My Fitbit activity tracker died a few weeks ago. I haven’t got round to replacing it since 1. I wear a wristwatch anyway (in addition to the Fitbit on my other wrist) and 2. I don’t want to rely forever on a device motivating me to be active. Bear in mind I’m not interested in sports and don’t particularly enjoy exercise.
I’d used this Fitbit for just over 3 years, and had a different one for several years before that. That’s 8-10 years of reminders to move, and a dashboard showing which days I reached my (modest) step target, and the less frequent days when I sat around.
It’s a common claim that it takes 30 days to form a habit. Like many quick facts, that’s an over-simplification. A couple of articles here and here discuss how things (of course) aren’t so simple. Still, 30 days of doing something new isn’t too intimidating to aim for, so the idea is probably still beneficial.
So, what about my 8+ year Fitbit habit? It’s taken me far less than 30 days to fall off the wagon and turn back into a couch potato! Since my Fitbit display went blank, my activity level (I won’t dignify it by calling it a fitness regime) has taken a serious nosedive. I guess I’ll need to pick up another one. Any recommendations or experiences to share?
Book reviews
Academic reading has been a recent priority, so just two book reviews since my last post.
Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers, an anthology edited by Kate Wolford
The Fall of the House of Thomas Weir by Andrew Neil Macleod
Very short stories
Here are a few stories from late summer last year. As usual, I had fun creating pictures for each story. This time, I also tried something new…
prior
“This is your captain speaking. Unfortunately, we have encountered a, er, hazard. If you reserved an escape pod space prior to boarding, make your way in an orderly fashion to the exit. Otherwise, please remain in your seats. Bye!”
aim
Cameras whirred.
The blindfolded movie star smiled around a cigarette as his nemesis lit it.
The villain stepped back with an evil smirk. “Ready… aim—”
“Shoot!” yelled Props. He’d forgotten to set up with blanks.
blackbird
“Soon be ready.” She stirs.
I peer at the cauldron. “Are those bones?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Chicken?” I squint. “No, too small. Blackbird?”
Huffing, she waves me away. “Sit.”
I obey. There’s an empty vial on the shelf, labelled: DRINK ME.
ebb
By the sickbed, I watch your life ebb away.
You beckon with a shaky hand.
I lean forward, grinning with malice. Within moments, I’ll be rich. All according to plan.
With your final breath, you wheeze in my ear, “I changed my will.”
If you want to check out more tiny Twitter stories, the #vss365 tag is the main one to search for. Have fun!
Speculative stories 
Haha, that video is hilarious, I love how he runs right at the camera. The passengers must feel very reassured.
I’ve never used a fitness tracker, but my simple strategy has always been to wear my workout clothes while being a couch potato (until I finally exercise… most days 😛 ) — having one less obstacle to getting started, which doubles as a passive reminder, is surprisingly effective for me.
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Thanks! I agree, passive reminders or visual (or sartorial) cues are good. Though these days, I spend half my working week wearing jog bottoms, so they probably don’t work as motivation 😛
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