🗺️ One Step North

The philosophy of “One step north is greater than 1,000 steps south” means that even if you have taken a thousand steps in the wrong direction, taking just one step in the right direction can make a significant difference. This is a philosophy I came up with/adopted years ago, and I still stand by it today. Let’s dive in!

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If you want to go north, but you’ve taken 1,000 steps south, and you turned around and took one step north, you’re okay. Doing great, actually.

Because most people, after going 1,000 steps or miles south, will just continue to go south. They’ll give up and say it’s not worth it to try to go north now. They’ve gone too far, for too long. It’d be impossible to get where they want to go now.

An object in motion tends to stay in motion.

The amount of sheer force, willpower, and courage it takes to 1) stop your movement south, 2) turn around, and 3) take a step in the opposite direction is actually an incredible feat.

I would argue that the person who went 1,000 steps south but has now turned and taken 1 step north is better off at this moment in time than the person who’s 900 steps further north of them, but carelessly and quickly headed south.

Momentum is one of the hardest forces in the universe to overcome. Once you’ve done that, much of the rest is smooth sailing. It is still sailing, no doubt, and there will occasionally be rough waters, but your compass and your intent are set. Reversing your momentum is the hardest part.

Define your “North”

Defining your north means identifying and choosing your goal. Maybe the end goal is a destination or achievement you want to reach, or maybe it’s simply a direction you’d like your life to take. It should be some idealized destination or direction that your future self can attain with adequate time and effort.

This analogy is applicable in virtually every facet of life. It can pertain to mental, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, financial, educational, or a myriad of other aspects of your health and life. Obviously this is a health and fitness newsletter, so those are the easiest connections to draw, but the philosophy can work for any goal you want to set.

• (Note that in no way do I define anything literally “northern” as better than anything that’s literally “south.” It’s just an easy analogy that one can visualize with a compass or map, and “up” is usually the direction people aim to go. So please humor that for the illustration.)

The first step to going north is actually defining your north. And that may be very different from someone else’s—or even from your past self’s north! I wrote in this post about how any two people will probably never share the exact same goals with the exact same timelines, and nor should they. You may want to run a 3:45 marathon, and your grandmother may want to play with her grandchild for two more decades. Both of your “norths” are completely valid, because you defined them.

Sometimes, you may find that along the way, the north that your past self chose isn’t exactly what your present self wants anymore. Maybe it’s not attainable for some reason, or maybe just no longer serves you. You may want to change direction a bit, or define a new north. It’s totally okay to do this! Be intentional about your new direction and the “why” behind it in order to stay motivated on this adjusted path.

Maybe you didn’t even have a “north” before and just recently defined one. And you look up and see how far away the inertia of your life took you from this new destination. That’s alright. Doesn’t matter how far you start from it. Just start moving that direction today.

Once you pick your north star, keep your eyes fixed on it.

Be cognizant of when you’ve turned directions or taken steps away from your north. Unless you check in with yourself—or utilize loved ones around you to help evaluate where you are and where you’re headed—you’ll wander aimlessly. Consistently bring awareness to both the position you are in and the direction you are headed.

Sometimes you’ll take your eyes off your north and get lost. Sometimes you’ll grow weary and need to rest. Sometimes you’ll straight up take steps in the opposite direction. All that is fine. Life happens!

Don’t judge yourself for straying or stumbling. Guilt and shame are terrible motivators. When you face setbacks, take small steps consistently to help build or rebuild a habit. Motivation may come and go, but I’ve found that reminding myself of my “why” behind something helps me activate the discipline that will carry me through until motivation catches up.

When you do fall back or take steps in the opposite direction you’re aiming for, be kind to yourself. There isn’t a human who’s existed who took a straight, perfect path to exactly where they wanted to go. Turn your gaze back north once you collect yourself. Find the courage and strength to dust yourself off and take a step in the right direction again.

Once you build up momentum going north, you’ll be encouraged by your progress and more likely to keep it up. Habits start to form. Your brain literally lays down new neural pathways. You start to feel a sense of healthy pride and accomplishment. Others may see your progress as well and cheer you on.

I encourage you to share your journey—progress, setbacks, and all—with at least a couple trusted friends/family members. Their support will be priceless, and you, in turn, can assist them on their journeys north as well.

We’ve all likely got some norths in our life that we’re striving for. I hope your north is worth it. When you make it there, pause and take it in. Look back on how far you’ve come. Express gratitude for the journey and those who helped get you there.

You may then look around and find a new north star that you couldn’t see before. Maybe you want to head that direction now. Forge on. You’ve come this far. Who’s to stop you from reaching the next destination?

It doesn’t matter how many steps you’ve taken south. If you turn around and take one step north, you’re going north.

Here’s to progress.

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Stop going south.

Level 2: Turn around.

Level 3: Take one step north. Tomorrow, take one more. Look back on each day with gratitude, and you’ll one day soon be proud of the miles your feet have trod.

This newsletter is brought to you by… me!

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

• Video: Change your life, one tiny step at a time. A pretty perfect little Youtube video to go with this week’s theme!

• Podcast: Gun Violence, Racism in the Tennessee Legislature, and Corruption in the SCOTUS. I can’t recommend Pantsuit Politics enough. With lots of heavy news the past couple weeks, they really helped me process it all.

• Podcast: Money Gears: Ordering Your Money Decisions Properly. If you’re also working on your financial health and trying to head north in that respect, give this episode of How to Money a listen. Joel & Matt lay out seven simple “gears” to work through in your personal finances.

May you be blessed with April showers that will soon bring May flowers. 🌷 

If you liked this week’s newsletter, do me a favor, would ya, and it share with a friend? It’ll help us grow the Move to Improve community.

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).