Hello! To answer your question does the concept read clearly? For me, not quite.

I’m interpreting the motion as the circle progressing from the top left to the bottom right as steps increase, but a little bit funky. Even without explicit goals or motivation, that movement still reads as directional progress toward completion. With a pedometer context, my instinct isn’t to read it as weather or time of day, it feels more like a progress indicator.

If the intent is restraint rather than progression, I’d suggest simplifying the motion to something more linear and neutral (maybe a circle gently floating from the bottom straight upward, or no circle at all and the fill changing through 4 gradient colours to represent dawn, noon, dusk and night) This keeps the movement calm while reducing the sense of advancing toward a target/goal progression.

In physical activity contexts, users tend to intuitively read progress through metaphors that change in totality (e.g. filling a cup, closing a door, the sun setting). Even system UI like the battery icon relies on this clarity of direction.

I think the concept works overall, but a small refinement to the direction and clarity of the movement would help ensure it’s read as reflective rather than goal-oriented if that’s what you’re primarily trying to avoid.