Staying Accountable While Taking The 52 Hike Challenge

Taking the 52 Hike Challenge journey will be a lot of fun! You’ll get to explore a lot of places and adventure like a kid. However, we know there may be times you fall off the wagon and maybe forget to hike, get too busy, etc. That's why we created this post to help you to stay accountable.

Resistance might kick in, things will get in your way, roadblocks will happen. The thing that is beautiful about this challenge, is that the trail and mountains are a literal manifestation of your journey. As you climb, you will face various forms of obstacles; mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. However, if you keep one foot in front of the other, you will eventually reach your summit!

There have been people on the 52 Hike Challenge journey that faced such difficulties. We have received stories from people having surgeries, illnesses, and more. We all need support achieving our goals, so please ask for help if you need it.

We’re sure you’ve asked, how does one remain accountable in a world full of distractions and obstacles?

One that has remained helpful for so many is telling friends & family publicly when you are working on this goal. It still is one of the major forms co-founder Karla Amador uses to stay accountable! During her first challenge, she used Instagram to share progress and track her hikes. She also had the help of many friends while on her journey. These friends went with her on hikes and of course our co-founder, Phillip, helped her on most of those original 52 hikes.

Along with our community we came up with this list of ways to stay accountable:

•  Officially sign up for the 52 Hike Challenge. By committing to us that you are going to do the challenge, it may be just what you need to remain accountable.
• Journal, Journal, Journal. One of the most therapeutic things you can do, is keep track of your 52 hikes by writing about each one! You never know what insights you’ll get on the trails. Plus you can look back at your journey one day and realize what a wonderful time it was. P.S. Don’t forget to pick up our journey journal here.
• Join one of our Facebook chapters and post your hikes, get ideas of places to hike, and more.
• Join a hiking club / group and let them know about your goal for a year’s worth of adventure! Check out some of the groups here.
• Buddy system. Enlist family and friends to join you on your hikes! A great way to stay committed and bond with your loved ones is to have them join your hikes.
• Use your social media to highlight your weekly hikes on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc. Many challengers do this using #52HikeChallenge #52HikeChallengeYEAR, for example #52HikeChallenge2020, etc. Don’t forget to give some love to fellow challengers too!
• Take time to reflect how far you’ve come every 5 to 10 hikes. Looking back to see what you’ve learned and overcome can be a positive affirmation to keep going. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back or treat yourself for staying on top of your challenge.
• Write down your goals and record your hikes to show progress on our hiking log, a spreadsheet, etc.
• Plan your hikes ahead of time and put them on your calendar (paper, phone, etc.)
• Enlist a support system and ask someone to keep you accountable. You can ask them to check in with you on your progress if that helps you. You can work with a professional, therapist, life coach, etc.
•  You can create a digital vision board on Pinterest or a physical one. All you need is glue, scissors, tape, a board and magazines! Cut out words and images that resonate with your year-long journey. Add in all the places you want to visit on your 52 Hike Challenge, you can include dates you plan to achieve those hikes by, add words or images that show how you want to feel, etc. Make sure to keep this board visible to help keep you accountable.

We hope this list helps you while taking the challenge and reminds you that with proper planning, you’re already halfway there!