Anyone Can Do Anything for 30 Minutes - Moving Forward When Progress is Slow

A couple years ago, I decided that I was ready for a major biking challenge. I had just completed building my second bike, and was enjoying commuting back and forth to work everyday. Around this time, I joined a woman's cycling group and met two ladies who were planning to bike from Miami to Key West. The journey of about 175 miles was going to take 2 days, and would go over all of the beautiful bridges that connect the Florida Keys. To me, it sounded like the perfect challenge, and I was immediately persuaded to join them.

Around my sixth hour in the saddle on our first day of biking, I seriously started to consider what kind of fool I was for agreeing to take on this massive trip. My biking partners start a stream of pep talks. Fran, who was a long time distance biker, started to regularly remind me that anyone could to any activity for thirty minutes, so I should just try to keep pedaling for this 30 minute increment and then see how I feel. When we finally pulled into the Southernmost Point of the United States at about 9 p.m. the two days later, it was one of my proudest moments.

The trip taught me a lot about techniques that are useful when forward progress seems slow and the goal is still 100 miles away. I still use these techniques to run campaigns. Anyone who has ever been involved in trying to implement policy solution knows endurance and mental toughness are critical to keep moving forward when changing public policy.

1. Do the research to ensure that your expectations are realistic. Before I went on the bike tour, I read several personal blogs from people recounting their first bike tour or long distance journey. I also took the time to go on several longer bike rides by myself so that I could understand how longer distances felt to me.

Similarly, research to manage expectations is critical before embarking on a campaign. Research will help you more accurately set a campaign timeline, budget, and targets for number of individuals that must be engaged for the campaign to be successful.

2. Be sure that you bring the supplies you're going to need. Biking burns between 400 and 700 calories per hour and can quickly result in dehydration even in non-Florida weather. Before this trip, I made modifications to my bike and my gear to ensure I was carrying enough water and food to last me at least four hours in the saddle.

When campaigning, you must also bring the right supplies to get through the long haul of your campaign. Build evergreen content for your social media presences at the beginning of the campaign so you can keep a steady drumbeat when news is scarce. Create educational resources that can be used in multiple ways throughout the campaign - slice them up for image shares or use the content for FB or Twitter poll questions. Think through creative strategies for using all your campaign collateral during development to prepare yourself for the less active times.

3. Mark you forward progress in a way that is significant to you. For me, the most challenging times in distance biking are when the scenery does not change. Biking to the Florida Keys involved long stretches of time with flat land and unchanging marshy areas. To keep myself focused and to fight burnout, I used little games to mark the passage of distance, mostly by counting light poles, bird, or other animal life.

Similarly, marking all signs of progress during a campaign in significant ways is an important part of keeping spirits high and minds sharp. Celebrate the addition of even one follower on social media presences. Be excited for every new advocate that joins the campaign. Revisit past campaign successes to help inspire next steps. All of these techniques have helped me refresh myself and my campaign during times of slow progress.

Campaign work can be challenging during stagnant periods. Having techniques to help keep yourself and others engaged and excited during slow going periods is an important part of ensuring a campaign is successful.

Taking selfies is also an excellent way to help pass time, as long as there is no traffic!