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The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life
“A master class in athleticism, resilience, and human potential.” —Hoda Kotb, Today
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Impossible First , an inspiring blend of riveting adventure stories and life-changing wisdom that teaches us how to embark on a transformative one-day journey that will unlock our best lives.
Millions of people dream of living a more fulfilling life, yet many settle for a life of comfortable complacency, allowing excuses and negative thoughts to invade their minds. I don’t have enough time…I don’t have enough money…I’m afraid to fail...I don’t have what it takes —we allow these limiting beliefs to control us.
Now, The 12-Hour Walk provides the inspiration—and catalyst—for getting unstuck and realizing your full potential. Featuring life lessons from explorer, endurance athlete, and entrepreneur Colin O’Brady—whose adventures in such extreme places as Antarctica and the perilous Drake Passage and on the peaks of Mount Everest and K2 have seen him establish ten world records—this book’s vivid narrative and powerful insight will show you how you can embark on your own life-changing journey.
With Colin as your guide, The 12-Hour Walk asks you to invest one day in yourself. By walking alone, unplugging, listening to the voice within, and rewriting the limiting beliefs etched into your psyche, you can break free of the patterns holding you back and learn how to cultivate a “Possible Mindset”—an empowered way of thinking that unlocks a life of limitless possibilities. The being the hero of your own destiny.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Impossible First , an inspiring blend of riveting adventure stories and life-changing wisdom that teaches us how to embark on a transformative one-day journey that will unlock our best lives.
Millions of people dream of living a more fulfilling life, yet many settle for a life of comfortable complacency, allowing excuses and negative thoughts to invade their minds. I don’t have enough time…I don’t have enough money…I’m afraid to fail...I don’t have what it takes —we allow these limiting beliefs to control us.
Now, The 12-Hour Walk provides the inspiration—and catalyst—for getting unstuck and realizing your full potential. Featuring life lessons from explorer, endurance athlete, and entrepreneur Colin O’Brady—whose adventures in such extreme places as Antarctica and the perilous Drake Passage and on the peaks of Mount Everest and K2 have seen him establish ten world records—this book’s vivid narrative and powerful insight will show you how you can embark on your own life-changing journey.
With Colin as your guide, The 12-Hour Walk asks you to invest one day in yourself. By walking alone, unplugging, listening to the voice within, and rewriting the limiting beliefs etched into your psyche, you can break free of the patterns holding you back and learn how to cultivate a “Possible Mindset”—an empowered way of thinking that unlocks a life of limitless possibilities. The being the hero of your own destiny.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published August 2, 2022
204 people are currently reading
1995 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
October 17, 2022
Not really a self-help book, rather a memoir of the author’s extreme feats and accomplishments. It didn’t come across as bragging, but it did seem out of touch and privileged. The RV, the private plane, the time, ability, luck, money, and personal network all connect and contribute to this privileged feel and ultimately, his successes.
We're not all drawn to things we've never done before, especially with excitement and anticipation, and most of us will never complete such extreme feats nor have any desire to do so. So unfortunately, I don't know how many people will find his challenges beneficial in learning how to overcome the obstacles in their way. I would gain more reading about everyday identifiable challenges and how to overcome those.
That said, the endurance challenges were interesting although they at times seemed like compulsions of insubstantial single-minded effort, i.e., climbing the highest points in all 50 states in 3 weeks to set the world record but doing so in extreme timeframes and literally falling asleep while walking. It was just about completing the task with no time to enjoy the experience or to really be able to say you’ve done something. To me it’s the same as me saying that I’ve changed planes in Amsterdam. Technically, I’ve set foot in that country, but yet I haven’t actually done anything there and experienced the Netherlands, so I would never say I’ve been there. I would say I’ve passed through the airport there. Technically, Colin O’Brady completed his goal, but I fail to see the deep, thoughtful gratification that I had hoped was his motivation.
The self-help aspect of the book is meant to guide you past your limiting beliefs and encourage you to invest in yourself. The 12-hour walk is brought up early on and is defined clearly, but after that it isn’t really expanded upon. He goes over the limiting beliefs and attempts to relate each of his adventures to positive change and growth lessons and how they apply to you, but these mental processes which should be an integral part of the book are completely overshadowed by his athletic endeavors. I am not inspired to meet his end of the book challenge of taking my own 12-hour walk.
The self-help takeaways:
See the possibility. Have a growth mindset. Be ready and able to grow and evolve - see the person you'll become despite starting from a place of inexperience.
Seek out people who share your values, interests, and goals and are always trying to improve, who are reaching to do more. Those people will empower you and support you as you strive to achieve your best also.
Spend time wisely, make it count.
Realize that there will be many limiting beliefs to overcome.
Incremental goal setting for forward momentum.
With two exceptions (money is abundant and time is ample), his basic principles are sound, even if some of his own beliefs and ideas seem a bit grandiose and/or off putting. But all of that could have been shared in a more direct fashion in a blog post or magazine article as it only makes up about 10% of the book. A good read for those interested in endurance athletes and their feats, but not so motivating for the remaining 99.9999%.
We're not all drawn to things we've never done before, especially with excitement and anticipation, and most of us will never complete such extreme feats nor have any desire to do so. So unfortunately, I don't know how many people will find his challenges beneficial in learning how to overcome the obstacles in their way. I would gain more reading about everyday identifiable challenges and how to overcome those.
That said, the endurance challenges were interesting although they at times seemed like compulsions of insubstantial single-minded effort, i.e., climbing the highest points in all 50 states in 3 weeks to set the world record but doing so in extreme timeframes and literally falling asleep while walking. It was just about completing the task with no time to enjoy the experience or to really be able to say you’ve done something. To me it’s the same as me saying that I’ve changed planes in Amsterdam. Technically, I’ve set foot in that country, but yet I haven’t actually done anything there and experienced the Netherlands, so I would never say I’ve been there. I would say I’ve passed through the airport there. Technically, Colin O’Brady completed his goal, but I fail to see the deep, thoughtful gratification that I had hoped was his motivation.
The self-help aspect of the book is meant to guide you past your limiting beliefs and encourage you to invest in yourself. The 12-hour walk is brought up early on and is defined clearly, but after that it isn’t really expanded upon. He goes over the limiting beliefs and attempts to relate each of his adventures to positive change and growth lessons and how they apply to you, but these mental processes which should be an integral part of the book are completely overshadowed by his athletic endeavors. I am not inspired to meet his end of the book challenge of taking my own 12-hour walk.
The self-help takeaways:
See the possibility. Have a growth mindset. Be ready and able to grow and evolve - see the person you'll become despite starting from a place of inexperience.
Seek out people who share your values, interests, and goals and are always trying to improve, who are reaching to do more. Those people will empower you and support you as you strive to achieve your best also.
Spend time wisely, make it count.
Realize that there will be many limiting beliefs to overcome.
Incremental goal setting for forward momentum.
With two exceptions (money is abundant and time is ample), his basic principles are sound, even if some of his own beliefs and ideas seem a bit grandiose and/or off putting. But all of that could have been shared in a more direct fashion in a blog post or magazine article as it only makes up about 10% of the book. A good read for those interested in endurance athletes and their feats, but not so motivating for the remaining 99.9999%.
July 28, 2022
I kind of assumed the 12 hour walk in the title was a metaphor but it's not. O'Brady spends his life doing things like climbing Mt. Everest and crossing the ocean in a rowboat with a handful of other guys, so he went a bit nuts during lockdown and decided to walk for 12 hours straight just to challenge himself. The book is largely memoir about all of his (impressive) adventures, with some self help and pep talk thrown in. The goal is apparently really to walk for 12 hours just to do something really hard and challenging.
I had a hard time connecting to this author since he is so different from me and comes from a place of privilege that he really never acknowledges as a young, healthy, white man with lots of money and connections. It's an interesting read but I didn't come away personally motivated to walk for 12 hours or make my own extreme challenges.
I read a digital ARC of this book for review.
I had a hard time connecting to this author since he is so different from me and comes from a place of privilege that he really never acknowledges as a young, healthy, white man with lots of money and connections. It's an interesting read but I didn't come away personally motivated to walk for 12 hours or make my own extreme challenges.
I read a digital ARC of this book for review.
May 19, 2022
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book, but it missed the mark for me and comes in around 2.5 stars.
I wasn't familiar with Colin O'Brady when I picked up this book but was interested in the concept of the 12-hour walk. There's good advice in this book - O'Brady talks about the growth mindset and other ways to help reframe how we look at life. However, coming from O'Brady a lot of this advice feels silly. Each chapter has an anecdote or two and then an explanation of how to apply the story to your own life. Unfortunately, most of us are not Olympic-level athletes or have the resources that O'Brady has, which he basically fails to acknowledge at any point in the book.
The book talks about being brave, changing how you think, and surrounding yourself with people who help you grow, but these things are tied to stories like have the guts to leave a high-paying job that a family member pulled strings to help you get, travel the world with your friends who can change flights for you on a whim and make sure you have money to continue to travel, just call up your buddy who is a personal coach, or connect with people who casually climb mountains and have connections for international travel at the drop of a hat, or your parents who can definitely up and travel to your hospital bed if needed....oh you don't have any of those things? Well you can go on a walk and think about how you get those kinds of connections and resources. While O'Brady's suggestions around the 12-hour walk sound interesting, they feel less relevant after coming from a story that is so extreme and far removed from the lives that most of us live.
I was expecting something more in depth. Probably the most difficult struggle that O'Brady talks about is his leg injury following a fire and while he talks about what his life was like near the end of his recovery, we don't get any insight into those early days or the actual time, money, etc. it took for him to get to that point. That's the piece that would have been interesting to hear about and potentially replicate, compared to his other stories.
Personally I think the book would have been more effective if it was more about addressing the struggles in a more day-to-day way that the 12-hour walk seems made for, and not a bunch of stories about all the things O'Brady has done and what he personally struggled with during them.
I really wanted to like this book, but it missed the mark for me and comes in around 2.5 stars.
I wasn't familiar with Colin O'Brady when I picked up this book but was interested in the concept of the 12-hour walk. There's good advice in this book - O'Brady talks about the growth mindset and other ways to help reframe how we look at life. However, coming from O'Brady a lot of this advice feels silly. Each chapter has an anecdote or two and then an explanation of how to apply the story to your own life. Unfortunately, most of us are not Olympic-level athletes or have the resources that O'Brady has, which he basically fails to acknowledge at any point in the book.
The book talks about being brave, changing how you think, and surrounding yourself with people who help you grow, but these things are tied to stories like have the guts to leave a high-paying job that a family member pulled strings to help you get, travel the world with your friends who can change flights for you on a whim and make sure you have money to continue to travel, just call up your buddy who is a personal coach, or connect with people who casually climb mountains and have connections for international travel at the drop of a hat, or your parents who can definitely up and travel to your hospital bed if needed....oh you don't have any of those things? Well you can go on a walk and think about how you get those kinds of connections and resources. While O'Brady's suggestions around the 12-hour walk sound interesting, they feel less relevant after coming from a story that is so extreme and far removed from the lives that most of us live.
I was expecting something more in depth. Probably the most difficult struggle that O'Brady talks about is his leg injury following a fire and while he talks about what his life was like near the end of his recovery, we don't get any insight into those early days or the actual time, money, etc. it took for him to get to that point. That's the piece that would have been interesting to hear about and potentially replicate, compared to his other stories.
Personally I think the book would have been more effective if it was more about addressing the struggles in a more day-to-day way that the 12-hour walk seems made for, and not a bunch of stories about all the things O'Brady has done and what he personally struggled with during them.
July 27, 2022
You might (reasonably) think that a book with this title would spend a fair portion of the text going into the concept of the 12-hour walk, the purpose and benefits of it, the execution of it, and exactly how to apply the benefits gained from doing it. This book doesn't actually do that - it touches on each of those topics, but with just one or two sentences, with the result being that all the information about the actual "12-hour walk" proposal can be (and is) recapped in a list at the end of the book. This list is the length of a short blog post. So ultimately, "the 12-hour walk" is just a marketing hook, and that's really all it is.
The misfire here is that there's actually a fair amount of good guidance in this book, including encouragement on caring less about what others think about our passions & goals, and some good tough talk on pushing through discomfort to reach success. Unfortunately, because you probably came to this book expecting a manual on this "12-hour walk" concept, the book may ultimately disappoint. Look, I know exactly why they titled the book like this - because an catchy hook will sell books. "The 12-Hour Walk" is a great hook - it was great enough for me to pick it up and read it! But that's why I was so let down that there was so little meat in here about the actual concept - because the title really hooked me, and the book didn't deliver on that promise.
If you're looking for some pep-talk-style encouragement delivered in an easy-to-read manner (and you're not already an avid reader of self-help books), this may be a good choice. If you read self-help books with any regularity, you won't find much here that's new...but that doesn't mean that it's not still well-presented...and it's a quick read. I recommend for people who are new to self-help books, and those with short attention spans. (Also recommended for people who get inspired by anecdotes of extreme physical pursuits.)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a digital review copy.
The misfire here is that there's actually a fair amount of good guidance in this book, including encouragement on caring less about what others think about our passions & goals, and some good tough talk on pushing through discomfort to reach success. Unfortunately, because you probably came to this book expecting a manual on this "12-hour walk" concept, the book may ultimately disappoint. Look, I know exactly why they titled the book like this - because an catchy hook will sell books. "The 12-Hour Walk" is a great hook - it was great enough for me to pick it up and read it! But that's why I was so let down that there was so little meat in here about the actual concept - because the title really hooked me, and the book didn't deliver on that promise.
If you're looking for some pep-talk-style encouragement delivered in an easy-to-read manner (and you're not already an avid reader of self-help books), this may be a good choice. If you read self-help books with any regularity, you won't find much here that's new...but that doesn't mean that it's not still well-presented...and it's a quick read. I recommend for people who are new to self-help books, and those with short attention spans. (Also recommended for people who get inspired by anecdotes of extreme physical pursuits.)
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing house for providing a digital review copy.
December 11, 2024
One of the silliest books I have ever read. Dude will be like "I trusted my intuition and decided not to climb to the summit of K-2 in a blizzard with my friends. They all died and I didn't. Here's how this applies to you!"
Very, very silly. I couldn't stop reading, though, because I'm fascinated by people who spend their lives doing shit like climbing every state's highest peak within 3 weeks. Lol why??
Very, very silly. I couldn't stop reading, though, because I'm fascinated by people who spend their lives doing shit like climbing every state's highest peak within 3 weeks. Lol why??
August 31, 2022
I have such conflicting feelings about this book. I listened to this book after hearing an interview with Colin O’Brady on the Next Big Idea podcast. I probably should have stopped at that. From the podcast I really got everything I needed to know about the walk - walk for 12 hours without music or talking to anyone. It doesn’t have to be far and you can take as many breaks as you need. It’s a very interesting idea of a way to spend a day with just your mind. Okay Colin, you’ve piqued my interest.
But this book… the subtitle alone told me I wouldn’t enjoy this book. This book reeks with law of attraction, which I think is very manipulative and can be hurtful. The idea that you can just let go of all of these limiting beliefs and you’ll be able to manifest a new life doesn’t take into account any kind of structural barriers.
To his credit he calls out in the first couple of chapters his status as a white, cis-male one time and he does use motivational quotes by women and people who aren’t white, which is rarer than you would think. But wow do his stories about his and his friends adventures only center around white men. I actually really enjoyed the stories of the incredible things he’s accomplished, but I think that means I just read the wrong book - I should have just read his memoir. I think having only these stories and experiences to help guide anyone is problematic.
But at the end of the day, I still want to try doing the 12-hour walk… but I don’t think in that 12 hours I’ll have “conquered” my mind (what does that even mean?) or suddenly be magically living my best life. If you played a drinking game for every time the book promised you your best life, you be living your drunkest life.
But this book… the subtitle alone told me I wouldn’t enjoy this book. This book reeks with law of attraction, which I think is very manipulative and can be hurtful. The idea that you can just let go of all of these limiting beliefs and you’ll be able to manifest a new life doesn’t take into account any kind of structural barriers.
To his credit he calls out in the first couple of chapters his status as a white, cis-male one time and he does use motivational quotes by women and people who aren’t white, which is rarer than you would think. But wow do his stories about his and his friends adventures only center around white men. I actually really enjoyed the stories of the incredible things he’s accomplished, but I think that means I just read the wrong book - I should have just read his memoir. I think having only these stories and experiences to help guide anyone is problematic.
But at the end of the day, I still want to try doing the 12-hour walk… but I don’t think in that 12 hours I’ll have “conquered” my mind (what does that even mean?) or suddenly be magically living my best life. If you played a drinking game for every time the book promised you your best life, you be living your drunkest life.
August 20, 2022
Every once in a while I like to read a 'self-help' book and I'm aware most of them are similar, common sense, and give you nothing new but maybe one interesting idea. Same here, why not take a 12-hour solo walk with no music or distractions - average idea, why not... (that's what the book is, don't read it).
But more interesting was getting to know Colin's story or the fact how he snagged the title of the first solo unassisted crossing of Antarctica - on a technicality. Here's a much more interesting read you should spend your time on.
But more interesting was getting to know Colin's story or the fact how he snagged the title of the first solo unassisted crossing of Antarctica - on a technicality. Here's a much more interesting read you should spend your time on.
November 14, 2023
Let’s GOOOOOOO!! Seriously, I’m inspired. I’ve done 1/2 day silent retreats and they have been profound. And honestly, they feel too short once I’ve finally settled into the silence.
I think a 12 hour walk would be an interesting experience, especially since I can take breaks to journal or draw. Alone and no talking I think are what will do it, plus the challenge of doing something that at first mention, seems too hard.
It was inspiring to hear all the author has accomplished with his “possible mindset.” I believe we are all capable of much more than we think. Let’s get after it!
I think a 12 hour walk would be an interesting experience, especially since I can take breaks to journal or draw. Alone and no talking I think are what will do it, plus the challenge of doing something that at first mention, seems too hard.
It was inspiring to hear all the author has accomplished with his “possible mindset.” I believe we are all capable of much more than we think. Let’s get after it!
May 4, 2022
Loved this book. Inspiring, challenging and thought-provoking. Can I do it? I want to try!
June 11, 2024
* Next global 12 hour walk: 5th October 2024
* What are your limiting beliefs?
* What are your limiting beliefs?
July 19, 2025
Are you looking for a book to help you build your confidence and achieve your goals? A book to inspire you? A book that will help you feel accomplished? A book that could help you figure out practically how to manage a 12 hour day of solitary walking and give you helpful suggestions for how to navigate the physical, mental, and emotional space of the task?... This isn't the book for you.
If instead you are looking to feel horrible about yourself, to feel small, to stop caring if your friends and loved ones live or die as long as the goal is met, to avoid processing any of your trauma and instead to become famous and manic, to likely injure yourself, and/or to cultivate a mindset that could potentially push you to your premature death ... Bingo, you found it.
Spoiler alert, summary of whole book below:
Premise: Have you considered walking for 12 hours? The author has completed many seemingly impossible feats, so if you're worried you couldn't walk for 12 hours he can help you talk yourself into it. (Secret: One of the authors next impossible feats will be, for no deep reason, to convince millions of people to walk for 12 hours).
You might object to a 12 hour walk by saying...
"I hate being uncomfortable." Yeah, the author understands -- he was pretty uncomfortable rowing a boat from the edge of south america to antartica. (That's it ... he was uncomfortable... so ... you, don't care about being uncomfortable.)
"I'm not a -- 12 hour walking person." Before rowing through the ocean to cross a never before human powered row boat stretch of ocean to get to antartica, the author never picked up a paddle. He trained for three months and was totally fine. Don't worry, you can do anything. Situations and contexts and factors don't matter.
"I'm broken and will never be the same." Don't worry, the author was badly injured and might not have ever been able to walk again after he tried jump roping with ropes that were lit on fire (????!!!?!?!?!) and got badly burned (!!!!! .... !!!!) in Thailand. It took him a while, but then he decided to start rowing oceans and climbing mountains and everything was great. You're fine. Just do things.
"I'm afraid of what people will say." Don't worry, people judged the author when he quit his job and decided out of nowhere to be an athelete. It worked out, he's famous now. That's all the matters. Please, whatever you do, don't take in the feedback of other people.
"I'm afraid of failing." Yeah, again, author totally gets you. He was afraid of failing when he raced a man to walk across antartica by foot. But he won. Don't worry, you can win too. #relatable #helpful
"I don't know what to do." This is an important objection. When the author was climinbing Everest there was a dangerous section and he had to decide to go up or go back down. He trusted his gut and went back down but the three people who went with him decided to keep going and ALL DIED. So yeah, you DO know what to do ... Just trust your gut and you'll... probably not die I guess.
"I don't have the right friends." No problem, get rid of any friends that don't help you do crazy things like walking for 12 hours or paddling through oceans. That's what the author did. Just cut them.
"I don't have enough time." You do. Next.
"I don't have enough money." Don't worry, money magically came to the author when he wanted it. Money will magically come to you too. Don't consider it. (Is the author a white man? ... you know the answer.)
"I don't have what it takes." The author's wife didn't want to climb Mt. Everest because of the people that died doing it when her husband went previously... but the author managed to convince her to do it. And even though they were in the edge of an avalance he doesn't feel or exhibit any fear or guilt or care that she could have almost died --- as long as you don't care about your well being or your loved ones.... you have what it takes.
To summarize in three phrases:
Grandiose. Delusional. Bad advice.
I have now decided, (as I did want to go on a 12 hour walk for contemplative purposes) to intentionally walk for precisely 11 hours and 50 mintues just to spite this author. Because reaching goals is not more important than everything else, especially people.
If instead you are looking to feel horrible about yourself, to feel small, to stop caring if your friends and loved ones live or die as long as the goal is met, to avoid processing any of your trauma and instead to become famous and manic, to likely injure yourself, and/or to cultivate a mindset that could potentially push you to your premature death ... Bingo, you found it.
Spoiler alert, summary of whole book below:
Premise: Have you considered walking for 12 hours? The author has completed many seemingly impossible feats, so if you're worried you couldn't walk for 12 hours he can help you talk yourself into it. (Secret: One of the authors next impossible feats will be, for no deep reason, to convince millions of people to walk for 12 hours).
You might object to a 12 hour walk by saying...
"I hate being uncomfortable." Yeah, the author understands -- he was pretty uncomfortable rowing a boat from the edge of south america to antartica. (That's it ... he was uncomfortable... so ... you, don't care about being uncomfortable.)
"I'm not a -- 12 hour walking person." Before rowing through the ocean to cross a never before human powered row boat stretch of ocean to get to antartica, the author never picked up a paddle. He trained for three months and was totally fine. Don't worry, you can do anything. Situations and contexts and factors don't matter.
"I'm broken and will never be the same." Don't worry, the author was badly injured and might not have ever been able to walk again after he tried jump roping with ropes that were lit on fire (????!!!?!?!?!) and got badly burned (!!!!! .... !!!!) in Thailand. It took him a while, but then he decided to start rowing oceans and climbing mountains and everything was great. You're fine. Just do things.
"I'm afraid of what people will say." Don't worry, people judged the author when he quit his job and decided out of nowhere to be an athelete. It worked out, he's famous now. That's all the matters. Please, whatever you do, don't take in the feedback of other people.
"I'm afraid of failing." Yeah, again, author totally gets you. He was afraid of failing when he raced a man to walk across antartica by foot. But he won. Don't worry, you can win too. #relatable #helpful
"I don't know what to do." This is an important objection. When the author was climinbing Everest there was a dangerous section and he had to decide to go up or go back down. He trusted his gut and went back down but the three people who went with him decided to keep going and ALL DIED. So yeah, you DO know what to do ... Just trust your gut and you'll... probably not die I guess.
"I don't have the right friends." No problem, get rid of any friends that don't help you do crazy things like walking for 12 hours or paddling through oceans. That's what the author did. Just cut them.
"I don't have enough time." You do. Next.
"I don't have enough money." Don't worry, money magically came to the author when he wanted it. Money will magically come to you too. Don't consider it. (Is the author a white man? ... you know the answer.)
"I don't have what it takes." The author's wife didn't want to climb Mt. Everest because of the people that died doing it when her husband went previously... but the author managed to convince her to do it. And even though they were in the edge of an avalance he doesn't feel or exhibit any fear or guilt or care that she could have almost died --- as long as you don't care about your well being or your loved ones.... you have what it takes.
To summarize in three phrases:
Grandiose. Delusional. Bad advice.
I have now decided, (as I did want to go on a 12 hour walk for contemplative purposes) to intentionally walk for precisely 11 hours and 50 mintues just to spite this author. Because reaching goals is not more important than everything else, especially people.
February 19, 2024
It’s not a book about me — he said.
August 11, 2025
This book was more of a memoir vibe and then details about how to meditate on improving your life and how to complete the 12 hour walk. I’m definitely interested in trying it myself after reading, I don’t think that the book itself really gave a lot of information about why the 12 hour walk is helpful other than the fact that you’re spending time alone with your thoughts. I probably wouldn’t read again, maybe not recommend either. Short, interesting read though, would give it 2.5 stars.
August 30, 2025
Honestly a 2.5. I really enjoyed his life story but he lost me with the 12 hour walk and trademarked Possible Mindset. I got some great info about his adventures and then as soon as I’m invested it was cut short to talk about how it applies to you. I would’ve much rather read a memoir of his. Would not read again or recommend.
July 19, 2023
really inspiring & thought-provoking!
i think this is more of a memoir than a self-help book but O’Brady’s stories encouraged me to think about my own life and the abilities that i have in my mind and my body to do the things that i dream of doing.
i listened on audio & i’d recommend! :)
i think this is more of a memoir than a self-help book but O’Brady’s stories encouraged me to think about my own life and the abilities that i have in my mind and my body to do the things that i dream of doing.
i listened on audio & i’d recommend! :)
January 30, 2023
This book wasn’t bad, and I don’t believe the author meant to come off as entitled - he seems like a great guy.
I’m likely not the target market for this book, but I thought I was.
The idea of walking 12 hours one time seemed disconnected to the stories he was telling about his own life.
Given the self-improvement category has tons of great reads, I’d pass on this one.
I’m likely not the target market for this book, but I thought I was.
The idea of walking 12 hours one time seemed disconnected to the stories he was telling about his own life.
Given the self-improvement category has tons of great reads, I’d pass on this one.
November 23, 2022
Great stories... but not much about the actual title. Enjoyed it anyway.
December 17, 2022
I like the idea of heading out my door some morning and walking for 12 hours straight, returning as a changed person. Not hobbled by the walking, not blistered and dehydrated, but with a newfound purpose to my life and the attitude that nothing's going to stop me from reaching my Everest, whatever that Everest is.
Writing a best-selling novel?
Why not?
This book is the kick-in-the-pants to stop dreaming of doing whatever we dream of doing, and actually setting boots to pavement (or mountainside), overcoming all the self-limiting beliefs we harbor, and taking action. Does it actually require walking for 12 hours? According to the author, no. It can be as little as a mile. In the city or in nature. But the rules are: do it alone, do it for 12 hours, take provisions, and plan your bathroom breaks.
Each chapter begins with a gripping adventure that the author actually survived...like, climbing Everest. His website has short, accompanying videos. Those alone are worth the price of the book.
Care to join me in attempting our own versions of Everest?
Writing a best-selling novel?
Why not?
This book is the kick-in-the-pants to stop dreaming of doing whatever we dream of doing, and actually setting boots to pavement (or mountainside), overcoming all the self-limiting beliefs we harbor, and taking action. Does it actually require walking for 12 hours? According to the author, no. It can be as little as a mile. In the city or in nature. But the rules are: do it alone, do it for 12 hours, take provisions, and plan your bathroom breaks.
Each chapter begins with a gripping adventure that the author actually survived...like, climbing Everest. His website has short, accompanying videos. Those alone are worth the price of the book.
Care to join me in attempting our own versions of Everest?
August 9, 2022
Both Inspiring and Ableist
I’ve read O’Brady’s earlier books and now this one. I love his sense of adventure, his perseverance and his ability to motivate others. I always come away from one of his books feeling more committed to my own goals.
However these goals will not include a 12 Hour Walk. I was shocked by O’Brady’s proclamation that anyone can do this. Has he never heard of disability? Does he not know that some people use wheelchairs because they are completely unable to walk and that an attitude change will not create an ability to walk in a person who simply can’t.
I hope he revised the next edition to offer alternatives for those of us who could benefit from a challenge but are too disabled to commit to a 12 Hour Walk.
I’ve read O’Brady’s earlier books and now this one. I love his sense of adventure, his perseverance and his ability to motivate others. I always come away from one of his books feeling more committed to my own goals.
However these goals will not include a 12 Hour Walk. I was shocked by O’Brady’s proclamation that anyone can do this. Has he never heard of disability? Does he not know that some people use wheelchairs because they are completely unable to walk and that an attitude change will not create an ability to walk in a person who simply can’t.
I hope he revised the next edition to offer alternatives for those of us who could benefit from a challenge but are too disabled to commit to a 12 Hour Walk.
August 18, 2022
So inspiring. Can’t wait to embark on my walk! Colin is amazing.
November 23, 2025
I read this on a whim based on an IG reel of someone who completed the 12 hour walk. It fell short, in my opinion, of having much real advice to offer or even providing any real sparks of inspiration. While it seems like to author has accomplished some amazing things, the writing didn’t really capture the spirit of perseverance and rather the book just highlighted his luck and privilege. The memoir-style of the majority of the book also didn’t relate terribly well to the proposed action item, the 12 hour walk. He did, however, convince me to actually participate in the 12 hour walk, so we’ll see if I reevaluate my review after I’ve done that.
March 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed hearing about Colin’s accomplishments and how he pushed himself and his limits to achieve great things. This was not new information for me regarding goal setting, mindset, etc., but it was good to be reminded of these things and how they are helpful to achievement. I liked the idea of a 12 hour walk to refocus myself—no phone, no electronics, no other person.
May 22, 2024
After I finished listening to Rebecca Solnit's Wanderlust: A History of Walking a couple years ago, I wanted to look into more books and films about walking in general. This is one of the titles that showed up in my search on Libby, but I was wary ("invest one day, unlock your best life"—ok). I never heard of Colin O'Brady either and didn't wanna be a sucker following some random challenge by an entrepreneur who sells supplements or something.
Anyway, I liked this. I scheduled my 12-hour walk for this Friday!
41.50% Criticism often comes from people who are disappointed in their own lives and need a target for their insecurity. You don’t really hear it from those actually living their best lives.
19.50% To reach the highest high, you have to touch your lowest low
19.00% Moments of victory can only be built on top of moments of struggle
9.40% 😂 competing with British dr Rudd to drag 375 pound sled across Antarctica
6.70% “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” Steven/Stephen Wright
Anyway, I liked this. I scheduled my 12-hour walk for this Friday!
41.50% Criticism often comes from people who are disappointed in their own lives and need a target for their insecurity. You don’t really hear it from those actually living their best lives.
19.50% To reach the highest high, you have to touch your lowest low
19.00% Moments of victory can only be built on top of moments of struggle
9.40% 😂 competing with British dr Rudd to drag 375 pound sled across Antarctica
6.70% “Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” Steven/Stephen Wright
November 18, 2023
Awesome, inspiring book!! My husband and I will each be doing the 12 hour walk 🥳
April 27, 2025
The title alone explains the concept and you don’t even need to read the book. 2 stars for the concept of taking a 12 hour walk to clear your mind and become aware of your intentions….but the rest is a bunch of self-congratulatory adventure trips the author takes and didn’t inspire me at all… wonder what kind of book he would have written if he had kids/commitments like most of us.
August 21, 2025
Very inspiring! 12 hour walk happening Monday:)
August 22, 2025
wildly impressive adventure stories mixed in with a dose of self-help and motivational messaging
October 4, 2022
Most inspiring book I've ever read! Thank you Colin O'Brady for bringing so much positivity to the world. Can't wait to do my 12 Hour Walk!
February 10, 2023
I enjoyed the audio book and hearing all the stories of how Colin overcame any unbelief and his triumph going from barely able to walk in a hospital bed to finishing the Chicago Triathlon first place. Truly proves we can do anything we put our mind to and the 12 hour walk can help us reconnect with ourselves and reshape any limiting believes we have to do what we always dreamed of doing or becoming when we were children.
January 6, 2026
That guy Tim on TikTok talked about the 12 hour walk and I've wanted to do it ever since. Really liked hearing this guy's crazy stories and looking forward to doing my own 12 hour walk :)
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