I often get hung up on crafting a perfectly worded post and then end up posting nothing.

I had great intentions to post this before or on November 1st, but four days into the month isn’t too bad.

I knew what I wanted my November challenge to be WAY back in September.

And after a month of focusing on hygge, it became clear that biking brings me more joy than driving.

So my November challenge is: No car.

The kids and I are calling it “Bike Month” because they are participating too.

Why no car??

I feel happier when I bike.

I spend less if I bike to errands.

My stress is lower when I bike.

I slow down when I don’t use the car.

Moving everyday is good for me and the kids.

So I spent much of October prepping them for this challenge. We discussed it a lot and talked about why we were doing it.

I also created an incentive chart for them.

I want them to understand that when we choose to walk or bike places we save money on gas. So every mile they bike, they earn $1.

Their bike ride to school is 1 mile each way, so each day they can earn $2.

Below is our chart so far this week!! We write the name of the person/people who biked the mile in the square and add it up at the end of the day.

So far they have not complained once about biking to school.

Yes, our legs are all sore this first week. But my heart is happy as we hop on the bikes each day.

I want my kids to be tough and resilient, and I believe this challenge will show them their physical strength.

And on the mornings they don’t want to bike, but still do it?? Well, then they will see their mental strength.

The bike ride helps us process our day and connect with each other. My kids share more details with me when we are biking side-by-side versus in the car.

We already know of a few instances that require the car, like an upcoming birthday party.

As always, the goal isn’t perfection.

I just want to reset our default.

Bike before car.

-Brittany