A Fitbit is a little cough-drop-shaped device, about 2 inches long. It's like an overachieving pedometer. You carry it with you all day and it counts your steps. It also counts how many flights of stairs you've climbed, how active you've been, and how many calories you've burned. Then, when you come within 20 feet of your computer, it uploads the data automatically to your personal Fitbit page.
When I got home at 4:00 this afternoon, I'd put in a full day. I'd left the house before 10:00 to show five houses to a young couple and their adorable one-year old. I finished with them at 12:30, swung by my house for 15 minutes to grab some lunch, and then I was off again to a faraway listing appointment. That meant almost half an hour of driving each way, and then 90 minutes with my sellers, going over the forms and discussing how to manage showings. So I was running around all day, working hard.
At 4:00 there was still enough light for my usual walk of choice, 45 minutes around Lake Lynn, but I thought no -- I've been out all day, I'm tired. Then I pulled out my Fitbit and read my numbers with dismay. Only 2550 steps? That was far short of the 5,000 daily minimum I vowed to log daily, as part of my Healthy Challenge. It turns out that showing property is a lot of riding around in a car. Likewise, driving half an hour across town -- even in stressful traffic -- is just more riding around in a car. And sitting down with my clients to do paperwork is .. sitting down. I called myself working hard, but my Fitbit was clearly not impressed.
I actually changed from work clothes into home clothes, then went back and changed into walking clothes. I knew I'd feel guilty all evening if I didn't go walk. PLUS I have four "Fitbit Friends" who can see exactly how many steps I'm logging, or not.
I didn't want to walk today, but my Fitbit made me do it.
Comments(12)