The Power Of Walking To Change Your Life

If improving your health and fitness and reducing your stress and anxiety sounds appealing to you then stick with me here, because I am going to share some very helpful and hopeful information with you today.

It amazes me that we don't hear nearly enough conversation about some of the simple things, such as nature, that we all have access to? Especially when they could make a remarkable difference in our health, wellness, and overall fitness? Well, let's talk about that here today. 

Read or Watch?

There are definitely some really great things that you need to understand and consider if you are a fellow aspiring outdoor enthusiast, especially one who values and appreciates living a more active and healthy lifestyle. I have actually also posted a short series related to subject on YouTube. You can link to that here if you are interested in listening to that discussion, where I also have a small little challenge to help you get started right away.

A little inspiration, motivation, and education are a beautiful combination, wouldn't you agree?

Some people prefer to read their content while others prefer to watch, whatever your preference just understand that you do have a couple of different options. I tend to like both myself and, since I happen to enjoy writing, I usually create both forms of content these days where possible. But, enough of that, let's get into the article shall we!

What Is This All About?

Here at Outdoor Informed we are all about leveraging the power of something incredibly valuable that many of us often take for granted, which is the power of spending more time outside in nature and everything that can actually do for you. The outdoors is a treasure trove of opportunity for adventure, skill building, creating connections, having fun, and even personal growth. It can have a massive impact on your overall health and wellbeing, and it is something that you should seriously consider incorporating more of into your life, so let's talk about that.

I want to touch on some of the key points, which I cover in more detail in my YouTube walking series, that begins with 5 basic concepts I believe will set you up for some real success if you feel ready to get your life moving in a new direction. There are also some common threads here that can apply to any of your goals in life. Of course I am a bit biased to getting you outdoors, but that is because I know how much this is going to benefit and inspire you, so we will start there.

#1 - Mindset

You hear a lot of talk about mindset everywhere today, but there is good reason for that. If you can't get your mindset squared away right up front, you are only setting yourself up for a much longer and more difficult battle. So the work you do here is really important, so taking the time to adjust your mindset up front will do wonders for you.

I recommend deciding that you are willing to be a little uncomfortable when making changes in life, because that just comes with the territory. You must decide that you are going to be greater than the challenges you face. You are absolutely capable, so actively convince yourself by taking action and proving this truth to, and for, yourself.

In my video series I talk about using the time you spend outdoors to create the person you want to become internally. I encourage you to get very clear on who and what you want to become, and then practice experiencing the thoughts and emotions of being that person. The stronger the thoughts and associated emotions, the better!

That might sound silly to some people, but they would be wrong. Your thoughts and emotions are everything, and they create every single thing that you experience in your life. If you do not work to change the habitual ones that do not serve your best interests, you will very likely continue to have the same experiences over and over again. Never underestimate the power of your thoughts and emotions, and do everything you can to get them to resonate with the person that you want to become.

#2 - Small Steps

One of the things that creates a stumbling block for so many in the beginning is trying to do too much, too fast. Nothing will contribute more to your failures than overwhelming yourself right out of the gate. It's really important to appreciate the benefits of taking smaller steps in spite of feeling like you need to try harder, especially in the very beginning.

I know how it feels to want something so bad that you push yourself more than you maybe should. You might feel like you are willing to do almost anything when you are really anxious to make some changes in your life. When it comes to health and fitness, this is something that we all share. We all want to look and feel good, we all have bigger dreams and aspirations, and we all want it now!

Well you can't have it! Haha, i'm kidding, kind of?

You can have it, but do yourself a favor and take small steps first and try to get into a bit of a routine. Get some small wins and then step up your efforts. You will be far more likely to reach your destination if you take the time to build yourself up slowly and more strategically.

I talk about finding an outdoor activity that you can begin doing daily, one that is easily accessible and requires very little other than your effort. I recommend walking for 30 minutes a day for one month. This is a great way to get yourself into shape slowly, build a new healthy habit, practice shaping your thoughts and emotions, and to enjoy the benefits of being outside each day.

#3 - Enjoy Your Activity

Walking is my initial preference for you, especially if you are a beginner. It's low impact, easy to do anywhere and anytime, it has significant benefits associated with it, and it will help to get you into better shape over time in a really simple way.

What I want most for you, however, is for you to enjoy what you are doing. There are all kinds of options and, for some, more vigorous activity could be something you enjoy which could be even more beneficial in some ways.

That being said, it could also be something simple like biking, swimming, yoga, or any number of things. The point is to get active, to get moving and start building better habits that will ultimately translate into better mobility and fitness so that you can come join us on some larger challenges and adventures in the future.

#4 - Consistency Wins

For all that you aspire to in your life, there are very few things that won't require a significant amount of effort if you expect to get good results, it's just the way that it is.

The thing is that if you consider your mindset in this regard, it is entirely up to you how you choose to look at that challenge, right? The bottom line is that consistency will tend to be your biggest challenge but also your greatest reward.

Consistency holds the keys to the kingdom in so many respects. Small steps done in a consistent manner can turn into monumental achievements over time, and that is not just fluffy fast talk. This is very real and very important for you to understand. You don't need to do more, you need to do it more consistently.

Be fierce in your commitment to whatever it is that you are aspiring toward, and make consistency the one thing that never escapes your attention. When you try to talk yourself out of making the effort, pick yourself up and make yourself get moving, and I promise you will be grateful that you did every single time.

#5 - Expand Slowly

As you are finding your stride being consistent, try to also exercise a little patience along with that in the beginning. Allow a few weeks to pass and build these new habits so that they start to feel natural, and then step up your efforts.

Try not to let your impatience get the better of you, and just be consistent with your small steps for a bit. You will be doing yourself a huge favor if you can moderate your desires and keep a slow and steady march in the right direction instead. I promise you that this will pay huge dividends.

Some of the benefits of this include not hurting yourself, not burning out, not feeling overwhelmed, not able to continue at an overly difficult pace, and all sorts of other similar things. Expand slowly and your body and your mind will thank you for it.

Some Final Thoughts

I think you can see how these concepts are quite powerful when you take the time to break them down a bit and really think them through. I mentioned some common themes that come up which can be applied in any area of your life, and those are mindset, small steps, and consistency. 

When you think about those things, it isn't hard to see the common thread they each represent when it comes to aspiring to more, to reaching for more, and to achieving more in your life. So much of what we would like to accomplish will require each of these if we ever hope to reach a modest level of skill, ability, or achievement.

There is so much more I could talk about here, and I do go into far more in my series of videos. I really want to encourage you to go watch those for inspiration and more details that might be exactly what you need to get you feeling motivated to act. I invite you to check that out here. If you would like to do the challenge I offer up in my video, here is a link to the free PDF.

I also love that you can enjoy and improve so much more in your own life while also enjoying more of the natural world, creating closer connections, learning new skills, and just living more adventurously. I can't imagine a better way to jump start some positive changes in your life, and I am giving you a personal invitation to do that now, don't wait! Come along on this journey with us and create some positive changes in your life today.

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir