The last thing I wanted to do was put steps on my Fitbit. It was a cold and rainy day. I was physically tired and emotionally spent. Ava was a month past her breast cancer surgery and a few weeks away from starting radiation. It was the kind of day that 200 steps would have felt like a victory. Unfortunately my goal was 20,000.

I stood in our bedroom looking out the window as rain fell on a super gloomy afternoon. All I could think was how stupid I was undertaking my 20k One Year Step Challenge. Part of the Challenge included daily updates on Facebook and Instagram.

The next morning I would post an update on rainy, cold, and gloomy Day 70. Would it say I reached my goal? Or would it say, I didn’t feel like it so the 20k Challenge is over?

I moved away from the window and started walking.

Accountability is powerful. It can provide motivation on those days when none exists. Every fitness journey will have those days. And, it’s not always predictable. Sure, you can pretty much expect the early enthusiasm will eventually subside, but there are other days that are surprising by their sudden onset.

The day before my motivational meltdown was a strong day. I even reached my 20,000 steps early so I could enjoy a birthday party for my mom without needing to keep getting up and moving. The initial excitement for this year long challenge had been replaced by momentum. I was cruising.

Until I wasn’t.

There’s NO WAY I would have hit 20,000 steps on that gloomy, rainy day without the accountability of that social media post the next morning.

If you are doing The 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge you’re probably still motivated by the excitement of a new fitness adventure that could ultimately lead to fitness transformation. Enjoy this feeling!

But, also know a day is coming when none of that will matter and you’ll be facing what feels like a mountain. Even with a “commitment to fitness” it’s shockingly easy to convince yourself to take a day off…that the commitment is more “big picture” and missing one day really doesn’t matter. You might even be able to convince yourself that step goal is kinda stupid.

Yeah…that day is coming. It happened to me on Day 70. I thought of all those things. It’ll happen to you to…unless you prepare today. That’s when accountability will matter. It might even mean the difference between success and failure.

What works for you? Here are some possible ways to bring accountability into your 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge:

• Use a Tracking Sheet where you can record your progress each day. It’s simple, but really works for some people.
• Social media is effective. I was using my community of friends on Facebook and Instagram for accountability during my 20k One Year Step Challenge. When I wanted to quit they kept me going even if they didn’t realize it.
• Find someone you love and trust and ask them to hold you accountable for reaching your goal each day. It could be as simple as a daily text message, “Hey, did you reach your goal yesterday?” Knowing you’re going to get that tomorrow might be all the motivation you need today.
• Is there someone who would like to do this journey with you? They make the same commitment and you both walk together.

Fitness transformation doesn’t happen without fitness momentum. Fitness momentum doesn’t happen with a fitness habit. A fitness habit doesn’t happen without fitness accountability.

Set that up today so your future includes the change you want.

It’s never too late to start a brand new fitness journey. If you want to do the 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge you can begin today!

If this is the first you’re hearing about the Challenge, it’s really quite simple. You set a modest daily step goal and make a commitment to reach that goal every day for 30 days. Every day you hit your goal is a win to be celebrated!

Download this free 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge Guide to get started. It will help you set the right goal for you. The guide also includes a contract that you can make with yourself. That may sound cheesy, but it’s the commitments we make to ourselves that sometimes are the easiest to break.

Every day you reach your goal is a WIN and this free guide includes a 30 Day Win Tracker to help you celebrate your fitness victories!