fit your real life
- Break big goals into manageable, seasonal steps
- Create simple, sustainable rhythms that support progress without overwhelm
- Build a realistic plan that helps prevent burnout before it starts
This isn’t about hustling harder or fixing yourself.
It’s about learning how to run your race with intention, perseverance, and peace.
Build goals and rhythms that actually work for your real life.
You don’t need to sprint this year.
You just need to keep showing up, one faithful step at a time.
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