Hi First name / there,
Are we friends on
Instagram? If we are, you might have noticed that I kicked off a
daily walking challenge by asking, "Did you walk today?" every day on my story. It’s been an incredible experience so far! I started this challenge on a whim to help me ease into new routines after returning to work, where I spend a lot of time at my desk.
Walking has been one of my favorite forms of movement ever since I picked it up during quarantine four years ago. With this challenge, I aim to make it a non-negotiable part of my daily routine. Sharing my journey on Instagram keeps me accountable and, hopefully, inspires others to lace up their shoes too. We're nearly halfway through the month, but it’s not too late for you to join me!
If you're in, just tag me in your stories or send me a DM whenever you walk. And if Instagram isn’t your thing, reply to this email with, "I will walk 30 minutes every day in October"—I’d love to hear from you!
A Little Mental Trick for Big Goals
To stick to any goal, I’ve been using a strategy called Mental Contrasting. It’s about visualizing the outcome you want—like walking every day—and then contrasting that with the obstacles you’re likely to face along the way. Research shows that anticipating challenges and planning for them makes goals more achievable.
Over the past 13 days, I’ve learned something surprising: weekday walks are easier for me than weekend walks! Weekends shake up my routines, making it trickier to fit in that 30-minute stroll. So my plan going forward is this: I'll walk Sunday to Thursday at around 6 PM, and on weekends, I’ll aim to walk as early as possible.
The one question I need to keep asking myself every night: When will I walk tomorrow? The only day I missed so far was yesterday—not out of laziness but because I simply didn’t plan. The day slipped by, and before I knew it, I hadn’t walked. A reminder that planning is everything!
So, will you join me? Let’s make walking a daily habit this October. 🚶♀️
