Kim Coleman quit making excuses not to exercise. She put down her complaints and picked up a pair of running shoes. “I wanted to move beyond my own excuses and learn some self discipline,” said Kim, a GuideStone employee.
Laziness wasn’t going to stop her from starting her wellness journey. On October 1, 2009, Kim went outside for a walk. She didn’t realize it at the time, but she was taking her first steps toward a new outlook on life. “I’ve changed my frame of mind and adapted to a new way of thinking.”
Shortly after Kim started walking during the evenings, a fellow GuideStone employee heard about her new fitness routine and told Kim about a relay race that would take place in a few months. Wary at first, Kim accepted the teammate role and gave her word.
After doubting her ability to run the race, Kim decided to change her attitude from “I don’t want to” to “I love this!” “I had to think, pretend and act like a runner.” She shifted into a can-do attitude to motivate herself.
She started running slowly and set small benchmarks – “run one mile without stopping” – then gradually picked up the pace. She used a pedometer to track her steps and wrote down her progress. Kim knew the team was counting on her, and she didn’t want to let them down.
“When I ran, I had to get through the first 15 minutes, the hurdle. Exercising isn’t effortless. It’s a discipline.”
After she finished the race, she realized it was a turning point for her. Kim was overjoyed that she ran four miles! Not only did she gain the skill to run long distances, but she learned self discipline with food and exercise.
Kim took her wellness journey one step at a time. She motivated herself and set achievable goals. She quit making excuses and got up to do something that would improve her life. “It’s more than weight loss. It’s the freedom of knowing you have control of your own life.”