Going Off The Trail: 30 Days to Higher Performance Through Nature

It's Day 5 of the 30x30 David Suzuki Nature Challenge.  I'm sharing my journey of the challenge with you and aligning it with having a higher performance at work and in life.  I'm an outdoorsy person, so my challenge is to intentionally get more out of being 'out there'.

This past weekend we had SUN!  For those readers who do not know Newfoundland weather... sun is a rarity for us, and when we get it, we take advantage!  So going outside wasn't hard.  But getting my intentional connection to nature was just a little more difficult.

My weekends are sacred.  I spend time with my family, and this is very important to me.  However, my husband and I have an arrangement - we each get a weekend morning to spend doing whatever we want (child responsibilities go to the other person).  This past weekend, my morning was Sunday.  Before I get to that, let's go to Saturday.

Saturday morning my wee one had gym class bright and early.  After class, we went to a pond with a lovely trail around it.  I let her lead.  Instead of spending my nature time alone in silence, I watched her lead the way in nature.  She squealed in delight when she managed to get down a little step without holding my hand.  She went OFF THE TRAIL... and her curiosity resulted in us finding a grassy area next to the pond that is excellent for yoga or a picnic!  I've been running around this pond for years and have never found this spot.  Going off the trail was so much more exciting.... she already knew how to walk along the trail.  But finding pine cones to tear apart (and taste) and lumpy, bumpy, grassy spots to maneuver through was much more exciting.

Being curious is a wonderful thing.  On the one hand, like my babe, you find and learn new things by questioning and attempting and taking risks.  However, I was curious by observing.  My toddler and I didn't get very far in distance, but I believe I observed more in that 45 minutes than any other time I've been around that pond.

Be curious at work.  Seek out better or different ways to do things... even if you believe you are doing them well.   Let someone else lead the way and you watch.  It is amazing what you might learn - both about the task and the person.  And your performance will likely rise as a result.

Needless to say, my Saturday was amazing and productive after starting it in nature!

Sunday was another story.  I was up very late talking with my mom Saturday night, and then my toddler was awake for an hour throughout the night... Sunday being 'my morning', I slept it away!  What happened then?  I had a slow, lazy afternoon and didn't get what I planned to do done.  I DID get to my hula hooping class with FarOut Fitness and that WAS outside.  So I guess you could say that I did meet the requirements for the nature challenge:)

Here's to getting off the trail!