This time last year, I decided, instead of making a big New Years resolution like “exercise more” I’d break it into small actions. That small action I chose was to take 10,000 steps every day or 3.65 million steps before the ball dropped ringing in 2012.

To keep track of all those steps I’d need a pedometer, or to be more precise, a fitness device. Over the last year I’ve worn or carried a bunch of different devices. I made my FitBit the device of record for the year. Each morning I would clip on my FitBit and each night I’d set it on the night stand. On the few days it wasn’t charged or I forgot it, I would use another pedometer as a backup (I wear an average of 3 everyday).

Things I've worn/carried to count my steps in 2011

To get my average of 10K steps per day, I needed to change a few behaviors. First, I started taking the train into Boston. Then, I stated walking to the station. This accounts for the majority of my steps. I also play basketball once a week which helps rack up the steps. I kept track of my daily totals in a Google Spreadsheet so I was able to see how well (or not) I was doing.

Here are some stats from 2011:

Average steps per day: 11,123
Miles: 1,845

After taking more than 4M steps, I’ve become more conscious of my mobility and know not everyone is so fortunate. Don’t ever take your legs for granted. They are wonderful things that can take you to some amazing places. Happy New Year!