In January, the challenge was simple on paper: watch the sunrise and take 5,000 steps every morning.

In practice, well… it was very challenging 😅

The first week of January it rained nonstop. I didn’t actually see the sun once. Still, I committed to waking up during sunrise time and got my steps in indoors, walking laps around my living room. I managed the first few days, but the long holiday nights eventually caught up with me. My sleep schedule was completely out of sync.

Something had to change.

I started by fixing my habits. I built a simple night-and-morning protocol and eased myself into earlier wake-ups by going to bed a little earlier each night. During the holidays, I was going to sleep around 5 a.m. The goal for this challenge was waking up at 7 a.m. so yeah, there was some ground to make up.

Since my workday doesn’t start until 9 a.m., I had a bit of flexibility. I adjusted gradually:
4 a.m. → 3 a.m. → 2 a.m. → eventually midnight.

Once I consistently went to bed around 12 a.m., I was getting a full 7 hours of sleep and everything clicked. It took a while but by January 17th, I finally found my rhythm. From there, it was smooth sailing. I started feeling energized, focused, and genuinely excited to wake up and move my body in the morning.

The steps themselves were easier, but the time commitment wasn’t exactly ideal. As a general rule, 1,000 steps ≈ 10 minutes, which means 5,000 steps can take close to 50 minutes. I only had about 30 minutes in the morning, so my walks naturally turned into light jogs to fit everything in. As a runner, this adjustment actually felt good, it made the challenge more efficient and enjoyable.

Honestly, it was the perfect recalibration to kick off the year.

The biggest lesson from this challenge?
Your night routine dictates your morning, and often your entire day.

My nightly habits became the foundation for consistency. Fix your night routine, and your circadian rhythm will follow. Another tip: if time is tight, lightly jogging instead of walking can dramatically improve efficiency. And finally, be patient with yourself. It might take 10+ days to find a rhythm that works. That’s normal. Progress isn’t instant, but quitting guarantees failure. Keep going.

Rule: 3–2–1 Sleep Method

This month’s challenge is to explore one new place per week.

It could be:

Exploration doesn’t require another country or a plane ticket. Sometimes it’s right outside your front door.

Routine is powerful, it helps us build structure and discipline. But we’re also wired for curiosity. We’re meant to move, to explore, and to experience novelty. Even small disruptions to routine can make life feel fuller and more memorable.

Studies show that introducing novelty helps us retain memories, form new neural pathways, and find deeper meaning in everyday life. As we get older, time often feels like it speeds up. One reason is that we explore less. We settle into responsibilities, repetition, and predictability. All while curiosity quietly slips out of our priorities.

This month, my hope is that we slow time down, just a little, by exploring with fresh eyes. By stepping into new spaces, meeting new people, and approaching familiar surroundings with curiosity. Let’s make room for wonder again.

Challenge: Explore one new place per week (4 total)

What counts as “new”?

Rules:

Optional (but encouraged):

Goal: Break routine, introduce novelty, and slow down time.

See you next episode,