How I Plan to Conquer the 52 Hike Challenge

One of my goals for 2018 is to get outside and hike even more than I did in 2017. Being outdoors is like going to church for me. I use that time to be with my thoughts, reconnect with the world around me and just enjoy the beauty of nature.

You might be asking, “what is the 52 hike challenge?” Here is the official statement from www.52hikechallenge.com:

52 Hike Challenge is a global movement empowering you to take a personal journey to discover the physical, mental and spiritual benefits gained through hiking once a week for an entire year. Thousands of people all around the world are taking the challenge to help change their lives in a positive way, one step at a time. 

I’m super excited to try this challenge. Not only do I get to continue to do something that I love, but it helps infuse it into every week of the entire year! Here’s how I plan to make sure I make it happen:

Holding myself accountable. Writing this post is step one. Every month I’ll blog about my four hikes and share photos, details about the hikes and anything interesting that happened during it. It will be a way for me to journal this journey and keep myself accountable at the same time. In addition to the blog I’ll be sharing on my Instagram account as well. Be sure to follow along: @wanderlustinohio.

Planning ahead. Hopefully, this part will be easy enough for me as I am already a HUGE planner. At the beginning of each month I’m going to pencil in the four hikes in my Passion Planner. Having a solid plan before the month starts will help me stay on track. In addition to the weekly planned hikes, I will research 2-3 additional trails as back ups, in case something gets in the way of the original one.

Bringing a friend. While I do love hiking by myself, throughout the year I’m going to be sure to include friends along on my adventures. Having someone else to share the experience with always makes it more fun. Plus, bringing a friend holds me even more accountable!

I’m looking forward to another year of great hiking, and to pushing myself even more to get outside. I hope you follow along!