Ann Elizabeth Grace, Author

Regular exercise has long been part of my life. For years, though, there was one thing I deliberately avoided: running. A laundry list of reasons justified this decision: fragile ankles, irritable Achilles tendons, scar tissue complications after foot surgery, and the biggie—flat feet. The risk of injury was just too high.

But inner conflict persisted. I love to run. Really, really love to run, with a passion that supersedes any other form of exercise. Denying myself this source of joy was becoming even more painful than the occasional injury.

Last year I dropped into a health and fitness conference packed with workout gear, wellness experts, and power bars galore. I found myself gravitating toward distance runners and unloading pent-up frustration about my lack of a “runner’s body." To my surprise, many people had encouraging stories to share. Either they, or someone they knew, had become successful runners—marathoners, even!—with flat feet or less-than-ideal physiques. Each story yanked another stone out of the wall that had formed in my mind, out of a belief that I cannot run. I left the conference with renewed hope.

Tentatively I began spending more time on the treadmill at the local sports center. Month after month I upped my strength, endurance, and distance in the tiniest increments. Whenever injuries flared, I agreed to a time-out. And a few weeks ago, after more than one year of training and buoyed by Lady Gaga in my ears, I hit a new milestone. I ran 5k! Humble progress to be sure, but I was ecstatic.

There will always be someone who is stronger, faster, and more accomplished than me in pretty much every domain. As a recovering perfectionist, I’m making peace with this fact. But whatever you really love is worth pursuing, even if your development is slow and you never join the elite club. The way I see it, my 5k is someone else’s 10k. And that person’s 10k is another person’s marathon. I celebrate their achievements as enthusiastically as I celebrate my own.

Success is relative when you’re learning, growing, and widening your sphere. Whatever endeavors top your priority list right now, give yourself credit when you stretch your abilities to the next level. Enjoy the sound of one hand patting yourself on the back. Because (as my slow-but-steady running adventures are teaching me) even when it’s small, a victory is still a victory.