Walking 10,000 steps a day is indeed a challenge. At least at the beginning, I thought so too, but I didn't expect it to give me such great help!

I started purely out of boredom in New Zealand last July, and now I've maintained it for exactly seven months. Aside from occasional physical discomfort, most of the time I stay around 10,000 steps.

Actually, using the word "perseverance" isn't quite accurate.

Most of the time, there's no need to deliberately persevere because it has become a habit.

Once the body is accustomed, it becomes an automated process: structure → repeated behavior → neural system adaptation → body "automation";

After several months in the same state, going to different places but doing the same thing, the brain classifies it as "safe, familiar, low-risk behavior." The body begins to anticipate this activity, and not doing it that day feels incomplete, so there's no need to push oneself.

But sometimes, it is necessary, like today when the weather suddenly turned cold.

Waking up in the morning, feeling the cold, my first instinct, including mine, was to not want to go because the cold wind hurts my face, it was raining outside, and I had already walked so long.

If you want, you can find a thousand reasons for your "because";

But in the end, I still went:

Because I usually walk by the river near my home, I told myself: no matter whether you go or not, once you go, if you don't want to continue, you can turn back.

Then I parked my car, and my first feeling was: since I came here, experiencing something different is pretty good. Rain doesn't matter; just open an umbrella.

Unexpectedly, after starting to walk, I felt very good because there were few people, it was very quiet, I could hear the rain on the umbrella, see the fog caused by temperature differences along the river, hear the sound of ships' horns and the wind, and I quickly immersed myself in it.

Of course, after finishing, there is a sense of achievement.

I think our lives need a sense of achievement because completing something releases dopamine, which makes the brain more active and improves mood.

Because you can see that every day you can complete a definite closed loop, in a highly uncertain world (markets, emotions, relationships, judgments): 10,000 steps are fully within my control, and whether I complete them or not is immediately feedbacked.

It doesn't rely on anyone or luck.

This sends a very strong signal to the brain: "I still have control over my life." This is actually very important. Life needs a sense of control. Besides walking 10,000 steps every day, you can also:

Remember 10 words daily, read a beautiful passage aloud every day, spend half an hour playing with your child daily. If you complete these, they can make us happier.

So you see, on the surface, I am walking, but essentially I feel like I am using this activity to adjust my thinking habits while also training three more important skills:

1️⃣ Let life feel "under control";
2️⃣ Free actions from emotions when making decisions;
3️⃣ Use the lowest standard to achieve the highest continuity.

That's also why I allow myself to "go and come back," but not to simply "not go."

The ones who truly change us are probably a collection of small things!