One Step at a Time and the Best Jump Yet

Keith E. Knapp
Oct 28
2 min read

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) — **"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."** — Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

A few weeks ago, I turned 40.

To mark the milestone, I laced up my shoes and set out on my 18th annual birthday workout—this time, a 24-hour trail race. The stretch goal was 100 miles. I finished 81. And somewhere in the middle of the dark woods, with only my headlamp lighting the trail ahead, I learned what might be the most important lesson yet:

You don’t have to see the whole path. Just take the next best step.

That’s it. One step. Then another. Then another.

During the race, around mile 54, it became clear I wasn’t going to hit my 100-mile stretch goal. I was swollen, shivering, and completely depleted. But with some food in my system and a headlamp cutting through the dark, I laced back up, stood up, and decided: I would keep moving. Slowly. Steadily. Just one more lap.

And that’s what I did—step after step, all the way to mile 81.

What This Has to Do with You

You don’t need to be in the middle of the woods to learn this lesson. Maybe you’re:

Trying to stay consistent with training during back-to-school chaos
Navigating a setback or injury
Feeling stuck on a goal that once felt clear

Here’s your reminder: you don’t need to figure out the entire route—you just need to take the next best step.

That might mean showing up for class even if you're tired. Choosing one healthy meal. Or simply choosing kindness when it's easier not to.

And sometimes, that next step opens a future you didn’t know was waiting.

About the Photo

In the final stretch of the race, I was focused entirely on the trail directly in front of me—no big finish line moment, no triumphant sprint. Just a determined gaze at where I would take my next step. That image says it all: one step at a time is how we do big things.