How I walked every day for a year.

Deciding to look after yourself and lose weight often involves committing to the daily routine. I chose walking as it is a simple and affordable way to achieve this goal while improving my overall well-being. I embarked on a journey to walk every day for 12 months, and along the way, I learned valuable lessons that I want to share with you.

While I am excited to share what I did to achieve this I feel inclined to share first what I did not do that enabled me to stay consistent.

What I Did Not Do:

Did Not Rely on Willpower: Instead of relying on fleeting willpower or motivation, I focused on developing habits supporting my daily walking goal. Willpower can be unreliable in the long term, so building sustainable habits was key.

Not Aim for 10,000 Steps: Contrary to popular belief, I did not set a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. Instead, I focused on the benefits of walking for stress management and overall health. Setting a realistic goal that fit my lifestyle was more effective than aiming for a specific step count. The goal was I was going to walk to work every day, the distance became part of the package.

Did Not Go from Zero to Ten: I avoided the mistake of doing too much too quickly. I gradually built up my walking routine, starting with manageable and increasing distances. This approach helped me avoid feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

Did Not Focus Just on Walking: While walking was a key part of my daily
routine, I also prioritized my overall well-being, including mental, emotional, and physical health. This holistic approach ensured that I cared for myself in multiple ways.

What I Did:

I created a System:

I developed a system that outlined when and how I was going to achieve this goal of walking to work every day. This system helped me stay accountable and consistent throughout the entire time. Having a clear plan in place made it easier to stick to my goal.

I Fine-Tuned Habits and Mindsets:

One of the habits I had to address was my tendency to procrastinate. I would often find excuses not to walk, convincing myself that I was too tired or that I didn’t have enough time. To overcome this, I implemented a simple rule: no excuses.

Whenever I felt the urge to skip my walk, I reminded myself of my commitment and the reasons why I wanted to walk every day. I also made it easier for myself by laying out my walking clothes the night before and choosing a convenient time to walk each day. This made it harder for me to make excuses and easier for me to follow through with my commitment. Just to enlighten you I was not in a good mental state when I started.

I also had to work on my mindset towards walking. Instead of
viewing it as a chore, I started seeing it as a form of self-care to help me feel better. I would look forward to my walks as a time to clear my mind, enjoy nature, and get some
much-needed exercise. By shifting my mindset, I was able to turn walking into a
positive and enjoyable part of my daily routine. And it became easier with time as I became much stronger mentally.

I Focused on Daily Actions:

Walking every day for 12 months has been a transformative experience for me. It has not only helped me achieve my weight loss goals but has also improved my overall well-being. I hope these insights inspire you to embark on your walking journey and experience the benefits it can bring to your life.

Focusing on daily actions was crucial for maintaining my walking routine. One of the daily actions I focused on was setting a specific time each day for my walk. For example, as I was walking to work it became part of the daily action. By incorporating walking into my daily schedule, it became easier and a non-negotiable part of my day, much like eating or sleeping.

Another daily action was tracking my progress. I used a simple journal to record each walk, noting the distance, time, and how I felt afterwards. This not only helped me stay accountable but also allowed me to see my progress over time, which was incredibly motivating.

Additionally, I made sure to celebrate small victories along the way. For instance, I would treat myself to a relaxing bath or a healthy snack after completing a week of consistent walking. These small rewards kept me motivated and excited to continue with my daily walks and it worked like a charm.

By focusing on these daily actions, I was able to make walking a sustainable habit. It wasn’t always easy, but by taking it one day at a time and focusing on the actions I could control, I was able to walk every day for 12 months and achieve my weight loss goals.

How You Can Walk Every Day for 12 Months:

Set Achievable Goals: Instead of focusing on a specific number of steps,
set achievable goals that fit your lifestyle. Aim for regular, sustainable
activity. By setting realistic goals, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed
and increase your chances of long-term success.

Embrace Challenges: Be prepared to face challenges that come along the way such as bad weather or busy schedules. Use these challenges as opportunities to strengthen your commitment to walking. By embracing challenges, you can develop resilience
and ensure that nothing derails your walking routine. I walked when it was cold, rainy, windy and sunny. I remember walking one day when it was so windy and thinking how I could have never experienced this if I had been indoors. As crazy as it sounds I immediately felt so good. Walking every day, no matter the weather taught me resilience and brought unexpected moments of happiness and peace.

Make It Fun: Walking the same route day in and day out can be boring, spice up your walks with a bit of variety. Map out different routes around your hood and mix it up each day. Drive to another location such as a beach or national park and walk there. You can also walk at different times of the day. I had a few optional routes, I could either walk through the suburbia and enjoy looking at some of the best heritage residential in Perth or walk through one of the largest national parks as well. It was just brilliant I listened to about 10 Audiobooks, heaps of podcasts and music it was never boring. You might want to get Audible or Spotify for that reason.

One idea is to take photos while you walk. Over 12 months, l witnessed different seasons and a spectrum of colours, which you would not vividly notice if you were walking for such a long time. Capturing these moments in photographs can be a wonderful way to document your progress and the changing scenery. I now enjoy looking back at those beautiful moments.

At the start of this journey, I had to figure out some logistics. For example, I made sure there were accessible toilets along my routes to avoid stressing my aging bladder ?. I also identified shaded areas to rest in in case the temperature soared to 50 degrees, as it sometimes does in this beautiful country. Amazingly, I don’t remember getting drenched throughout the entire rainy season.

It was a gracious opportunity to have to do that, I learnt a lot about myself and listened to lots of health podcasts by gurus and scientists. I do not regret it, not even one inch.

Imagine this, if you are starting your day with a walk, you’re more likely to prepare a healthy meal, so you continue living a healthy lifestyle. Packing a healthy lunch to take to work becomes a natural extension of this healthy routine. This not only reduces stress but also boosts your productivity and mood throughout the day. Plus, knowing you’re prioritizing your health sets a confident tone for the rest of the day.

How I work with you.