On a walk this morning, I was reminded of the difference between decay and diminishing returns.
I try to go for walks daily, ideally more than once. This morning's was decorated with the aftermath of late-summer rain. Which means it was cold enough to wear a hoody and think fall thoughts.
Starting my day with a walk sets things in motion. It creates the kind of momentum that keeps building throughout the day. And I've been pretty inconsistent lately. Even though I know I actually enjoy my morning walks, I've been getting distracted by things like "I'll just send a few emails first." But then an hour goes by without noticing. When the walk gets pushed, it often means journaling does too. So I squeeze it in later in the day. It gets done, but it doesn’t feel as good. I still accomplish what I set out to. Except, then it feels reactive instead of proactively paced. And that changes everything about how I move through the day.
The biggest mistake we make isn’t in what we haven’t gotten to yet. We run into problems when we abandon the very things that were working. The small habits that make us feel grounded, confident, and clear. That's what we drop when things start running smoothly... as if we suddenly don't need them anymore.
When you notice the pace is increasing, don’t wait to do something about it.
Get off of the treadmill.
onward.
-dmac