11,800 miles.
2,772 days in a row.
Zero excuses.
When I reconnected with Gary Welch while speaking in Peoria, IL, his story of running every day reminded me how powerful daily discipline can be in transforming both life and work.
I met Gary Welch in 2000 when he hired me to speak at a State Farm event. Gary is one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever known.
When I first met him, he was in the middle of a running streak that eventually lasted more than 2,772 days. He ran a total of 11,800 miles, averaging 4.5 miles every day. He never missed a day—not for weather, sickness, travel, or work. And in those days, he traveled extensively as a State Farm executive.
He recalled pulling into a hotel parking lot late at night, getting out of the car, and running laps around the lot just to keep the streak alive. During our recent conversation, he said,
“There is value in repetition of positive action. Repetition creates habits, which produce results.”
I asked him what inspired him to start the streak. He told me that during his years of traveling to hear speakers and hire speakers for State Farm, he met author and runner Dr. George Sheehan, who wrote Personal Best. Sheehan challenged him to “do something you love every day.” Since Gary had already been running to raise money for the kids at St. Jude, he decided he would run every day for them—never imagining the streak would last so long.
Gary wasn’t always a runner. He reflected that when he was first challenged to run a 5K for St. Jude, he could barely run two blocks before stopping. Soon he made it to three blocks… then four… and eventually he completed his first 5K. He was hooked.
He applies his running discipline directly to his work. “Running every day is transferable to anything you do. When you complete a commitment, it’s a high, a rush. And if I did it today, I can do it tomorrow too.”
At 81 years young, Gary still runs a full-time State Farm agency in Peoria, IL. His running streak inspired two non-negotiables he completes every single business day:
- Every day, he calls a client or policyholder, or asks a walk-in for a referral.
- Every day, he sends out five postcards inviting policyholders to schedule an insurance review.
His goal is to complete three insurance reviews per day by phone or in person.
Recently, after completing 31 consecutive days of bike riding totaling more than 315 miles, I’ve been thinking about what I could do every day to build stronger habits. And I want to challenge you to consider the same.
What can you commit to doing every day that would make your life better? Here are a few ideas:
- Quiet time to read a devotional or something inspirational
- Exercise—anything that gets your body moving
- Write a note (preferably handwritten) of appreciation
- Journal
- Work on learning a new language
- Read a chapter of a book
- Listen intently—truly listen—for 15 minutes to a friend, spouse, or colleague
- Play a musical instrument
If you already have a packed schedule, you may need to reprioritize. You might have to give up something in order to add a daily discipline. Ask yourself what you currently do that could be eliminated. Consider giving up or at minimum greatly reducing:
- Social media
- Mindless phone scrolling
- Television
- Binge-watching a Netflix series
- Watching or listening to sports news
- Reading the newspaper
You might also occasionally consider outsourcing time-consuming tasks like yard work, house cleaning, or meal preparation.
Small, consistent actions build powerful momentum. Whether it’s running every day for the kids of St. Jude or committing to a simple daily discipline in your own life, repetition creates habits and habits create results.
You don’t need to start with 11,800 miles. You just need to start with today.
