Wogging Is the Best Strategy for Success

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”—Lao Tzu

How many times have you set a goal, only to fall short of it? How often have you purposed to accomplish something quickly, only to find yourself reverting back to the way it was before?

In our desire to reach a goal, we often take on too much too quickly. Slow and steady, with well-timed challenges, is usually the best strategy—the tortoise had it right.

For example, I’m trying to exercise to get in shape. But I know me. If I go at it too hard, I’ll give up. In the past, burning lungs and wobbly legs have quickly convinced me I’m not cut out to be a jogger or a biker or any form of exerciser. 

However, all of us can be in better shape than we are now (in all aspects of our lives, not just physically). We just need to take the right steps to get there. For most of us, those steps should be relatively small if we want to stick it out for the long haul. 

Since I’ve failed at exercise in the past, I incorporated a new strategy this spring—one that involves slow progress that sticks.

I love walking but abhor jogging for the sake of jogging. So instead of doing something I dislike, I’ve challenged myself to simply push my walking to the next level. To incorporate just enough jogging into my walk to move my fitness level up a notch.

There’s nothing earth shattering about what I’m doing. Nothing like a marathon or even a half marathon or even a 5K. But it’s still a challenge for the better. And I’ve stayed with it now for most of this year!

Each time I wog (walk with intermittent, when I feel like it, jogging), I’m increasing my stamina a bit. Over time those bits will  have a measurable impact on my overall fitness. All by taking it one stride at a time.

Wogging works in all areas of life, not just fitness. 

I heard Lysa Terkeurst say that her mind can only handle one Scripture verse at a time. She can’t take on a chapter or even a paragraph.  Just one verse a day. But day after day those verses have had a profound impact on her life (and she now knows many verses). 

 My youngest son, Joseph, and I committed to Ann Voskamp’s The Romans Project this year. This challenge is to memorize chapters 1, 3, and 8 in the book of Romans in 2013. I’ve never been good at memorizing Scripture, and the goal seemed impossible in my eyes, and Joey’s.

But taking just two verses a week has resulted in both of us memorizing nearly all of chapter 1. An accomplishment that seemed impossible became not only possible but probable when reduced down to smaller steps. 

That’s what it is like to wog. Take on enough challenge to move forward but not too much to demoralize. 

How do you memorize a chapter? Verse by verse. How do you complete a race? Step by step. How do you find God? Day by day.

Don’t think you have to be and do everything at once. 

A slow and steady challenge is the way to success 

… because the most lasting change is slow change. 

Begin with that first step today.

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride” (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

Questions to consider: What goal do you have for yourself? How can you break it down into smaller steps? What does that first step look like? I’d love to hear about your challenge in the comments. 

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