I wanted to share my journey through a recent adventure that my colleague and our CEO of Alethea Communications Technologies PVT LTD, Chimbu Aravind encouraged me to undertake at HDOR. At the time, I wasn’t really a runner, so I had my doubts. I questioned myself: “Can I even do this? Why run every day for 100 days when I can jog at my own pace whenever I feel like it?”

However, I decided to give it a shot, just to see how far I could go. I also got a Garmin watch to track my progress. The challenge began, but the first week coincided with my sister’s wedding, so it got off to a slow start. In those initial weeks, I stumbled upon a couple of valuable findings. Firstly, I realized that if I committed to running, at my own modest pace/distance, I could aim for all 100 days. Secondly, I noticed that my pace/distance improved gradually with each passing day.

Still, it seems like a lot of effort in the beginning. However, as I continued and saw my progress, something remarkable happened. Running evolved from an effort into something I eagerly anticipated. Then, for a whole month, I was on the road, traveling extensively for work. Surprisingly, instead of seeing it as a hurdle, running became my anchor in unfamiliar places, giving me a sense of control.

In the end, I completed 622 km, running in 10 different cities across India and the USA, and ended up ranking at 942/9366

Unlike Forrest Gump, I didn’t have someone shouting “Run, Forrest, Run!” to keep me going.  What made a significant difference was using the HDOR app. It allowed me to track my distance and rank every day among contestants, adding a layer of motivation and accountability to my journey.

Here are a few key takeaways from my experience:

• Capacity Grows with Consistency: I learned that by regularly pushing myself, I could expand my capacity, even if my starting point wasn’t impressive.
• The Journey Gets Easier: In the beginning, everything feels challenging, but once we start seeing improvement, it does not remain daunting
• Need to find Joy in What You Do: To sustain a long-term commitment, it’s crucial to find joy in the task. Running became something I looked forward to each day.
• Measure Progress: Tracking and making your progress visible is essential. What you measure tends to improve.

In conclusion, my HDOR experience reinforced the power of persistence, enjoyment, and measurement in achieving any goal. If I, a non-runner, can complete 100 days of running, you can conquer your challenges too. As Forrest would say, “You have to do the best with what God gave you.” So lace up those running shoes and take that first step towards your own journey of growth and development.