Running Out of My Comfort Zone

The Year of the Punch Card

Before 2025 ended, I came across a TikTok that completely changed how I think about goals. It was about punch cards. Not the Dairy Queen kind where your fifth Blizzard is free… which I am very familiar with, btw… but the kind of punch cards you make for your life. One goal, one punch at a time, until you earn it.

I instantly fell in love with the idea. It was simple, fun, and felt more hands‑on than the usual “new year, new me” approach that never sticks. So I grabbed my watercolor set, some paper, and scissors, and made a few punch cards of my own. I didn’t have all my goals figured out right way, but as I sat at the kitchen table with all my supplies laid out, the first one came to me. It was about running. But not just running. Racing.

I love to run. A 5K is my jam. It’s my comfort zone, if you will. But racing is a whole different animal. The second I’m in that environment, my adrenaline spikes, I start worrying about falling behind, and something that normally feels like freedom turns into pressure. It becomes a “have to.” Not a “get to.”

So I set one goal: Run five races, total. Get more comfortable doing just that, racing. But more importantly, learn to enjoy it. Focus on running my own race. Stay in my lane. After completing that, I’ll get to splurge on a new pair of running shoes.

But the truth is, it’s not really about shoes. It’s about learning to do something that scares me a little, and have fun with it anyway.

The Sign

A funny part of this story is that I made that running punch card, along with some others, on New Year’s Eve at my parents’ kitchen table. I got everyone involved in it, creating their own cards, too. It was one of the fun little ways we spent time together that night, and passed the time until midnight. And after all was said and done, as we were getting ready to leave an hour or so after midnight struck, my brother mentioned a local 5K he’d just seen pop up on Facebook.

I couldn’t have planned a more obvious sign if I tried. That was my cue. That was the universe putting a crossroad in front of me. It was asking “Will you see what you’re actually made of? Will you actually act, or will you just keep planning?”

So, I signed up. I was ready to take advantage of that new year motivation. But, as the week went on, I kept seeing the weather forecast dropping. Every day was going to be colder than the last. And when race day finally came? Twenty‑eight degrees. Ridiculous.

For context, I’ve never run in that kind of cold. I barely go outside when it even hints at being that cold, much less try to run my best time. On top of that, my Whoop (fitness tracker) recovery score was mediocre. I was at 58% recovery. Also, my stomach wasn’t feeling great, and all the reasons not to run just felt like they kept piling up, becoming more and more glaring.

But here’s what I told myself: this one’s for your future self. It’s not about comfort. It’s about growth.

So I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. I warmed up my car, ignored the ice warning flashing on the dashboard, blasted The Mars Volta (iykyk), sipped my new favorite C4 flavor (Cereal Killer, which tastes like liquid Froot Loops heaven), and drove to the park, ready to run.

The Race

When the “ready, set go” was finally said, I hit play on my music, set my AirPods to noise canceling, and told myself one thing: just go for a run. Don’t overthink it. You’ve done this plenty of times.

After a few minutes, the cold stopped bothering me. My body was awake, my adrenaline was steady, and I found that rhythm where your thoughts quiet down. But then the racer in me showed up. I started spotting people ahead of me and thinking, “Alright, I’m catching that one.”

That’s just who I am. I like a challenge. It doesn’t come from ego, it comes from wanting to see what I can do. So I found that line between pushing and pacing and tried to live right there for the rest of the race. It really was a beautiful morning when I stopped looking for reasons to worry or complain, and started looking for reasons to be present and grateful. Man, when the course had me facing the rising sun, I could just feel that energy radiate through me.

By the time I reached the finish, I had a new PR. My parents were there cheering, and it didn’t even feel like 28 degrees anymore. It felt morel like spring… like I had just broken through something that had been holding me back.

I turned in my chip, grabbed a free banana (my favorite part), accepted my medal, and walked to the car already thinking about which race I’d sign up for next.

My parents treated me to breakfast after that. We talked about running, life, and just enjoyed each others company. It was the perfect way to end the perfect morning, tbh.

I felt tired, sure, but also awake in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

The Reminder

Doing hard things matters. It isn’t about chasing pain or stacking challenges just to prove something. It’s about reminding yourself that you’re capable of more than comfort allows.

That run showed me something. Growth doesn’t come from wishing. It comes from those small, uncomfortable decisions where you decide to show up anyway. And when you do, you create a new kind of confidence. It’s not the loud, proud kind, but the kind of quiet trust that says, “Whatever comes next, I’ll handle it.”

By that night, my legs were sore and heavy, but my spirit felt relentless, like it wanted more. More excitement. More life.

So that’s where I am now, working through my punch cards one by one, each one pulling me a little further out of the safe zone.

It’s funny… the reward at the end isn’t even what motivates me anymore. I just want the experience. All of it. Give it to me, now.

If you’re chasing that same feeling this year, I hope you find it too.

<3, db