One Million Steps: Ideal vs. Reality

Last February, I decided to track my steps and the goal was to walk one million steps. I figured it would take about 100 days, in other words a little over three months of steady effort. Instead, it took 144 days, and I hit the millionth step in mid-July, 5 months later.  There were some days that I didn’t walk at all or I was so busy with other things that I didn’t count my steps.

Here’s one way to quantify walking one million steps based on my height - my 5’ 2”.  Beginning in Chincoteague, Virginia, and heading South, taking the scenic route and walking down the coast, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, past Virginia Beach, along the Outer Banks, and through Myrtle Beach, and landing somewhere near Wilmington, North Carolina. It added up to about 420 miles, and I walked one step at a time.

The Gap Between the Plan and the Reality

I thought I would walk 10,000 steps a day for 100 days, but some of the days in the Winter and Spring were stormy.  Other days, I was stuck at my desk or in the car.  

I didn’t hit my target number every day, in fact the numbers were varied. There were 33 days I walked under 4,000 steps.  Some days life got busy and I only went for a short 20 minute walk. It felt really good on the 28 days that I broke 10,000 steps, but the low days and the high days don’t tell the whole story and they are not how I attained my goal.

What Actually Got Me There

Most of my steps added up from being consistent and persistent.  I just kept showing up and incorporated walking into my day. The 10,000-step days felt good, but there weren't enough of them to carry me over the threshold. The low days didn't stop me either.

The Takeaway

I thought I was signing up for a 100-day sprint. Instead it was a matter of determination and focus.  That’s what helped me achieve my goal.  I stopped thinking about the finish line and just kept walking.  It was a habit, not a race.  I stayed focused on my goal and I kept going.  I realized that was a good life lesson: when it is difficult to see progress - I will keep my eyes on the prize and keep going.