The Blog

At It’s Time Texas, one of the values that drives our work is relentless curiosity. To us, this means finding clarity through asking meaningful questions and learning from honest feedback. At the end of the 2019 Community Challenge, we asked everyone who participated to share their feedback about the experience – what you enjoyed and what could be improved for the future. We thought hard about what you had to say. Then, we got to work making this year’s Challenge even better. Thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts and suggestions. Here’s what’s new in 2020.

10 Simple Ways to Earn Points

In years past, there were different ways to rack up points depending on whether you were participating as an individual, school, workplace, or municipality. To simplify things, we’ve narrowed down the list to 10 simple actions that anyone can take to earn points for their community.

Easy Reactivation

Did you participate in the 2019 Community Challenge? If so, simply reactivate your account to start earning points for your community in 2020. Use your same email and password from last year to login, then answer a few questions to reactivate your profile. Don’t remember your password? No problem. Just click “forget password” and a reset link will be sent to your email. Login to get started!

A New Take on Healthy Selfies

We hear you. Selfies aren’t for everyone. So we’ve changed the criteria for posting a ‘healthy selfie’ (#2 on our list for earning points). Where we used to require that you show your face when posting photos to earn points for your healthy activities, you now have a lot more flexibility. Face or no face, upload a photo that shows you in the act of eating a healthy meal, drinking water, or engaging in a healthy activity, and you’ll earn 50 points for your community.

Now, Anyone Can Host a Community Event

Of all the different ways to earn points, hosting a Community Event is by far the heaviest hitter. 15,000 points to be exact! Examples include hosting a group exercise class or yoga in the park, organizing a healthy community potluck, or putting on a 5k walk/run. While the options are just about endless, the key is to choose a healthy activity you enjoy and invite your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone else who will listen to join you. You can find ideas, inspiration, and step-by-step instructions in our Community Event Guide & Toolkit.

Have a passion for inspiring others? Become a Community Ambassador!

If you’re passionate about promoting healthy living in your community, then we have a job for you. Community Ambassadors are our most dedicated participants, helping to get the word out about the Challenge and upping engagement within their community. When you sign up as an Ambassador, we provide you with a Community Ambassador Guide, including a list of activities you can complete each week (like hosting a neighborhood event or posting about the challenge on social media) to get your community more involved. We’ll send you weekly reminders with an invite to share what activities you completed that week. Submit at least 6 activities over the course of the Challenge, and we’ll send you some fancy swag. This position is brand-new to the Community Challenge, so don’t miss the opportunity to be a trailblazer.

Share Your Story

Stories are one of our most powerful tool for sparking change. Stories have the capacity to inform, challenge, and inspire us. They introduce us to new ways of seeing and thinking about the world. And perhaps most importantly, they remind us that we are not alone. Hearing from others who have faced difficult circumstances and found ways to overcome them helps to reframe what’s possible. By sharing your story and what motivates you to lead a healthier life, you might just inspire someone else to do the same.

We’ll Take Your Favorite Recipes & Health Hacks, Too

More than a competition, the Community Challenge is about bringing people together and supporting each other’s efforts to lead healthier lives. One of the best ways we can think of to do that is by exchanging ideas, encouragement, and inspiration with other Texans who might be at a similar place on their health journey. To help get the conversation going, we’ve created a forum for you to share your favorite healthy recipes, as well as the tips, tricks, habits, and hacks that help you stick to your goals. Unleash your inner guru by completing one or both surveys. Then look for your ideas to appear on the It’s Time Texas blog throughout the Challenge.

Compete with Your Workplace

It’s no secret that it’s way more fun to compete on a team than by yourself, so why not get the people you see every weekday to join you? Not only are there opportunities for employees to win weekly prize giveaways from It’s Time Texas, competing as a workplace also provides you with bi-monthly reports that show employee participation and progress. Those are just a few of the benefits for organizations who commit to the Employer Challenge. Talk to your team and check out our website to see how to get your workplace involved. The deadline to register as an employer is January 6th!

Join Our Fundraising Team

Building a healthier Texas takes all of us. So this year, participants are invited to join the Community Challenge fundraising team to help raise awareness and funds that further the mission of It’s Time Texas. We believe in a Texas where everyone has the resources, support, and opportunities to prioritize health and live their best life. And every dollar you raise goes toward empowering Texans to lead healthier lives and build healthier communities. When you join the team and make a $25 donation to kickoff your fundraising campaign, you’ll receive an awesome team t-shirt (plus a lot of gratitude from It’s Time Texas). It’s a great way to get your family and friends involved in a cause you’re passionate about.

Kicking off on January 6, the 2020 Community Challenge is gearing up to be our best one yet. We can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish when you put your health first.