I know—“Aquatoberpril” is a mouthful. It’s just my playful name for what started as an “Aquatober” challenge—an attempt to spend the month of October drinking water instead of soda and other sugary beverages—that has unexpectedly stretched all the way through April. In short: I gave up soda, and I’m still mostly sticking with water.
The first time I tried Aquatober I had mixed results. Some years I didn’t make it the whole month; other years I held out longer. This year has been different. Six months in, I’m still largely soda-free—aside from a homemade milkshake I treated myself to recently—and I’ve learned a few things about accountability, habit change, and what really motivates me.
One of the biggest surprises was how much sharing the challenge publicly helped. When I first mentioned Aquatober on the blog, it stopped being just a private experiment and suddenly felt like a commitment. I don’t mean I expected anyone to police my behavior, but telling readers made the goal feel more real. The supportive comments and enthusiasm I got from folks who read about my soda-free challenge turned out to be a useful nudge. The public declaration—whether you call it accountability or simply putting your intentions into words—gave me an extra reason to follow through.
Physically, the changes haven’t been dramatic. I haven’t seen a big jump in energy, my skin hasn’t transformed overnight, and I haven’t lost a noticeable amount of weight. There have been practical perks, though: I’ve spent less money on sugary drinks, I get fewer post-soda sugar spikes, and my dentist might appreciate the reduced enamel exposure. More importantly for me, the main reward has been building confidence: I proved to myself that I can set a goal, stick with it, and form a new habit over time.
That confidence matters. Being able to assert willpower in one area often spills over into other parts of life—making healthier choices more consistently, sticking to small commitments, and enjoying the sense of accomplishment that comes from following through. For anyone trying a soda-free challenge, those psychological wins can be just as valuable as physical ones.
If you’re thinking of trying a similar challenge, here are a few practical tips that helped me stay on track: always carry a refillable water bottle, try naturally flavored water or sparkling water if you miss carbonation, set short-term goals (one week, two weeks) and reward yourself, and track the money you save to make the benefits more tangible. Small swaps—like asking for water at restaurants or replacing one daily soda with water—can add up over weeks and months.
I should be honest: I’m not promising I’ll never drink soda again. Summer is coming, and hot, humid days make cold, refreshing drinks especially tempting. I might indulge occasionally—life is about balance—but the extended Aquatober experiment has shifted my default toward water more often than not. That feels like progress to me.
What about you? What keeps you motivated when you try to change a habit—whether it’s quitting soda, drinking more water, or anything else? If you’ve given up soda before, did you notice any long-term differences? I’d love to hear your strategies and stories—sharing them might help someone else stick with their own challenge.