At the beginning of the year, my goal was to walk 3K steps a day. Being in an office with telecons makes it difficult to walk throughtout the day. Most of my 'steps' were in the evenings. In May - I set my intention to walk 1 mile every day. I did not put restrictions on whether it had to be 1 mile straight as I know sometimes my schedule and weather would not allow. I also made it a point to walk at work in the mornings when possible. While there are obvious health benefits, the main reason was to build a healthy Habit.
Though some months were harder than others due to injury, illness, weather and other distractions, I've stayed semi- consistent. January & July were rough because of Covid & Shingles, respectively. Nevertheless, I've averaged 21 miles per month since January.
My walking journey has transformed over the last 9 months.
In the beginning, I would walk and worry - stressing about all the things to do for the day or things I hadn't gotten done. I worried about "what's next" in my life and career. I worried that others were judging me for walking so much, so often or around the same route day after day. I worried that I looked silly walking too fast or too slow. I worried about my kids, my mom and my mental/physical health. I walked to excape away from the hustle and bustle of work and commotion in the cubicles. I walked - but it wasn't a 'healthy habit'.
Eventually I started taking pictures during my walk of different things I found interesting or cute. A bird sitting on the park bench, the squirrel hiding behind the tree or the flowers blooming on the trees. It was nice to post pictures on my RunKeeper to remind myself of the simple things I encountered.
However, over the last month, I feel revived by my walks. Practicing mindfulness and meditation most days, I listen to the birds sing or the scream of the B-52 engines (yes, it is surprisingly a familiar lullaby). I'm noticing more about myself, my body when I walk- such as if my posture is poised or painful, relaxed or rigid. Along with pictures I now collect souvenirs from my walks. Sometimes its a colorful flower or a perfectly shaped leaf. Othertimes, I've found acorns big and small. I notice the morning dew on the blades of grass or the moss growing on the side of the old Louisiana tree. Watching the birds chase each other, and sometimes the squirels, is entertaining as is watching the summer storm clouds swirling in the distance. I notice the beauty and the destruction. There are several old building that have been demolished in the last few months. It's intriguing witnessing the process and wondering about the families that used to live in these homes that are being torn apart. I think about the cycle of life and how what may be someones fond memory of their first house, is reduced to a pile of dirt and cleared away. The leaves are starting to fall off the trees and it's fun to think back to when the ground was cold and brown, then turned lush green in the Spring time. Soon it the ground will be hard and cold again with Fall and Winter around the bend. The animals don't seem to mind. They go about there business, collecting leaves and acorns. I love when I get to hear the chirp of a baby bird, the pecking of a wood-pecker, or the hoot of an owl early in the mornings.
My walks are not always rainbows and butterflys (figuratively) but I am struck with how my mindset and focus has shifted. Before, it was somewhat difficult to 'get out of my head'. Although I still have stray thoughts and worries, they are less often and it seems easier to let the thoughts 'go'.
I won't credit my mindfulness, solely to my walks... I have done a lot of mindset work this year. I've listened to audiobooks about Stoicism and Simon Sinek's podcast "A bit of Optimism" and read books about midfulness and meditation. I've also made a habit of journaling at least 5x a week and meditating (haven't done so well with this habit...yet).
The books and podcasts have been great for learning about slowing down and why it's important. However, I've known most of the information for years. It wasn't until I practiced it during my daily walks that it has clicked and become simple. During that time, I'm able to just 'be' - focus on the here and now rather than thinking about to-do lists or missed opportunites. Theres still stray thoughts and emotions but I feel more in control. Most of all, I can experience life and enjoy my time outside alone.
So I challenge you - go Walk a Mile.
