What I Learned from My Simple Walking Challenge

30 days done! I just completed a walking challenge I gave myself—and I feel really good. What started as an attempt to “get back into working out” slowly transformed into something much more meaningful. It became a calming reset for my mind. Who knew? 🤷‍♀️

A month ago, I knew I wanted to add more movement to my days. But I also knew I didn’t want to dive in with something too intense and burn out again. My mind still had some of that old “go hard or go home” programming, and while I thought I was starting small, it turns out it was still too much.

Around that time, I came across a wonderful woman on Instagram—she’s also in the same strategy group I’m in—and she was speaking to so many of the things I desired for my body and my health. We started chatting, and she encouraged me to make my goal even smaller. Just 10 minutes of walking a day. That felt doable. So, I committed to walking for at least 10 minutes every day for 30 days and said I’d reassess at the end.

What ended up happening was I consistently walked for about 16 minutes a day, and I was just shy of a mile each time. And although that might not sound like a big deal to some, it was enough for me. My shins burned those first few weeks—I even Googled it mid-walk and learned it was a common response to increased activity. Bingo. I pushed through.

There were so many days I didn’t want to go. I had to fight my own thoughts just to get my sneakers on. In the past, if I didn’t feel like going, I took that as a sign to rest. But this time, I decided I would really pay attention to the difference between needing rest and simply not feeling motivated. Every single time I felt resistance during these last 30 days; it was just a lack of motivation—not an actual need for rest. And every single time I went anyway, I felt better afterward.

This challenge became more than a physical routine. It was about keeping a promise to myself. After years of starting and stopping exercise routines, I needed to prove to my brain that I could be consistent. I needed to rebuild trust with myself—to show that I can do hard things, and I can prioritize my well-being. That has always been a challenge for me, but this month felt like a turning point.

For so long, I’ve been quick to show up for others but slow to show up for myself. I’ve poured energy into my family, my home, and the people around me—and while that’s something I truly value, it’s also made it easy to put my own needs last. This 30-day walk wasn’t just about movement—it was about reclaiming a little part of myself. It reminded me that even 10 minutes a day can be sacred and set apart.

Each walk became a quiet act of resistance against the lie that I always have to come last. It was a time I didn’t owe to anyone else. I wasn’t doing it to meet a certain goal weight or to hit a fitness milestone—I was doing it to honor the part of me that wants to feel strong and clear-minded again. And the more I kept that promise, the more confidence I built. Little by little, it’s like I’m rewriting the story I’ve told myself for years—that I never finish what I start.

Now I know I can. I am the kind of woman who follows through.

What’s Next?

I’m excited for the next 30 days! I’ve decided to add 15 push-ups a day to the routine. I’ve already started and let me tell you—it’s humbling 🫠. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do next, but I saw a friend post her own “15 push-ups a day” challenge, and I knew that was it. After focusing on lower body movement through walking, it felt like it was time to give my upper body some attention too. And since it’s been years since I’ve done a push-up, it’s definitely going to challenge me!

If you’ve been feeling stuck or unsure of how to start, let this be your sign: it doesn’t have to be big or dramatic to make a difference. Ten minutes a day might not seem like much, but for me, it became a lifeline—one small promise kept, one quiet moment to myself, one step toward rebuilding trust in my own ability to follow through. It created space for clarity, for confidence, and for calm.

You don’t have to wait for the perfect plan, the perfect schedule, or the perfect motivation. You just need a starting point. Something simple. Something small enough that you can say “yes” to it even on your hardest days. And from that one “yes,” momentum begins to grow.

Whatever it is for you—walking, stretching, journaling, sitting in silence—choose something that gently calls you back to yourself. Start where you are, with what you have, and trust that small steps truly do lead to meaningful change.

You are worth showing up for.