Counting Steps

 I will admit it.  I am an avid step-counter.  I am often curious about how many steps I've taken through the course of my day, and am motivated by those metrics to sometimes take an extra walk around the block to reach a target number.  There are worse things I could be (and have been) compelled towards pursuing, so I see this as a small way of gamifying my overall health and well-being. 

What I find interesting is how the overall number is what stands out to me.  Not the many activities during my day that have contributed to that number, just the overall goal itself.  I find this same thinking is mirrored in many of the larger pursuits I take on in life.  Being goal-oriented is what has helped me to achieve and follow through on the many challenges I have put in front of myself: running marathons, riding long distances on my bike, returning to school to earn my BA, not to mention the various hobbies and interests that I have dabbled in over the years.  To some, it may seem like all I do is replace one goal with another in an endless pursuit of...who knows what.  To me, this is what brings spice to my life.  I enjoy putting myself out there, stretching towards something that I may or may not be successful at, all to say that I have had the experience and tried something new.

Where this falls short is in the journey itself.  The steps that it takes to reach these accomplishments.  While I am practiced at setting my sights on a goal, putting my head down, and getting it done, I often find the process itself becomes a bit blurred.  I am too busy focusing on the finish line in the distance to look down and clearly see where I am in the moment.  And in doing so, I forget to count my steps.  Not just count my steps, but celebrate and savour them.  Acknowledge the hard ones and easy ones.  The funny ones and painful ones.  The ones that I had to take a leap or stretch to reach, and the ones that I managed despite negative self-talk that would have me believing otherwise. 

I suppose that it all comes down to balance.  Learning how to balance reaching for goals with being present and focusing on that next step ahead.  It is one thing to work towards an audacious goal, and another thing entirely to pause and admire all of the tiny steps it took to get you to that finish line. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Solar Return Reflections

 As I embark on a new solar return, I am compelled to reflect on the year that is closing behind me. Exercises like these often have us remembering the big wins or struggles, the notable changes and shifts that have taken place, the happenings that are impossible to ignore. And while all of those items are important to note, savour, and pay attention to, I find myself drawn to the smaller moments in time. The almost imperceptible yet impactful catalysts that are most often responsible for growth.  What I find interesting about those tiny agitators is the amount of pain and discomfort they often create as they push us to respond. Like the grain of sand in our shoe that will cause a blister if we don't stop to remove it, ignoring these pain points only leads to longer-lasting, deeper dis-ease if not attended to. It was during a visit with a dear friend this past week that this point was driven home for me. I was describing to her a feeling of overwhelm I had been dealing with (o...
Read more

Letting Go

 This past weekend, I helped my eldest son as he prepared to take the next big step in his life's adventures.  It felt bittersweet to watch as he packed up the room in his apartment, in anticipation of setting up a new room in a new city in the near future.  I have felt proud of him over the past few months as he has navigated many unknowns and new situations with a sense of certainty and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.  Deep down, I marvelled at his ability to let go, to embrace the new opportunities being presented while letting go of the life he had been establishing over the past couple of years.  Thinking back to when I was his age, I am not sure that I would have had the ability to make these same decisions so easily.  Sure, I have had my fair share of tough choices and have navigated change as I have journeyed through life. Still, I have often felt a sense of dis-ease when it comes to letting go of what is or has been to make room for what might be....
Read more

Cheer Stations

 Yesterday, I ran my fifth full marathon, my first in two years.  The idea felt daunting at first - I hadn't forgotten how all-encompassing the training could feel, spanning sixteen weeks and requiring hundreds of kilomteters to be travelled simply to complete those last 42.2.  And yet, there I was, signing up and taking on the work. Training went well - the weeks seemed to pass more quickly than I expected them to, and despite a slightly cranky hamstring, my body and mind adapted to the workouts and didn't put up roadblocks along the way.  Getting up and getting out for those early morning runs and long weekend runs became routine, and something I looked forward to.  Especially the long runs that had me crossing the city instead of sticking to very well-worn routes from previous training blocks.  Friends started to inquire about the big day, and I noticed that many of them seemed to be more excited about the race than I was.  With it not being my firs...
Read more