The Perfect Day

(rarely starts that way)

A few weeks ago, I ran a race that turned out perfect.

But on that day, I didn’t really want to run.

It was 19 degrees when I started sipping my coffee. My running shoes were still a bit wet and muddy from the day before. It was still dark and foggy outside. Nothing about that morning made it feel like a good idea to head out the door, and it would have been really easy to convince myself that skipping that run was OK.

I went anyway.

The early miles felt exactly like you’d expect, my running form was a bit stiff, and my legs, hands, ears and nose were all uncomfortably cold. And I had to manage a steady internal conversation about whether this morning’s run was necessary.

But as the run went on, the fog lifted, then the sky was clear. Snow-capped Cascade mountains were visible nearby. The farms along the Snoqualmie River were quiet and still and spectacular.

By the end, it turned into one of those days that feels perfect — helped along by a free burrito and easy conversation with the race director and a few other runners.

A few weeks later, that experience still sticks with me. Not because the run itself was remarkable, but because of how it started or almost didn’t. The conditions weren’t ideal. My motivation came much later. And what made the day “perfect” only became obvious after I’d already committed to it.

Leadership often works the same way.

Many of us expect good days to begin with perfect conditions. While it’s tempting to wait for more information, more confidence, or fewer constraints, the days that matter most often start with imperfect ones.

“The mistake is assuming motivation comes first.”

More often, the decision to start comes first, and energy follows. Momentum becomes the result of starting, not the precondition.

There’s no guarantee that every day will turn out well. But waiting for ideal conditions is often the surest way to miss the days that could have been great.

In running and in leadership, movement changes perspective. Commitment often comes before confidence. And once we’re in motion, what felt insurmountable at the start becomes more manageable — not because the work changed, but because our perspective did.

Not every day turns into a great one. But many of the best days only happen because we start before conditions are ideal.