Kathy’s message was the turning point. It happened five months after I started this blog.

Before my first post in September 2018 I was filled with great excitement and high expectations. But, I also understood the excitement would fade and my early expectations would not be met.

I was right.

It’s funny how quickly that early enthusiasm disappears when you’re staring at an empty screen trying to write something people will find interesting about walking. And, while people WERE finding my blog, it was a small group.

If you started The 30 Day New Year Fitness Challenge on January 1, you may now feel mired in the fitness wasteland. Your initial excitement has long faded and your results, well…what results? This is why so many fitness journeys end after just a few weeks.

I was in the blogosphere wasteland. That’s when it feels like the results aren’t even close to matching the effort. That’s why most blogs last as long as most fitness journeys.

But, I was committed to two things.

The first was my passion for how walking can change your life. Walking is fantastic for physical, mental, and emotional fitness. It works! Everybody knows how to do it, so no new skills are needed. You also don’t need to spend any money to get started. All that’s needed is a shift in perspective.

Walking is fitness hiding in plain sight. I want everyone to know that!

Secondly, I made a commitment to myself to do the blog for AT LEAST ONE YEAR even if no one ever reads it.

Five months in, I got the message from Kathy. She had recently experienced the most heart-wrenching tragedy imaginable…the death of a child. In the midst of her paralyzing grief she read one of my blog posts. She was motivated to find her Fitbit and start walking again. She wrote to tell me how much that was helping. (You can read Kathy’s story HERE) I was humbled and inspired by Kathy’s courage and I let her know that.

It was also a turning point. Even though I was passionate about the life-changing impact walking for fitness can have and I made a commitment to keep the blog going no matter what I still regularly asked the question, “Why am I doing this?”

Maybe this is a question you’ve asked yourself. If you haven’t, you probably will. There’s always a gap between the fading excitement you feel at the start and when you see some results.

Maybe you’re still waiting for a number on your scale to drop consistently, or how you feel physically, or even a good report from the doctor. However you define results, you’re still waiting for them. You’re in the gap between excitement and results.

Walking for fitness WORKS, but it’s not a quick fix. You can bridge the gap by remaining committed to the process. Keep reaching your daily goal and celebrate those wins because THEY ARE REAL VICTORIES!

In time, if you don’t give up, you’ll see results. The excitement at the start will also be replaced by a feeling that’s far more meaningful and significant.

It’s the feeling of accomplishment!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

If you don’t have a daily step goal, I want to challenge you to give it a try. Not only will it improve your mood, it will also help you create a fitness habit. I call it The 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This free guide will walk you through how to get started. It’s very easy.

If you don’t have a Fitbit I recommend the Fitbit Inspire HR. This is the Fitbit I use to track my 20,000 steps a day. The Inspire HR also tracks your heart rate and sleep so you get an even wider picture of your fitness progress.

(By the way…if you use the links in this article to make a purchase this blog will receive a small commission. It won’t add anything to what you pay, but letting you know is the right thing to do)

This blog is designed to help you embrace walking as a fitness activity. It’s sustainable, flexible, effective, and fun. Every week I post new articles with stories and helpful suggestions to Win at Fitness.

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