--- title: "Small Success: Running Downhill" description: What small successes are you celebrating this week? Sherry Antonetti hosts this fun weekly feature. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/07/12/small-success-running-downhill/#) # Small Success: Running Downhill Jul 12, 2018 12:30:30 PM  |  by [Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sherry-antonetti) ![](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Small-Success-dark-blue-outline-800x800.png) Last week, I listed my goals: 1) Develop the friendships I have, work to deepen them. 2) Lose 20 pounds and 3) get my book published. From everything I’ve read, the surest way to meet goals is to 1) make them, 2) write them down and 3) hold yourself accountable, so I’m using SST as a way to count my blessings and monitor my progress. In the friendship department, going out to lunch with one friend, calling another, and trying to spend time one on one with all these people who keep calling me Mom has made the week super busy, but joyful. I’ve written down whom I’m to try to reach out to, each week, to try and make sure it happens. One by phone, one by person, one by letters. On the workout goal, this week, I’ve exercised four days (as of writing this), and am steeling myself up to do it again as soon as I finish this piece. They’re all examples of progress, not perfection, but the bigger insight I’ve gathered from this past week of trying to will myself to get on these goals and take them seriously is to start with the easy stuff.  For example, in exercise magazines, they say, “run downhill.” Why? Because it feels faster, it is easier, and helps you build up to running more. So I’m applying the run-downhill theory to the other venues. How do I run downhill in editing the book? I’d better pull up the book so when I get to my computer in the afternoon, I won’t have the excuses I might otherwise try to find. I’m also setting the timer, so I must work on the book for a set period of time, and this will be the routine until it becomes routine. (21 days for a good habit or to break a bad one). I hope you had a week filled with running downhill, and that next week is even easier. ### **What small successes are you celebrating this week?** --- *Copyright 2018 Sherry Antonetti* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F07%2F12%2Fsmall-success-running-downhill%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F07%2F12%2Fsmall-success-running-downhill%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F07%2F12%2Fsmall-success-running-downhill%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Small%20Success%3A%20Running%20Downhill) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F07%2F12%2Fsmall-success-running-downhill%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F07%2F12%2Fsmall-success-running-downhill%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Sherry%20Antonetti.jpg) ### [Sherry Antonetti](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/sherry-antonetti) Sherry Antonetti is a freelance writer, high school teacher and a blogger at Patheos. She and her husband live in Maryland with nine of their ten children and a puppy named Pumpkin. [**](https://twitter.com/sherryantonetti) ## Related Blog Articles [ Small Success: Recognizing the Blessings Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/06/28/small-success-recognizing-the-blessings/) [ Small Success: Reclaiming Sunday Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/10/11/small-success-reclaiming-sunday/) [ Small Success: Back to School Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/09/06/small-success-back-to-school/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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